The Denver Nuggets knocked out the San Antonio Spurs, 90-86, on Saturday night in a tight Game 7 matchup.
Although a competitive series, it wasn't too surprising Denver won with the home court advantage. However, the final possession of Game 7 and the way the series ended was very stunning.
The Nuggets had the ball with about 28 seconds left and the Spurs were only down four points. We know that’s enough time and a small enough deficit for a crazy comeback, missed free throws, and an opportunity for either team to win.
The key to extending the game and giving the Spurs a chance was for them to foul the Nuggets quickly, stop the clock, and hope they miss from the free throw line. But shockingly, the Spurs' players didn’t foul and allowed the time to expire.
Coach Gregg Popovich was screaming from the sidelines imploring his team to foul, but the players didn’t hear his voice and totally missed making the right decision in that situation.
Even though it seemed obvious what the Spurs should do and Popovich was clearly telling them to foul, Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge explained, "Didn't hear him, crowd was loud, I missed it, that's it."
Popovich responded, “Well, obviously, he didn’t hear anybody because he didn’t foul.”
This turned out to be a really crazy scene and a weird way for the series to end, but it provides a challenging illustration for us to unpack today.
As followers of Jesus, we’ve been given the wonderful gift of being able to communicate with God and hear His voice. Through prayer, His word, and the Holy Spirit inside of us, God speaks to us.
The question today is, are we hearing what He’s saying or are we listening to the loud voices of the “crowd” and missing His promptings?
When God is trying to get our attention, like a coach on the sideline with clear directions for what we should do next, are we too distracted or oblivious to what He's saying?
In Luke 11:28 (NLT) Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”
Today, let’s be encouraged to listen beyond the crowd...know the voice of God...look to Him for guidance...and obey what we hear. If we’re having a tough time hearing Him, then we need to be still and dive into His word, confess our sins, and block out the noise around us.
We don’t have to miss on making the right decisions when we hear His instructions from the “sidelines." God has given us His word, His spirit, and His power, so let’s stop tuning Him out and take the next steps He’s asking us to take.
I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please help me block out the noise and remove the distractions so I can clearly hear Your voice. I know You want to lead and guide me and help me make wise choices, but I have to listen and know Your word. Thank you for Your instructions that allow me to remain on the best path. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
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