It’s Not Over Till It’s Over
Today’s Truth
“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians
Friend to Friend
It’s called The final Four and in the Jaynes’ home, it is important…at least to some of us.
It was Friday night and my son, Steven, and husband, Steve, were watching the
“We’re going to lose,” we agreed.
“It’s not worth staying up for,” Steve said. “It’s late. I’m tired. I don’t want to watch them get creamed. They’ll never come back from 16 points and they look tired too!”
So we turned off the television and said our goodnights. You can imagine our surprise Saturday morning when we opened the newspaper to read the headlines…”It’s a Tar Heel Blitz!” (I’m losing some of you ladies here, but stay with me!)
The coach must have had a powerful pep talk at the half, because the Tar Heels came back “crashing to the offensive boards” coupled with a “suffocating defense.”
I don’t usually get excited about basketball, but I do get excited when God teaches me a life lesson or gives me a practical example of a Biblical principle. See, sometimes we quit too soon. Perhaps we’re struggling in the game of life and it appears that we’re going to lose. So we quit – turn off the game and go to bed. But here’s the thing…just because it looks like we’re losing, doesn’t mean we are. The game is not over! God is still at work. The celestial team is still on the court.
Many times I give up too soon on a situation that looks bleak. And when I do, I miss the thrill of victory. I miss watching God turn a seemingly hopeless situation into a miraculous win for the home team.
In the Bible, Paul wrote that we are “more than conquerors” in Christ Jesus. Conquerors don’t give us when things get tough. They don’t quit.
I imagine when Jesus died on the cross and was buried in the tomb; the disciples thought the “game” was over. Imagine if they had newspapers back then. Imagine Peter, John, or Thomas opening the front page and reading the headlines…”The Tomb is Empty! Jesus is Alive!” They gave up too soon.
If there is a struggle in your life right now, and you feel like the situation is hopeless, I want to encourage…do not give up! God is always at work and I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to miss a second of miraculous win. I don’t want to hear about miracles second hand, but watch them take place before my very eyes.
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, forgive me for giving up too soon. I pray that my faith will remain strong in all situations. Even if I can’t see You at work, I know You are at work. Thank you that we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Think of times when you gave up too soon and God kept working?
Did you regret that you gave up?
Did you get to see the end result?
Imagine how you would have felt if you had been one of the disciples hiding after Jesus’ death. Do you think you would have bemoaned the fact that your faith had been weak?
Make a commitment to God that you will not give up or walk away from a difficult situation. Keep playing the game of life! It’s not over until it’s over!
More from the Girlfriends
Sometimes life just doesn’t turn out like we thought it would. However, it can be even better than we expected. Have you had shattered dreams in your life? If so, you can learn to hope again in Sharon Jaynes’ book Dreams of a Woman: God’s Plans for Fulfilling Your Dreams.
Originally published Monday, 23 April 2007.
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