Jim and I are glad to be home after spending Mother’s Day weekend with his 92-year-old Mother in Arkansas. We had a great visit, but you know how it is, especially as we get older. After a few days away we look forward to sleeping in our own bed and getting back into a familiar routine.
While we were gone, we missed Monday’s epic NBA Playoff game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies. The game was the talk of ESPN on Tuesday because it went into triple overtime and racked up lots of statistical records that sportscasters tend to focus on.
Fortunately, Jim had anticipated our missing the game and had set our TV before we left home to record it. We were tired when we got back on Tuesday evening and looked forward to relaxing. So we grabbed a bite to eat and settled in to watch the exciting game. But as we got near the end of the second overtime, our DVR reached the end of its recording time, and we missed the last overtime and missed seeing who won the game.
If this had happened without our already knowing the outcome, we’d have been pretty upset and scrambling to find out whether the Thunder won or lost this pivotal game in the seven-game series. Fortunately, our kids and several others had already shared the happy news with us early Tuesday morning. They reported that, after struggling through two overtimes each ending in a tie at almost 1:00 a.m., the Thunder won by the comfortable margin of 133-123 in triple overtime! We were elated since we’re BIG Thunder fans. So when we watched the replay of the game, even when it looked as though we might lose it, we could rest assured. We already knew the outcome and the final score.
This scenario reminds me of how we as Christians can rest assured and face what we see happening in the world around us. If we just listen to the news, it seems there is nothing but horrible climate change, chaos, terrorism, awful sicknesses, perversion, and uncertainty. But even when it looks like Satan and his forces are winning, we can rest assured. Because we’ve read the whole story in the Bible (particularly the story of the end times in Revelation), we already know the outcome and the final score…Jesus 1 and Satan 0. Our team is the winning team!
Here in OKC, we often use the term, “Thunder Up!” It can mean many things, such as “Get ready for a good game,” or “We’re going to win,” or “We’ve got the best team!” It might do us good to use that same positive thinking and speaking in our Christian life. We ARE getting ready for a good time in Heaven, we ARE going to win in the end, and we ARE DEFINITELY on the best team. It’s already been settled in God’s mind, and He never changes.
Back in my home church in West Virginia there was a man who often shared this phrase at the end of his testimony, “Thank God, I’m on the winning side!” There’s nothing better than knowing you have nothing to worry about because you're the winner and everything is under control. We don’t know exactly what the future holds, but we know the God Who holds the future. If you’re a child of God, rest assured that He will take care of you, and your future is bright!
That's what I think...tell me what you think by sharing your comments below.
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