It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over

Psalm 74:12-23

12You, O God, are my king from ages past,

bringing salvation to the earth.

13You split the sea by your strength

and smashed the sea monster’s heads.

14You crushed the heads of Leviathan

and let the desert animals eat him.

15You caused the springs and streams to gush forth,

and you dried up rivers that never run dry.

16Both day and night belong to you;

you made the starlight and the sun.

17You set the boundaries of the earth,

and you make both summer and winter.

18See how these enemies scoff at you, LORD.

A foolish nation has dishonored your name.

19Don’t let these wild beasts destroy your doves.

Don’t forget your afflicted people forever.

20Remember your covenant promises,

for the land is full of darkness and violence!

21Don’t let the downtrodden be constantly disgraced!

Instead, let these poor and needy ones give praise to your name.

22Arise, O God, and defend your cause.

Remember how these fools insult you all day long.

23Don’t overlook these things your enemies have said.

Their uproar of rebellion grows ever louder.

It’s the biggest college basketball game of the season. State University has the player of the year, but surprisingly Jackson isn’t in the starting lineup for this game. He’s on the bench—not injured—he’s just not playing.

As the game progresses, the State squad plays hard, but it misses its star center. The team falls behind by twelve points at the half. In the third quarter Jackson’s still on the bench, and the team keeps losing ground. The fans are getting angry. “Why is the coach throwing this game away?”

The fourth quarter begins with State down by sixteen points. But then Jackson runs onto the floor to join his teammates, and the crowd’s boos turn to cheers. The star center plays with incredible energy, grabbing every rebound, blocking shots, scoring at will. The State team whittles the lead down to ten, to five, to two, and then with a minute left Jackson completes a three-point play to give State the lead for good. The crowd goes wild. What a brilliant coach!

You can’t blame the psalmist for wondering why his star player, God himself, isn’t entering the game. Why does he sit on the sidelines when his team is getting trounced? Sometimes you may wonder the same thing. But don’t fear—the game isn’t over yet.

Begone, unbelief;

My Savior is near,

And for my relief

Will surely appear;

By prayer let me wrestle,

And he will perform;

With Christ in the vessel,

I smile at the storm.

JOHN NEWTON

Bible Networking

Read chapter 8 of Hebrews to find out more about the covenant promises of verse 20.

Notable Quotable

“The man of faith is never blind to the desolation. He sees clearly all the terrible facts. But he sees more. He sees God.”

G. CAMPBELL MORGAN