When Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin received a contract through 2024, many fans may have thought life had been easy for him. The Steeler’s owner said, “Mike is one of the most successful head coaches in the National Football League.” Like most great leaders, Tomlin has had to overcome adversity to achieve success, which has allowed him to help others deal with it too. “One thing I really admire about Coach Tomlin is his approach to adversity,” said former player Tory Polamalu. “He’s someone who has dealt with a lot of it in his life. He’s really able to convey that to all the teams he’s been a part of. Yeah, he has the mantra of Next Man Up, but I think the more important thing is that he preaches that life will have adversity.” Tomlin’s former tight end, Vance McDonald, said, “Tomlin does a great job of his approach as a coach and leader of the Steelers, of applying Biblical and Christian truths.”

1 Samuel 24; Psalm 22 – The Cross Foreshadowed

David faced more adversity in 1 Samuel 24 when he was on the run for his life. Saul entered a cave for privacy where, unknowingly, David was hiding. David finally had the opportunity to kill Saul, but he declined and instead depended upon God to take care of him. David wrote Psalm 22, which likely was written during one of these difficult trials. Though David knew God’s plans for his life, he felt despair at the beginning of the psalm, but he knew God had not left him and was praising Him at the end.

Written one thousand years before the first coming of Christ, Psalm 22 reads as if it were written by a person standing at the foot of the cross. Under the Holy Spirit’s direction, David wrote the most detailed description of the cross found anywhere in Scripture. It’s David’s preview of the cross that has been called “the fifth gospel” and “the gospel according to David.”

 The Kingdom Coach and Athlete trust in God to deliver them from adversity. They lean on God’s power to be their witness in the sports world.

Bible Memory Verse – “Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had removed from the land those who were mediums and spiritists. 1 Samuel 28:3 (LSB)