In 1924,
a boy named Johnny, who loved to play basketball, completed the eighth grade in
a small rural school. His father, rich in love but short on money for a graduation
gift, gave Johnny a card on which he had written his own 7-point creed, which
he encouraged his son to start following daily. Three of the points were: Drink
deeply from good books, especially the Bible. Make each day your masterpiece.
Pray for guidance, and give thanks for your blessings every day.
Jesus, in
what we often call the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13), taught us to approach our
heavenly Father each day; it’s not something to be said once and forgotten.
Through it we offer God praise (v.9); seek His kingdom and His will (v.10);
trust His provision (v.11); and ask for His forgiveness, power, and deliverance
(vv.12-13).
Throughout his life, Johnny sought the Lord’s strength to live each day for Him. He became a three-time All- American basketball player at Purdue University and one of the greatest college coaches of all time. When Coach John Wooden died at the age of 99, he was honored most of all for his character, his faith, and the many lives he touched.
