Deuteronomy 3-4

As a former UK basketball player, Cameron Mills was always criticized by fans for his lack of athleticism, but if he had the ball behind the three point line we knew it had a great chance of going in. I still remember the three pointer he hit against Duke in the '98 NCAA tournament! It solidified our comeback and helped to propel us to victory.

How did Cameron Mills prepare for that shot? Practice. Not only did Cameron have four years of experience in game situations at UK, but I was once told he was made to shoot a thousand shots a day before his dad would let him come in for supper as a highschooler. Cameron Mills may have not been a born-superstar, but his dedication to his shooting gave him the chance to be a part of some of the best years in UK basketball's recent history. Through so much practice, Mill's body knew what to do. His body was geared to shoot from behind the arc (the three-point line). He could have probably closed his eyes and still made several baskets because his body had been trained over and over again how to throw that orange sphere through that ten-foot tall rim.

And as I read today I was reminded of Israel's "practicing." Moses looks back and recounts not just wanderings, but war victories along the way. These were substantial victories as the people of Israel had over come two large kingdoms, wiped out their posterity, and taken plunder. Moses reveals these were lands and peoples which God had "delivered" over to them to take possession of. And their success was amazing. With God on their side, they had completely dispossessed the inhabitants of their lands and established for themselves their own cities and provinces.

After recounting these victories, Moses turns to his successor, Joshua, who was about to face many battles in Canaan, and said these words, "Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings; so the Lord shall do to all the kingdoms into which you are about to cross. Do not fear them, for the Lord your God is the one fighting for you" (Deut 3:21-22).

Moses looked at Joshua and said, "See, you have practiced! You have an example of God's faithfulness and power! You are ready for the 'next game' which will come across the Jordan." Moses realized that God was working with Israel to prepare them for what lay ahead. Through experience, Israel was learning to lean on God's direction and power as they fought the battles they were called to fight.

What about you? Where is God taking you? If you don't know, look back over the last couple years and think through the experiences He has allowed you to walk through. Think through those past victories and consider what training God has been doing in you. For some, we may realize that the training has been pretty light. God may be working in you to develop some of the fundamentals which will be required in later battles. Reading through the Bible this year is certainly part of that training in fundamentals.

Pray that God would continue to train you and open your eyes to each next step that he has planned for your life.