A tradition unlike any other.
For nearly forty years, this has been the tagline of The Masters, the most prestigious golf tournament in America. Located in August, Georgia, every golf fan you know has watched this tournament, marveled at the course, and longed to be able to attend one day.
A few weeks ago, Scottie Scheffler won The Masters for the second time in three years. Scheffler shared a powerful story about what happened the morning before his victory in his post-celebration press conference.
“I was pretty overwhelmed sitting around with buddies this morning. I was pretty overwhelmed; I wish I didn’t want to win as badly as I want to do. I love winning, and I hate losing…My buddies told me that my victory was secure on the cross. That’s a pretty special feeling to know that my identity is secure, no matter whether I win or lose this tournament. My identity is secure forever.”
Scheffler’s recounting of his conversation with his buddies came to mind when I was listening to “Give Me Jesus” recently. Abbie Gamboa leads UPPERROOM’s newest song. From the opening verse, the song echoes the same kind of awareness that this uber-successful golfer articulated.
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“I don’t want anything but You
You’re more than every dream come true
All of the things I thought I wanted
Don’t come close to knowing You.”
UPPERROOM’s song flows into a chorus that samples the classic hymn. While adding additional new lyrics, the latest version of “Give Me Jesus” maintains simple instrumentation and a simple set of lyrics.
As I listened to the bridge and refrain, which Gamboa returns to repeatedly, I remembered the heart of King David. Anyone who has read the story of David’s life knows that the famous king committed heinous sins and made significant mistakes. He committed adultery (at minimum) with Bathsheba and commanded her husband’s murder to hide the pregnancy that emerged from their encounter.
However, despite David’s failures as a king and a father, 1 Samuel 13:14 records David being described as a man after God’s own heart. David wrote 73 of the 150 psalms and was the greatest king of ancient Israel.
David’s Psalms writings express the sentiment that UPPERROOM beautifully expresses in “Give Me Jesus.” In Psalm 27:4, he wrote,
“The one thing I ask of the Lord—the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.”
Later, in Psalm 84, David confessed his hunger to be in God’s presence.
“How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
I long, yes, I faint with longing
to enter the courts of the Lord.
With my whole being, body and soul,
I will shout joyfully to the living God…
A single day in your courts
is better than a thousand anywhere else!
I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God
than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.”
David’s words in Psalms 27 and 84, written hundreds of years before Jesus was born, are his version of “Give Me Jesus.” David has experienced God in a way that ruined him for anything else. His writings reflect his spiritual hunger and unwavering focus.
I can remember reading the words of these psalms and thinking, “Wow, that’s a lot.” Perhaps you read them and think, “That’s a bit much, right?”
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I encourage you to ask yourself, “Have I experienced God in a way that shows He is truly better than anything else this world has to offer?” If your answer is no, the words of King David, Jesus, Scottie Scheffler, and many others will seem very strange.
As I write this devotional today, I’m praying that you will discover through personal experience that Jesus is better than anything else this world offers. I’m praying that knowing Jesus and being known by Him ruins you in all the best ways. David experienced the adulation of crowds after defeating Goliath. He amassed great wealth and won significant victories in battle. With confidence and conviction, David could sing along with Gamboa when she declares, “All of the things I thought I wanted, Don’t come close to knowing You.”
Just as the reporters who interviewed Scheffler after his victory at The Masters didn’t know what to do with his story, the people may not know what to do with your single-minded desire for Jesus. But you will know peace and contentment when you discover the one thing you seek the most, which does satisfy your soul.
Scott Savage is a pastor, author, and speaker with the best last name in the world. Scott’s writing helps people transform difficult circumstances into places where they can thrive. He leads Cornerstone Church in Prescott, Arizona, and loves watching movies with his wife and three kids. You can begin Scott’s newest project, The 21 Day Gratitude Challenge, today.
