All I do is win...

Tonight, MSU played Ole Miss in basketball.  Ole Miss is our rival school, and the fact that I've now said Ole Miss three times now would shock many State fans.  Often times our rival is called TSUN, or the school up north.  As I sat and watched the basketball game on ESPN 3, talked to the players like they could hear me, groaned against the cheering crowd, and whispered hopeful wishes that we would win, the Lord reminded me of something.  He never loses.  Never.  There's never a close game for Him; He doesn't know what it's like to worry, sweat and hold His breath over the fact that we might not win this game.  It's not like He's playing the worst team, either.  Every day the Lord goes to war with the one who stalks his prey like a lion.  The Devil learns his opponents weaknesses and tries to take them out--he seeks to kill and destroy.  But, provided you're on the right team, you're always going to win.  Always.  In Isaiah, the Lord speaks to the people through the prophet Isaiah and says, "I have sworn by my own name; I have spoken the truth, and I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess allegiance to me.  The people will declare, 'The Lord is the source of all my righteousness and strength.' And all who were angry with him will come to him and be ashamed" (Isaiah 45:23-24).  Why will He always win?  Because He says so, and He never breaks His promises.  Why will we win?  Because He is the source of our righteousness and strength.  Look somewhere else for that righteousness and strength and you might as well be eating nothing but Sour Patch Kids before a big game--the first three minutes of the game will be great, but you'd be worthless for the rest.  True strength comes from true nourishment.


Our Heavenly Father never complains about having Thursday and Saturday games like Vanderbilt's coach, Kevin Stallings.  He's on the court every single day and He never grows weary.  Again, Isaiah tells the Israelites, "Have you never heard?  Have you never understood?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth.  He never grows weak or weary.  No one can measure the depths of his understanding" (Isaiah 40:28).  Sore muscles from a rough game the day before?  No such thing.  Having to buy insane amounts of Gatorade to rehydrate?  Nope.  He is the Living Water.  Cramps in His legs, so coach has to pull Him out of the game?  Nada.


I'm so thankful that the Lord repeats in His letter to us time and time again the power that He will give to us; He always knows that we need to hear things at least a couple of times.  The passage in Isaiah 40 continues and says, "He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.  Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.  But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.  They will soar high on wings like eagles.  They will run and not grow weary.  They will walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40: 29-31).  New strength.  We always fight for the new stuff.  Steroids?  Who needs them when you've got new strength?


So, are you still eating Sour Patch Kids and expecting to last the full game, or are you looking to the Bread of Life and Living Water for new strength?  Really, when you look at the comparisons between the two, the biggest question is, what do you have to lose by switching to a new diet?  He never loses and never fails.  Remember?