Blessed Be Your Name
Beginning with the End in Mind
It’s hard to believe that the college football season is almost over. These past few weeks we have had some of the greatest football games. The games are great because they are rivalry games.
I know in there are some great rivalry games around the country, but for my money the greatest rivalry in all of college football is the Iron Bowl.
One of the greatest games in it’s long history came just 2 years ago. Alabama was ranked number 1 in the country. Auburn was ranked number 4. The week before Auburn had pulled off a miraculous play at the end of the game to beat Georgia. Now, they’re facing the mighty Alabama Crimson Tide. The score is tied at 28. Everyone thought the game was over & headed for overtime, But the refs put 1 second back on the clock. Alabama could have taken a knee. They could have thrown a hail mary. But they decided to kick a 57-yard field goal. In maybe one of his most brilliant moves in his coaching career, Auburn’s head coach, Gus Malzhan put our punt returner in the end zone just in case the kick came up short. Alabama snapped the ball & kicked it, & Chris Davis caught it 9 yards deep in the end zone. He takes it out to the 5, the 10, the 20, the 30, & then all the way for a touchdown, winning the game for Auburn. Will & I are watching the game at my parents house. We’re jumping up & down screaming. I look at Will & he’s crying. Literally tears of extreme joy are pouring down from his face. And I realize… I Am a Good Father! 🙂
In the moment, we watched that game with such anxiety. Our hearts were pounding, our eyes were glued to the situation, we didn’t know how the story was going to end.
But you know, we’ve gone back to watch the ending of that game over & over again. Now when I watch it, I’m never nervous. I’m never scared. I don’t get worried about what’s going to happen. I can watch that same exact scene unfold over & over again & never wonder if Chris Davis is going to catch it & run it back 109 yards for the touchdown. Why? Because I know how the story is going to end! I already know what happens.
Listen — this is exactly how we, followers of Jesus of Nazareth should live every day. We already know how the story is going to end. What do we have to be worried about?
So how do we respond when the hard times come? How do we carry the Name we carry when we don’t have the strength to stand? What do we do when we don’t know how the story is going to turn out?
I think many people assume that God should make your life easy. That being a Christian & following Jesus should make your problems go away. But if you’ve followed Jesus for any length of time then you know, the promise isn’t that your problems will go away, it’s that you’ll never be alone.
God has promised to be with you, to walk with you, to never leave you or forsake you. And in those moments when life is at it’s hardest your life has the opportunity to shine the brightest for Jesus to your world. It’s against the contrast of the darkness that stars shine the brightest. When you praise God for His goodness in the hard times your songs are heard the loudest by those who are looking on. And they will be changed by your unchanging faith in the Name of Jesus.
Living from a Different Perspective
The fact is, as followers of Jesus & believers in Jesus we should live from a different perspective. A perspective of hope. Here’s why.
Let’s take a look at just one moment in the life of Jesus. We could look at almost any story & learn the same thing we’re about to learn because this truth is so central to the gospel & so central to how we should live.
Have you ever felt that your situation was such that not even God can help you? This is exactly how Jairus felt in this moment. He’s a father. And he loves his daughter. He’s willing to do anything for her. Even if that means leaving her side in what could be her last hours in order to go to the one man he thinks might can save her life. So he does that. He leaves her. Abandons her. Trying one last ditch effort to save her. And now she has died. He wasn’t even there to hold her hand as she drew her last breath.
Can you imagine how defeated Jairus must have felt in this moment. He must have felt like a failure as a father. He must have been devastated as a dad. His daughter has died. And he wasn’t there. He was too late. He hadn’t run fast enough. He hadn’t gotten to Jesus in time. Now the worst possible thing has happened. Now he has to go home to his wife & explain why he wasn’t there. She’ll blame him. He’ll feel responsible. Always. He will live with this sadness & this regret the rest of his life. His daughter has died. The story is over. It’s finished. All he can do now is go home & grieve. A grief he may never recover from.
Some of you are living in this moment, this moment of deep sadness and grief because for whatever reason your story hasn’t gone the way you hoped it would. And for that, I’m deeply sorry. But this story isn’t over, and your story isn’t over either.
Because Jairus is standing next to Jesus. Jairus is in the presence of the giver of life. Jairus is beside the author of this story. And Jesus has just overheard everything that has been said. And listen, just listen to what happens next…
But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.” And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat. And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.
With Jesus, even when it’s too late it’s never too late.
Jesus always gets the last word. The story isn’t over until he says its over. And every time, God wins.
And this is how we are to live as followers of Jesus. We live as a people of eternal hope. As people of undaunted faith. As a people of peace. Because with Jesus in the story, & he is in the story, even when it seems like it’s too late, its never too late. In the end, God wins.
Listen to these words from Revelation 21.1-5
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!”
So in times of rejoicing & times of sorrow in this life we say Blessed be Your Name O God! Blessed be Your Name above every other name. Because there is no god like our God. There is no hope like our Hope! There is no joy like our Joy & there is no peace like our Peace! Even when it seems like its too late, its never too late because we have Jesus. He is our hope. And in the end, He wins!
The daughter of Jairus would live again. She would be brought back to life. And then, just a short time later, Jesus would die. But the grave couldn’t hold. 3 days couldn’t keep Him down. Death didn’t have the final victory. All Hell was about to break loose when Jesus was resurrected to new life. And when He walked out of that tomb He declared the victory! God wins. Even death can’t separate us from the love of God!
So today, take heart. Your God reigns. Your God wins. Jesus is alive. There is hope. And we say & we sing, Blessed be your name O God. Blessed be your name!
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I serve as the Co-Senior Minister at First Colony Church of Christ in Sugar Land, TX. I enjoy sports, running, fishing & life with the family. I’ve been in ministry since 1999. My wife Alisha & I have three amazing children, Will, Ella Grace & Emma Love. Thank you for stopping by my website!
