I assume we’ve all seen some sporting event between two teams where the home team is behind during the game but then they come back to win at the very end. The team that was winning ends up losing, and the team that was losing ends up the winner.
I am reminded about some characters in the Bible who appear, to the outside world, to be losing, but they end up as winners. First let’s look at Joseph, who appeared, at first, to be losing, but won:
“So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.” [Genesis 37:28]
“So Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.'” [Genesis 41:41]
See how God changed Moses from losing to winning:
“When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well.” [Exodus 2:15]
“So now, go, I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” [Exodus 3:10]
And the religious leaders and most of the people thought that Jesus was on the losing team. Until it was clear that He wasn’t:
“Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.” [John 19:16a]
“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.'” [Matthew 28:18]
My point? Through no fault of our own, we are all born on the losing team. And I fear that there are times when we look at the rich, beautiful Hollywood-type red carpet posers and think that they are the winners. Nonsense! Once you believe in the Father, accept the sacrifice of the Son, and yield to the power of the Spirit, the concept of losing is forever finished. You have gone through the narrow gate as one of God’s remnant to, at some point in the future, “dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” That sounds like winning to me. You?
Blessings,
Keith