MARCH MADNESS AND ASSURED VICTORY

MARCH MADNESS AND ASSURED VICTORY
Tuesday, March 14, 2023 by Linda Wood Rondeau

Categories: devotional / TUESDAY'S TREASURE

photo by Stephen Baker via Unsplash

TUESDAY’S TREASURE

“You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you…”

2 Chronicles 20:17a.

Today, basketball’s March Madness is upon us … a time when even the most disinterested become enamored by the game.

I’m hardly a sports fanatic. I happen to be married to a huge sports fan, so I’m sure the hubs will be close to the television and will follow the results on ESPN and his tablet.

The game of basketball could be defined as follows: a game where two teams each try to score by shooting a ball through a hoop elevated ten feet above the ground. Sounds simple enough. But the conflict is that both teams want to win, and each will do everything in their power to make that happen.

When I watch a basketball game or any sport for that matter, I’m reminded that in the game of life, Satan strives to make sure our time on the court is unproductive. Though the outcome for the believer is assured, Satan irrepressibly throws as much mayhem into the mix to distract the believer from what God intends for their lives … that is to know him perfectly … and only achieved through intimacy with God.

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

Imagine yourself on a basketball court. You are at the center and you have possession of the ball, the work of your hands as you fulfill the Lord’s great commission within your spiritual experience. The opposition is the devil and his minions, now rushing you to prevent you from getting the ball through the hoop and scoring.

Perhaps Satan sends you off-sides by financial distress or physical impairment.

Perhaps he sends distractions to make you fumble.

Perhaps he surrounds you so completely, you feel there is no way to pass or execute your play.

Perhaps you are about to experience the ecstasy of a three-point shot, but Satan has fouled your composure with unexpected life challenges that send your best intentions in the wrong direction or knock you off your feet.

In fair play, the referee would allow you, the injured player, the right of a free throw, the penalty for interference or another type of foul. In this game of spiritual warfare, our ref is The Lord God Almighty. He pulls you up from your sprawl, hands you the ball, and says:

“You can go on. The play you intended was not in my plan.

You may have experienced a setback, but I am still Sovereign.

In me, you cannot be defeated.

Now is your time for victory.

My time … my way.”

photo by Stephen Baker via Unsplash

You scan the court while preparing to make the free throw. Lined up on opposing sides are God’s angel army and Satan’s minions. Both are readied to receive the rebound if you miss. In the stands, you hear the roar of the saints who have gone before you. “You can do this,” they cry.

You remember that the Holy Spirit has prepared you for this moment. Through your everyday experience, he has trained you for this shot. Your dribbles have been perfected through the daily application of prayer and reading the Word. Through the years, your misfires have taught you how to be more accurate with your shots.

The Spirit has trained you to lean on the Father for courage during times of opposition. With Peace that Passes all understanding, you are ready. You make the throw. You hesitate momentarily as it circles the rim before it drops through the net.

When the buzzer sounds and time is no more,

you will have obtained the prize,

the result of faithfulness.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
James 1:12

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