Duke!!

Last night I was watching the Duke/UNC game and getting a bit agitated during the second half.  The game began with Duke in the lead and it looked like it was going to end with them losing by 10 points.  But then with less than two minutes left in the game, Duke brought their score up.  With about half a minute left, UNC accidentally scored for Duke, leaving them just one point behind.  UNC made one of their free throws and now Duke was down by two with about 14 seconds left in the game.  They took the ball down the court and as the buzzer went off, scored a three-pointer for the winning shot.  I JUMPED off of my couch and squealed (trying to muffle my excitement as much as possible because my roommates had both gone to bed).

Austin Rivers making the amazing winning shot!

It was quite possibly the most exciting end to a game that I have ever witnessed and I was so very glad that I stayed up well past my bed time to watch it.

Sometimes in life we feel like we're winning during the first half.  Things are going our way.  Things are going smoothly.  And God appears to be everywhere, working in our favor.  But then we begin to get scared.  We're down by 10 and the game is almost over.

I question if I'm going to win this thing.  I question if God really is behind it all.  Do You really hold my life in Your hands?

Yesterday I felt beaten down.  I felt like I was only down by a couple of points and all of a sudden Satan was beating me down into the ground with lies about circumstances that I wish so badly I could change.  I was crying over the thing that I thought I had "recovered" from, wishing there was a way for me to change my destiny for next year.

But when that basketball game ended last night I remembered that when you are playing on God's team, you will always win.  Even with 14 seconds left in the game, Jesus will make that 3-pointer and send you jumping for joy down the court.

He makes ALL THINGS work together for my good.  That is a promise He gives me.  And this might not look in my favor now but it is.  It completely is.  Because it's going to provide me with an exciting ending to an unshakable destiny that He has for me.  A destiny that is good and perfect.  A destiny where I am in awe of how He made that winning shot in time and I can't help thinking, How DID You do it?!

A destiny where He is the victor and His team gets the glory.