With the future success of franchises at stake, fans and teams highly anticipated last night’s NBA Draft Lottery. They couldn’t wait to see which team ended up with the top pick in next month’s draft.
Over the years, there have been numerous drafts involving a generational player who everyone expects will have an immediate impact on any franchise. Of those standout players, most experts would agree that French phenom, Victor Wembanyama, is the best prospect the league has seen since LeBron James in 2003.
Although yesterday wasn’t the draft, it was the event that put into motion what will officially be revealed on June 22nd. Franchises and fan bases knew if their team won the top pick, they would end up taking Wembanyama, and, consequently, would significantly increase the likelihood of being competitive in the future.
Ultimately, The San Antonio Spurs turned out to be the big winners of the “Wembanyama Sweepstakes,” giving the organization reason to be very excited about the direction of the franchise.
For Wembanyama’s part, even though it’s a foregone conclusion that he will be drafted by the Spurs, last night was only a “foretaste.” He still has to wait to officially hear his name called by the commissioner, receive the benefits of his contract, be given a Spurs jersey, and join his fellow teammates.
Until that day comes, he can prepare and wait with confident hope about his future. Soon enough, the promise of being the number one pick will come to fruition.
There is a significant parallel to our position as followers of Jesus. When we surrender our lives to Him, repent, and receive God’s free gift of salvation, we are given an assurance of what’s to come.
We know we’re going to spend eternity with God in His perfect kingdom, so we can be filled with hope and confidence that one day we’ll no longer live in a broken and sinful world, but will be given glorified bodies.
Until that time comes and we hear our name called to come home, we wait. We believe it’s a foregone conclusion that we’ll soon be in heaven with God and our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. However, in the meantime, we long for the day to come when what is promised is fully revealed.
In Romans 8:18-31 (NLT) Paul explains, “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who His children really are.
“Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.
“For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering.
“We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as His adopted children, including the new bodies He has promised us.
“We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently).”
Today, as we face the numerous challenges that come our way and hear the countless stories of evil and brokenness, let’s find hope and confident assurance in our promised future glory.
Our current status is only temporary and we know that what’s to come is even better than what we can imagine.
I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please help me to reflect on Your promises and cling to the assurance You’ve given me for my future. I pray I’d have confident hope as I know my eternity is sealed with You, and any current suffering is only temporary. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
2. What is the difference between Christ-centered “hope” and the “hope” that is expressed by the rest of the world?
