And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”
--Mark 16:6-7
I absolutely love sports. And perhaps the most exciting part of a big game is the comeback. I just love it when my favorite team is losing and as the game is nearing the end they make a furious comeback to pull out an exciting victory! Now that’s fun!
God loves comebacks, too. He loves to give us the chance to pull off our own big comeback when we are at the point of defeat. Sure, we all get defeated from time to time, but God always gives us the chance to stage a comeback and claim victory in His name!
One of the best examples of a spiritual comeback is the apostle Peter. He became one of the strongest and most vocal Christians in the time of Jesus. But you’ll remember that before Peter became that leader, he denied the Lord three times in rapid succession even though he had loudly proclaimed his undying faithfulness to Jesus.
But Jesus didn’t allow Peter to remain in defeat and failure. After His resurrection, Jesus met with Peter in Galilee, and there, Jesus restored him. And days later Peter went out and on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), boldly declared the name of Jesus to a large crowd. And from that day on Peter continued on the comeback trail, preaching the name of Jesus until his death.
Perhaps you are living in defeat today. Maybe you’ve failed in your job…or your marriage is in trouble. But with Christ, I want you to remember that a comeback is always possible! Ask God to help you renew your faith and boldness today, and start turning that seeming defeat into victory.
We all experience defeat, but we don’t have to stay there. Through Christ you can pull off an amazing comeback!
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.”
Luke 13:31–33
One of the greatest illustrations of the complete sovereignty of God is the life of Jesus. Everything that He did was done in God’s timing, and though both religious and political leaders plotted against Him, no one could do anything to change the schedule for His life, death, and resurrection that God had planned. Herod’s plot to kill Jesus was not a threat to Him, because the time of the crucifixion had not yet come. Even when it did, it was not the power of Roman legions but the purpose of God that put Jesus on the cross, as He told Pilate. “Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin” (John 19:11).
What was true of Jesus’ life is true of ours as well. God is fully in control. He has complete knowledge of everything that will happen—what is future and unknown to us is not to Him. This truth is so important for us to remember as we make our way through a worry-filled world. We do not have to know what is coming next to be confident that God will ultimately use all the circumstances of our life for His glory and for our good. We can take both good and bad with complete faith that God knows what He is doing.
Today’s Growth Principle:
Nothing that happens to you today will take God by surprise or force Him to revise His plans for your life.
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