Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.
"Lord, you are my God..."
He can't be your parents God, your teammates God, your friends God, your sister's God, your brother's God. He must be YOUR God. The way to do this is through belief and faith in Christ alone. You must have this faith and belief. It can't be passed to you through other people
"I will exalt you and praise your name..."
As athletes, it is fun to celebrate a goal. It is an adrenaline rush to win the big game. It makes you feel incredible when people look up to you as a champion or leader. But, in the midst of all this, you must remember we are to praise and exalt the name of God. Don't forget who put you in the place you happen to be. Don't forget who gave you the skills you possess. Praise God above all else, even yourself.
"in perfect faithfulness...."
God is perfectly faithful! You may often be let down by a multitude of things, but never by God. He is perfectly faithful. When you feel let down by the game of hockey, by a teammate, or by your own ability know that God is and always will be faithful
"You [God] have done wonderful things...."
God does not just do ok things. He doesn't do mediocre things. He doesn't even stop at doing pretty good things. God does wonderful things. Sometimes, you might have to stop and think about them. It is very easy to question God for all the bad things that might happen in your life, but we seldom stop to thank God for all the amazing things in life we take for granted. Remember God does wonderful things each and every day.
"things planned long ago."
The wonderful things of God are not by accident. He doesn't wake up one day and say, "I think this would be a good thing to do." No, He has already worked out all thing from the beginning of time. Before us, the world, or anything in it, God planned for Christ to come so that we could have life. Before we were born, God knew us and planned for all things in our life. God knows our future. He knows what's best for us. We know He does wonderful, loving, caring things. So, even in the down times, trust in God's plan for you. The one who planned and sent His one and only Son to die for us will always have our best interest in his plans.