God's Coaching #279

God's Coaching #279

It wasn’t exactly David versus Goliath. At 29 years old and weighing nearly 300 pounds, super-heavyweight wrestler Rulon Gardner was much older, bigger, and stronger than young David in the Bible. However, when Rulon faced Russian Alexander Karelin in the 2000 Summer Olympics, people gave him about as much a chance of winning the gold as David had had to beat the giant. But in the finals of Greco-Roman wrestling at the Sydney Olympics, Rulon beat the unbeatable.

For 15 years, Alexander hadn’t lost a match. The Russian wrestler was so dominant that nobody had even scored a single point against him in 10 years. But one point was all Rulon needed to win the gold and record one of the biggest upsets in sports history. In the first three minutes, neither wrestler could score. But in the second period, Rulon forced Alexander to lose his grip—which, according to Greco-Roman rules, earned him a point. The crowd gasped. Nobody could believe Rulon was ahead 1–0. But there was just one problem: more than five minutes were left in the match. Rulon countered every attack by Alexander, withstanding countless face slaps and grabs. Amid chants of “USA! USA!” the match ended with Rulon winning 1–0.

What’s the Score?

Rulon recorded an amazing victory. Alexander was so strong that he once had carried a refrigerator up seven flights of stairs—by himself! People feared the Russian. The only time these two had met before, Alexander had beaten Rulon 5–0, throwing Rulon on his face three different times. But at the 2000 Olympics, Rulon used his speed and strength to escape with a 1–0 victory.

Nobody thought Rulon would beat the mighty Russian—even he admitted that he didn’t think he’d win. But Rulon did the impossible. God is in the business of doing the impossible. He helped David defeat Goliath. He parted the Red Sea. He created the universe out of nothing. He came to earth as a little baby. When you’re facing seemingly insurmountable odds, remember that you serve a God who does the impossible.

On the Ball

Do you have a goal that you think you can’t accomplish? Write it down:___________________________________________________. Pray for God to help you accomplish the impossible. If it’s his will, you can do the impossible.

Coach’s Comment

Nothing is impossible with God. Luke 1:37