The game of football has been called the greatest team sport and I believe it is totally true. Of course I am a bit biased but let me explain why I feel this way about the game of football. First, it is the only sport that has a position that will never be in the record book. The running back can run for hundreds of yards and the quarterback can throw for thousands of yards, but the offensive lineman’s name will never appear in the record book. They will spend several years doing their jobs for others to receive the glory. Second, the game of football allows a young man to prove to himself that he is mentally tough enough to overcome challenges while also exposing some weaknesses that he must improve. Third, and maybe the most important, a young man on a football team must learn to trust his teammates and to be trusted himself. In order for a team to successfully execute a play, score a touchdown, and ultimately win a game, the team members must depend on one another for help. When teaching my offensive linemen I often ask a very simple question of them. I will say, “Where is your help coming from?” They must know where their help is coming from and if they can trust the young man aligned beside them. If one player does not trust the other, he will try to do the job alone, and fail. He must learn through long days of practice that he can depend on his teammate to always be his helper regardless of the difficulty of their job or how they may feel at the moment.
As members of families, companies, and teams we must learn who we can depend on for help. Who can you depend on to help in any situation, regardless of the difficulty? And, even more important, can others depend on you? It is important in life to know where our help is coming from. If faced with a critical decision, who is the person you can go to for sound advice? You may not like what they say, but you know they are trying and willing to help.
Most bible scholars believe David wrote Psalm 121, however they disagree on why it was written. Some call this the soldier’s Psalm because they believe David wrote this Psalm while he was in a camp preparing for battle. Others call this the traveler’s Psalm because they believe it was written to encourage the Israelites who were travelling to Jerusalem to worship. Regardless of David’s intentions for writing this Psalm, we are all travelers, with our final destination being Heaven, and we are also all in a battle or preparing for a battle.
As I read through all eight verses of Psalm 121 I began to replace the words “you” or “your” with “me” or “my” and it became much more personal. Go to Psalm 121 today and, as you read,replace the words, “you” or “your” with your parent's name, your sibling's name, your spouse's name, a friend's name. It makes the verse even more special when you add your name, a family member’s name, or the name of a friend.
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