SAINTS WIN! SAINTS WIN!

The 2009 edition of the Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn was decided in the last minutes of the game. It was so stressful that Lori couldn’t bear to watch, instead choosing to fret outside.

Auburn had one last chance to win by throwing a “Hail Mary” into the end zone, and for this particular play I chose to listen to the radio. The interesting thing about this is the telecast is delayed for a few seconds, whereas the radio is more of a live feed. So when I turn to the Alabama network, the last play is in progress while the telecast shows both teams still in the huddle. The point is this: I heard Alabama win before I saw them win. Therefore I watched the last play with supreme confidence.

And joy!

Since Lori missed most of the fourth quarter, we have since watched the playback. Whereas we had been extremely agitated with Auburn’s success the first time, we were amused the second time. No matter how bad it looked we were unmovable in our assurance: knowing the end from the beginning made all the difference.

In the far more serious game of life, many of us are in dire need of a fourth quarter comeback. From an eternal perspective this battle of faith has already been decided. God give us ears to hear the verdict of heaven, and the astounding joy of the cloud of witnesses as they shout over the air waves: “Saints win, Saints win! Not only can we hear this from above: We can read tomorrow’s headlines in “The New Jerusalem Times” proclaiming this more assuredly than “The Birmingham News” account of the win by Alabama.

Jesus, as a man full of the Holy Ghost, lived his life according to this principle:

“And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm” (Mark 4:36-39).

The greatest miracle is not the calming of the sea; it is the calm of the man that can sleep through a raging storm! Only a man with this astounding peace can speak peace and calm troubled waters. Where did Jesus get such authoritative faith, enabling him to impose his will upon the enemy?

He had gone to sleep listening to “77.7” classic rock! This “faith station” was streaming live from Zion and had the final score of the game way before it was played out on the field. I have it tuned in right now, listen up:

“Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them” (Psalms 89:9).

Jesus heard the calm of the sea before he ever saw it come to pass. Knowing that the outcome was never in doubt, He had perfect peace in the middle of the storm. I am told that in the original Greek that when Jesus rebuked the storm he was saying to the waves, “Shut up! See this muzzle: Put it on— I don’t want to hear another peep out of you!

Lord let us see the end of "our game" from the beginning: “Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy” (James 5:11).