Keep in Mind the Final Score 

On the day of a big rivalry football game last weekend, I found myself on the opposite side from much of my family. So when the team many of my children and grandchildren was supporting jumped out into the lead, I was included in a group text that showed a screenshot of the score. I simply commented, “It ain’t over yet.” At halftime, when the gap had widened even further, one of my daughters posted another screenshot with the comment, “I’m just going to let that score speak for itself.” However, in the second half, the other team came back eventually to win. I responded to my daughter afterwards, “It’s the final score that counts.”

 We need to keep that truth in mind when it comes to other aspects of life apart from sports. Concerning the battle between good and evil in this world, the wrong side often seems to be coming out on top, at least for now. Bad people do bad things and seem to get away with it. Our culture seems to be persuading more and more people to accept the wrong view on moral issues. Those in authority enact laws, make judicial rulings, or take executive actions that stand in contrast to biblical standards and truth. Sometimes it appears as if evil is prevailing and that good is suffering defeat.

Therefore we often need to remind ourselves that “it ain’t over yet.” There may be a long way to go and a lot of action yet to take place before the final whistle blows, or in this case before the final trumpet sounds. There may be many twists and turns, ups and downs, and temporary joys and setbacks before all is said and done. Additionally, unlike those sports competitions, we know the final outcome. The Bible clearly reveals the end of the contest. We may not know all the details in how we get there, but at the end God wins, Jesus is King, and good is victorious over evil. So let’s not get too discouraged about how things are looking in our world today. It isn’t over.

This is a truth we also need to remember when it comes to the more personal struggles in our lives. Bad things happen to us. We will often face problems and challenges. There will be times when we may seem to be getting beaten down by our adversaries. However, that is not the full story, and certainly not the end of the tale. We can be assured that if we are trusting Jesus as our Savior and seeking to follow Him as Lord of our life, we will come out of it all as victors.

 First of all, we can claim the familiar promise that “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Sometimes what seems bad now will later be revealed to be a good thing for us. However, even in those tragic events that in no way can be called good, God can use those to bring about good things in our lives, if nothing else, to mold us more into the image of Jesus. Secondly, no matter what defeats we may suffer now, we know that our final destiny will be spending eternity with the Lord. We will reign with Jesus as kings and priests. We will be basking in His glory in a place where there is no pain, suffering, or death. We win.

So no matter what difficulty you are going through today or how bad the world situation looks, don’t allow yourself to get too discouraged. Keep an eye of faith on what is yet ahead. It is the final score that counts.