Remember last week when we believed all of these statements to be true?
Atlanta can’t score in the red zone.
The Cowboys are in big trouble.
The Jets are awesome!
The 49ers are overrated.
The Redskins’ offense is dynamic and balanced.
Well, today we feel differently with this new reality:
The Falcons dominated the Panthers in the red zone scoring four touchdowns in four trips.
The Cowboys bounced back in Week 2 on Sunday Night Football and took care of the Giants.
The Jets went from scoring 48 points last week and believing they have the next superstar QB to scoring only 12 points yesterday and being reminded their rookie QB is still only 21.
The 49ers proved they can run the ball as they got the win with Matt Breida rushing for 138 yards.
The “dynamic and balanced” Redskins’ offense didn’t even score a touchdown yesterday.
Every year during the NFL season, our beliefs and opinions change from week to week. As the matchups switch and the circumstances are different, teams cause us to question everything we thought about them the week before.
Just when we start believing a quarterback is turning the corner, the following week he falls apart. Right when we start thinking a player should be benched, he rushes for over 100 yards.
How we feel about teams and players seems to change every Monday.
If we aren’t careful, we can do the same thing when it comes to what we believe about God’s character. We can allow circumstances to alter what we think about His goodness and His power.
When things are going well, we can think He’s great. When life gets tough, we can start believing that He doesn’t care about us.
The difference between our sports opinions and our faith in God is the rootedness of our beliefs. Our NFL thoughts are rooted in what we’ve seen recently, which are temporary and constantly changing.
However, when we place our trust in Jesus, our hope is rooted in the One who doesn’t change. Hebrews 13:8 (ESV) confirms that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Our “matchups” might change from week to week, but the character of Who we believe in does not. No matter what our opinion may be, or if a circumstance shifts our focus, God is always good, always love, and always powerful.
Psalm 18:30 (ESV) says, "This God—His way is perfect; the Word of the Lord proves true; He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him.”
Last week it was true that Atlanta couldn’t score in the red zone, but this week the opposite is true. Our beliefs about the Falcons are altered by the fickleness of football.
Thankfully, what we believe about God and His amazing character doesn’t have to flip-flop every Monday. Instead, our trust and awe can continue to deepen as we recognize how constant His faithfulness and goodness truly are.
Isaiah 40:28 (ESV) declares, "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable.”
If doubts start to creep in or we begin to question what we believe, we must shift our attention back to Who we believe in. We must remember His character hasn’t changed...only our focus.
I’m Bryce Johnson and you can unpack that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I pray that my beliefs would be rooted in who You are and not in my circumstances. I know You never change and You're always good - even when life doesn’t make sense to me. I pray my focus would be on Jesus. It’s in His name I pray, Amen.
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