A Dazzling Win

The Houston Texans have won their division and have made the playoffs. With about 2 1/2 minutes left in the game, the ball went over to Houston and its new quarterback, rookie T. J. Yates. Houston needed 6 points to tie the game or 7 points to win. They won with 2 seconds left on the clock–time enough for the kickoff and a miraculous runback by their opponents, but such a miracle was not to be, and the Texans won. Fans of this team have been waiting since 2002 for this moment. It’s a great day for Houston.
I recall a sermon by Howard Butt, Jr. when I was in college. The title of the message was, “The God of the Second Half.” He used as an illustration a Baylor basketball game when the Bears trailed at the end of the first half, but went on to a spectacular win at the end of the game. The point of the message should be self-evident: the game of life is not over yet. As Yogi Berra said, “It’s not over until it’s over.” That witty wisdom has been proved true time after time in sports, and also in life.
Paul looked forward to the “end of the game,” and said, “I press toward the mark for the prize..” He never gave up. He kept on serving the Lord, against all odds, until the very end of his days.
The point of the Book of Revelation in the Bible is that God always wins. Whatever is happening in our lives at the moment, we must never lost heart, we must “keep a’ goin’,” we must not quit. God says to each of us, “I will be with you to the end.” He will never leave us. He will not forsake us. He’s the “God of the Second Half.”