Psalm 91
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge—
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble
I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
Curtis Martin, formerly of the New York Jets, read Psalm 91 before every game.
Martin became a Christian at the age of 20 after listening to a pastor, and he remembers his first encounter with God during his Hall of Fame enshrinement in 2012.
Curtis Martin and his mother, Rochella, began a long reconciliation process with his father, Curtis Sr.
In 1990, Curtis Sr. checked into a veteran’s hospital for two weeks followed by a six-month stay at a rehabilitation center and was able to remain sober through his death, due to cancer (June 2009 at age 58). In 1998, on Father's Day, Curtis Martin, Sr was honored, by a new, furnished condominium, his father had left the family due to his addictions to cocaine and alcohol. The family members made peace with each other in the final weeks of the elder Martin's life.
Curtis Martin's retirement, in July 2007, completed his career having amassed 14,101 total rushing yards, the fourth highest total in NFL history. Curtis Martin also became an advocate for women against violence.
Martin married his longtime girlfriend Carolina Williams in 2010. On December 15, 2011, the couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Ava.
He was selected for induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on February 4, 2012, and formally inducted on August 4, 2012. Martin's speech, which he conducted without notes, was widely praised by critics for its sincerity. The Jets retired Martin's No. 28 jersey on September 9, 2012.
On November 11, 2013, Martin was added to the Miami Dolphins' five-man committee to develop the conduct code by owner Stephen M. Ross.
1 Chronicles 29:11
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.
Exodus 14:14
The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
>> Subscribe to Sports Spectrum Magazine for more stories where sports and faith connect <<
Martin said that when people can see the opportunity for blessings through pain, they find the strength to endure.
As a guest on a recent podcast episode of “A Bit of Optimism with Simon Sinek,”
Martin reflected on George Floyd’s death and what it means for the black community and all of America. Martin recounted stories of growing up with an abusive father and surrounded by violence in his neighborhood, he said he would often choose to suffer rather than to turn to law enforcement.
“We live with that fear on top of the distrust on top of the visions of injustice that we’ve witnessed in our own communities all the time,” Martin said.
Floyd’s death opened old wounds for black people and perhaps gave white people a perspective they’d never seen before. “White America got a glimpse of what Black America literally lives with all of our lives,” Martin said. Martin believes there are new possibilities for strong leadership and true change.
“Hidden behind our biggest challenges are some of our biggest blessings and biggest opportunities,” Martin said, adding, “I think that if we could learn how to use this pain and frustration, or whatever it may be, and pull something positive out of it on an individual level, I think it translates into a community level eventually.”
Martin shared a story from his days as an NFL running back to drive home the point. He dislocated his shoulder during a game against the Giants, but instead of heading to the locker room, he asked to have his arm taped to his side, so he could return to action. After nearly every play, Martin fought through immense pain to get back to the huddle. He finished the game and he finished the season, one of the best seasons of his career.
Martin sees a parallel in the story of Jesus on the cross.
“I remember reading this Bible verse one day and it talked about Jesus.
And it said, ‘because of the glory that was set before Him, Christ endured the cross’ (paraphrase of Hebrews 12:2). And what it’s saying is that Jesus had His eyes on the way that Him dying on that cross was going to help so many people and inspire so many people,” Martin said.
Jesus faced unimaginable pain, but what held Him on the cross was the joy of what was to come.
“Because of that vision of what was on the other side of the cross, that helped Jesus endure the cross. I believe that we all have our own personal cross in life, but instead of enduring that cross, we try to avoid it, and in avoiding that, we also avoid that blessing. … If we can keep our eyes somewhat focused on the greater good that will come out of the pain, I think it gives us the motivation to endure,” Martin said.
Martin became a Christian at the age of 20 after listening to a pastor, and he recalled his first encounter with God during his Hall of Fame enshrinement in 2012.
“My mother never raised me telling me about God or anything. But I said I’ve got to go to the nearest church and tell this God, ‘God, thank You because I know I’m not faster than a bullet. I’m not Superman. But somehow I seem to have had more than nine lives.’
“So I looked up and talked to God like He was one of my boys in the street.
I said, ‘Listen, man, I don’t know nothing about You or this Jesus cat that everybody talks about, but I’m going to make a deal with You. I heard about people making deals with the devil, but I don’t want to do that. I’m going to make a deal with You. If You let me live past 21, dude, I promise that I’ll just try to do my best and try to live right and try to do whatever You want me to do. I know You’re a smart person, if You’re God.'”
Former NFL running back Curtis Martin played through pain at various times throughout his 11-year career with the New England Patriots and New York Jets.
By the end, he had earned five trips to the Pro Bowl and a golden jacket from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Martin did manage to escape his meager upbringing and played college football for Pitt before heading to the 1995 NFL Draft. After being selected by the Patriots in the third round, he headed for the Jets after three seasons. Martin retired in 2006. He said he wore his iconic No. 28 because of the 28th chapter in the book of Deuteronomy, which talks about “Blessings for Obedience.”
Abba, Father God,
You have told us the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit, we are children of God.
We thank You for covering us in the Name, Glory and Mercy of Jesus Christ the Lord.
Help us to seek You first.
We bless You and give Thanks.
So many pray for our nation,
these difficult days and for the Recovery of All.
Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
His understanding is beyond measure.
You created goodness in our souls with Your Help
increasing our Hope, Faith and Love.
Thank You for being always with us And seeing us through all seasons. Y
our Mercy and Actions sustain us.
We Thank You for Salvation.
You bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages
in God, who created all things.
We give You thanks for Your Love and lift our concerns and the ones we love to You.
You lift up the People we Love.
You will lift these days up again.
Please speak Your Willing Word for Elliott to heal.
Texas and those affected by Snowvid pray for houses to mend
and Yards to heal.
We pray for the healing of our Nation
to experience God's Love and His Call to the Body of Christ.
Bless CPAC
Bless the Rolling out of the Vaccines
and
Peace in the Middle East
with Job Recovery.
Jesus, Father God, Please bless the USA.
In Jesus, we are Yours!
Amen
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment