Late In The Game
I do like to watch sports live and on television. Over the years, I’ve become less stressed because the outcome of the game rarely (if ever) changes my life or the lives of people close to me. The hype around a big game would make one think that the outcome of the big game affects my life, so I must watch it. I am entertained by a good game of basketball, football or baseball. I like to play golf, but I don’t really care to watch it on television at least until the last round. Most sports get really interesting late in the game. Late it the game, the players seem to find something that was missing prior. The players dig deep inside themselves and crank it up. There are times when the game is over way before then and the players are just playing a part. In an individual sport like golf, it’s important to finish strong, no matter what your position on the scoreboard, because of the cumulative affect over the course of a season.
I sometimes see life as a “game” of sorts. There are multiple parts to the game. I remember when I turned 25, I felt like I was now a grown man. Then 50 came way too quickly. The ages are somewhat relative. If I live to 75, does that mean I’m entering the “4thQuarter” of my life? I’m not sure how our lives break into “quarters” or “halves”, but I do know that my life here on earth isn’t forever. (That’s my life after this one!) When I read the book of Revelation and John is trying to describe his vision in terms and with adjectives that he rarely had use of. He was seeing things he had never seen before and using the lens of his life experience to describe what he saw. I try to give him a break when I can’t easily understand what was symbolism and imagery versus something he could actually touch, smell and taste. He speaks of horses, seals, visions of locusts, terrors and such. My personal thoughts on Revelation is that we are challenged to be ready because Jesus is coming again and this world as we know it does have an ending to it. I should be alert and be ready. Check this out…
20 But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols that can neither see nor hear nor walk! 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their sexual immorality or their thefts. (Revelation 9:20-21 NLT)
So, it’s late in the game and these terrors are happening to the world as a sign that God is about to put an end to the world. Even while these things are happening, the people on the earth don’t get it. The people don’t repent even “late in the game”, they are full of themselves and simply don’t believe in the promises of God. They obviously don’t believe His Word either. The crazy thing I saw here is that even though it’s “late in the game”, they obviously still had a chance to repent. I see the grace filled God that has been so patient and full of grace toward me, offering this same grace to all even though it’s near the end. I believe John’s vision is a warning that there is an end to all of this. The only way to make it out of here with the promise of eternal life is to believe in the One & Only Son of God. I want to continue faithful in my walk with Him until the game is over.
Pressing On!
Dwayne