February 7, 2017 (Tuesday)
I was impressed by Howard E. Butt, Jr. when he spoke to our student body at the Baylor Religious Hour (BRH) in the early 1950’s. He was an outstanding speaker and that evening he had an intriguing subject as he began by giving us a recap of a Baylor basketball game in which our school came from behind and won a game that most observers thought was lost. Hence, the title of his message was, “God of the Second Half,” in which he sought to encourage us all to keep trusting the Lord no matter what, expecting Him to take us through our troubles to victory at the end.
Last Sunday’s Super Bowl was such an event, as New England came back from being 25 points behind, to win the game at the very end. Although many of us were rooting for Atlanta, we were impressed by this surprise win.
Once again, Yogi Berra was proved to be right when he said, “It ain’t over ’till it’s over!”
You could apply that statement to Romans 8:28, where the Bible says that “all things work together for good to those who love the Lord.” This promise has enouraged thousands of people through the years to keep on trusting the Lord in spite of difficult circumstances. God leads us through the valley (Psalm 23), not just into the valley.
Paul Harvey had a segment on his radio broadcast called, “the rest of the story.” He related experiences that seemed hopeless but in the end came out well. We all have had experiences like that. We can therefore be hopeful in the face of trouble. We can pray the words of an old hymn, “In the midst of tribulations, stand by me.”
Dear friend, never, ever, lose hope. “Take your burden to the Lord, and leave it there.”
