Sometimes, everyday events can highlight powerful biblical truths. Several years ago, my wife and I attended a high school football game that underscored the importance of patience.
It was homecoming weekend for the team and school we were rooting for. Our youngest son attended that school.
With less than three minutes left in the game, our team was behind five points. But we were on the verge of scoring a touchdown to pull ahead. Then the unthinkable happened. Our quarterback fumbled only seven yards from the goal line!
That did it. You could sense the life leaving the fans and the team. Fans quickly left the stadium in droves.
After that fumble, I saw a couple of the football players nearly crying on the side line. They knew it was over. One mother came down from the stands to reach over the fence separating the stands from the field to comfort her son. I beckoned to my wife for us to leave. But she wanted to stay so we did.
Our team received the ball one more time with only eight seconds left in the game. On the first play, the quarterback connected with a receiver who caught the ball and ran out of bounds with three seconds left. On the next play, the quarterback threw a bomb over fifty yards into the end zone for the touchdown and victory!
As you might imagine, the place came back to life, exploding with celebration. I believe that was the most exciting ending I have ever witnessed at a high school football game.
Paul Writes about the Importance of Patience
As I left the game, I reflected on the heart of the team and the poise of the quarterback. Then I thought about some words of Paul the apostle that underscore the importance of patience. He wrote, “Ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise” (Hebrews 10:36, KJV).
It was the word patience that stood out in my mind. Once we have done the will of God, we need to know how to patiently wait on the Lord to receive from Him.
In this football game, many people didn’t see the amazing victory because they left too soon (as I had suggested to my wife that we do). And I wonder how many believers miss out on receiving from God because they cast off their faith too soon.
Similar to the outcome of the game, sometimes God shows up in what we regard as the very last minute or second. We must believe that no matter how certain defeat may appear, we always win when we patiently wait on the Lord.
Often, a duration of time exists between when we align ourselves with the promise of God and when we will realize the fulfillment of His promise. Sometimes, that duration of time can be long. During that interval, we have need of patience.
Copyright © 2023 by Frank King. All rights reserved.