TALENT AND EXERCISE
Matthew 25:21
“His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
In another Creation Moment, I described the natural ability of a sportsman like David Beckham and how his work could be defined by math. When we consider great sportsmen, we consider the link between talent and what they have done with that talent.
A great soccer player like Beckham, for example, has a God-given talent, whether or not they acknowledge this. I have the ability to describe the bending free kick by math, but I could not actually kick the ball this way even if I practiced for hours every day. God has given me one talent, and Beckham another.
In any sport, however, we occasionally come across players where we think that their talent has been wasted. I can think of one British soccer player of the past who showed early promise but who developed an unfortunate and public addiction to alcohol.
The relationship between talent and the work done to develop that talent is a biblical concept. In the parable of the talents, the man who started with two talents and who brought back four was commended as highly as the man with five talents who brought back ten. Both men had started with talents, which they did not earn, but were given to them, but both men developed those talents further. It was the man who simply buried his talent who was condemned.
Both the abilities that God has given us and our exercise and development of them are important factors in our lives and in our witness.
Thank You, Lord, for the talents that You have given me. I pray that You will help me develop my talents and not bury them so that You can use me more effectively for the furtherance of Your kingdom. Amen.
Matthew 25:21
“His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
In another Creation Moment, I described the natural ability of a sportsman like David Beckham and how his work could be defined by math. When we consider great sportsmen, we consider the link between talent and what they have done with that talent.
A great soccer player like Beckham, for example, has a God-given talent, whether or not they acknowledge this. I have the ability to describe the bending free kick by math, but I could not actually kick the ball this way even if I practiced for hours every day. God has given me one talent, and Beckham another.
In any sport, however, we occasionally come across players where we think that their talent has been wasted. I can think of one British soccer player of the past who showed early promise but who developed an unfortunate and public addiction to alcohol.
The relationship between talent and the work done to develop that talent is a biblical concept. In the parable of the talents, the man who started with two talents and who brought back four was commended as highly as the man with five talents who brought back ten. Both men had started with talents, which they did not earn, but were given to them, but both men developed those talents further. It was the man who simply buried his talent who was condemned.
Both the abilities that God has given us and our exercise and development of them are important factors in our lives and in our witness.
Thank You, Lord, for the talents that You have given me. I pray that You will help me develop my talents and not bury them so that You can use me more effectively for the furtherance of Your kingdom. Amen.
THE PHYSICS OF SPORT
Hebrews 12:1-2
�Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.�
One popular science TV show in the UK suggested that David Beckham was a master of differential calculus in the way he scored goals. Beckham, who played for such major soccer teams as Real Madrid and LA Galaxy, was a master of the curling free kick that could fool defenders and goal keepers, as the ball bent around them into the net. He did not have the reputation, however, of a master mathematician.
If one were mathematically to describe the trajectory of the ball as it left Beckham�s foot, the math would be pretty sophisticated. The equation would include g � the acceleration due to gravity. But a large number of other factors would have been in Mr. Beckham�s head. These would include information from his eyes about the positions of various defenders, the power of his foot on the ball, and the positioning of the point of contact that would produce exactly the right amount of spin. Perhaps some peripheral constants would include the material and method of manufacture of his boots.
There is no doubt that David Beckham�s experience and talent would have informed his decision about how to kick the ball. Few would expect him to plot the trajectory on paper or give details about the nature of the equation described above.
Whether they would acknowledge this or not, God gave athletes like David Beckham their talents, and God gave them the means to develop their soccer brains to enable them to judge how, why and where to kick the ball. And God gave other people the means and tools to be able scientifically to analyze their actions.
We are amazed, Lord, at the sporting talents that You have given some people, and how they have developed those talents. Thank You for those sportsmen and women who do acknowledge You and who give You the glory. Amen.
Hebrews 12:1-2
�Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.�
One popular science TV show in the UK suggested that David Beckham was a master of differential calculus in the way he scored goals. Beckham, who played for such major soccer teams as Real Madrid and LA Galaxy, was a master of the curling free kick that could fool defenders and goal keepers, as the ball bent around them into the net. He did not have the reputation, however, of a master mathematician.
If one were mathematically to describe the trajectory of the ball as it left Beckham�s foot, the math would be pretty sophisticated. The equation would include g � the acceleration due to gravity. But a large number of other factors would have been in Mr. Beckham�s head. These would include information from his eyes about the positions of various defenders, the power of his foot on the ball, and the positioning of the point of contact that would produce exactly the right amount of spin. Perhaps some peripheral constants would include the material and method of manufacture of his boots.
There is no doubt that David Beckham�s experience and talent would have informed his decision about how to kick the ball. Few would expect him to plot the trajectory on paper or give details about the nature of the equation described above.
Whether they would acknowledge this or not, God gave athletes like David Beckham their talents, and God gave them the means to develop their soccer brains to enable them to judge how, why and where to kick the ball. And God gave other people the means and tools to be able scientifically to analyze their actions.
We are amazed, Lord, at the sporting talents that You have given some people, and how they have developed those talents. Thank You for those sportsmen and women who do acknowledge You and who give You the glory. Amen.
THE DINOSAUR MUMMY
Genesis 7:23
�And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.�
We have now got used to the idea that there are dinosaur fossils containing soft tissue. Our familiarity with such finds has begun to dull the edge of the surprising import of such finds. Whichever way you spin this, the presence of soft tissue is not consistent with evolutionary ages for the dinosaurs.
Perhaps this sense of surprise, for the evolutionist, will be rekindled by the discovery of dinosaurs complete with skin, scales and pigments. One such dinosaur find is that of Borealopelta markmitchelli. This amazing specimen caused one expert to remark that it �might have been walking around a couple of weeks ago�.
When the protein molecules of such organisms break down, they form secondary proteins called kerogens. These molecules have been found in this dinosaur. Although the exact lifespan of such molecules has not been fully researched, it is clear that they cannot last anywhere near as long as the required 112 million years � the date assigned to this dinosaur.
Similarly, pigments like melanin have been found in the scales of the dinosaur. Experiments have suggested that the lifespan of melanin is only thousands of years. Yet, this dinosaur is not the only discovery in which such melanin has been found, even though there is no scientific mechanism by which such pigments could last the millions of years required.
These dinosaur finds are troubling to evolutionists. But they are fully consistent with a biblical worldview, confirming as they do the Bible�s timescale for Creation and the Flood.
Your word, O Lord, is always true. We thank You that You have graciously provided evidences consistent with Your word. We pray that we might trust You completely because we believe what You have said. Amen.
Genesis 7:23
�And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.�
We have now got used to the idea that there are dinosaur fossils containing soft tissue. Our familiarity with such finds has begun to dull the edge of the surprising import of such finds. Whichever way you spin this, the presence of soft tissue is not consistent with evolutionary ages for the dinosaurs.
Perhaps this sense of surprise, for the evolutionist, will be rekindled by the discovery of dinosaurs complete with skin, scales and pigments. One such dinosaur find is that of Borealopelta markmitchelli. This amazing specimen caused one expert to remark that it �might have been walking around a couple of weeks ago�.
When the protein molecules of such organisms break down, they form secondary proteins called kerogens. These molecules have been found in this dinosaur. Although the exact lifespan of such molecules has not been fully researched, it is clear that they cannot last anywhere near as long as the required 112 million years � the date assigned to this dinosaur.
Similarly, pigments like melanin have been found in the scales of the dinosaur. Experiments have suggested that the lifespan of melanin is only thousands of years. Yet, this dinosaur is not the only discovery in which such melanin has been found, even though there is no scientific mechanism by which such pigments could last the millions of years required.
These dinosaur finds are troubling to evolutionists. But they are fully consistent with a biblical worldview, confirming as they do the Bible�s timescale for Creation and the Flood.
Your word, O Lord, is always true. We thank You that You have graciously provided evidences consistent with Your word. We pray that we might trust You completely because we believe what You have said. Amen.
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