Your favorite football team is five points behind their opponent in the final 30 seconds of the 4th quarter. While in possession of the ball they are only progressing a few yards at a time, and with the clock rapidly running down, theirs seems to be a lost cause. Opposing fans are beginning to high-five and congratulate themselves in the stands. But a valiant pass reception gets your team to the one-yard line—with exactly one second remaining on the game clock. One play left, then game over.
Suddenly, everyone is on the edge of their seats as the center hikes the ball. The clock now reads zero, but players run in all directions as the ball suddenly finds its target in the end zone! The receiver leaps to make the catch right at the field’s edge, and his feet come down, only to be called out of bounds —incomplete! A stir among the football officials on the field ensues, while both teams anxiously wait. The call is overturned as the pass is ruled complete—touchdown and victory!
We witnessed this unlikely game turnaround recently. We sat in suspense until after the last second of the game! But only because we lacked information. If we had watched a recording after knowing the outcome, we would not have been on edge.
When we know how things are going to end—if we know the final outcome of a game, that victory and celebration await, we don’t have to sweat the play by play, or how things look along the way.
Life feels very uncertain at times, and that uncertainty can be accompanied by considerable anxiety if we allow it. However, we have some inside information through the Word of God to insulate us from such gut-wrenching upset. When Jesus gave up the ghost, just before He dropped his thorn-crowned head, He said, “It is finished!” Doubtless, people wondered at the time what that meant. Must have meant His life’s work was finished, because He was dead now.
But the story didn’t stop there—the Bible tell us three days later Jesus rose from the dead —with the keys of hell and death in His hand (Revelation 1:18). Game over! The devil was so sure at Calvary that he had triumphed over the Son of God. He smirked as people mocked Jesus, telling Him to save Himself. But there was a sudden reversal as the perfect lamb laid down His life in a sacrifice so powerful that it could take away the sins of the entire world (John 1:29).
When we are persuaded that Jesus has won for us the victory over death and we adopt an eternal perspective, we don’t need to sweat what happens from day to day. When we believe God works everything together for our good, we can experience peace and rest despite our circumstances. This doesn’t mean resignation or passivity and certainly not determinism. Instead we trust God to strengthen us to do our best and we extinguish doubt, knowing with God we can’t help but win.
Wonderful, JB – thanks for this reminder that this is not our final “home” in these seemingly “uncertain” times. It is comforting to know that there ARE things we can be certain of. 🙂