The NFL provided plenty of drama on Sunday, but I found the Bears-Falcons game to be the one filled with the most theatrics.
Coming into the game, the Bears were 2-0 and the Falcons were 0-2. The Bears had a nice comeback win during Week 1 and the Falcons had a huge collapse in Week 2.
So, with just under ten minutes left in the 3rd quarter on Sunday, the Falcons were winning 26-10, and the Bears decided to make a change at the quarterback position. The former number two pick, Mitch Trubisky, was replaced by the former Super Bowl MVP, Nick Foles.
It’s always a big decision to bench a starting quarterback, especially one that a team has invested so much in, but they felt Foles would provide the spark the team needed and sure enough he did.
The Bears weren’t able to initially chip away at the lead because some plays didn’t go their way, but the Falcons were unable to add to the lead so it remained 26-10 deep into the 4th quarter.
Then, with just over six minutes to play, the Bears got into the end zone with a Nick Foles pass to Jimmy Graham and the door swung open for a possible comeback.
The crazy part about watching this game unfold is how we could see and feel what was about to happen because we’d seen something similar before. Either way, we looked at it, we could say, ”Here we go again!”
I don’t want to focus on Atlanta’s inability to close out games and repeating their mistakes, but let’s turn our attention to how Nick Foles was given another chance to demonstrate what he can do when called upon.
Even though this was Foles’ first game action in a Bears uniform, there was a familiar vibe to watching him in this situation because we’ve seen what he is capable of from his time in Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia Eagles had a memorable Super Bowl run with Nick Foles taking over as their quarterback. He captured the hearts of Eagles fans and became a hero in the city for the role he played during the wins.
The following season, he also began as a backup in Philly before taking over as the starter late in the year when Carson Wentz got injured.
He then won four games in a row as the starter, including a classic finish in Chicago during Wild Card Weekend against the Bears. He threw the game-winning touchdown pass on 4th down with about a minute left.
So flash forward to 2020, and despite being in a new city, here we go again! We all know what he’s capable of since we’ve seen him do it before.
Yesterday, the whole team played with confidence with Foles under center because he’s proven to be trustworthy in the past and they knew he could do it again.
He can make the big plays when he needs to and the team knows he’s not rattled by the difficult moments. He went on to throw three touchdowns to complete the comeback on Sunday as the Bears won 30-26.
As I think about this unbelievable game and Foles showing everyone that he can do what he did before, I want to unpack how many of us are facing our own 26-10 deficit and are wondering today if God is going to come through for us by answering our prayers.
When we find ourselves in a new struggle or a similar scenario, it’s crucial that we look back at God’s goodness and faithfulness from the past, and remember He’s capable of repeating what He’s done before.
We know He’s provided, strengthened us, and redeemed countless difficult situations we’ve faced throughout our lives, and can definitely do it again.
By continuously reminding ourselves we can't count Him out, we’re able to trust the multiple ways He can come through. Although the circumstances and results may not be identical, we can believe that God’s faithfulness and love toward us will be the same.
The story of David in 1 Samuel 17:34-37 (NLT) shows how he trusted the Lord to do something similar to what He’d already done:
“But David persisted. ‘I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,’ he said. ‘When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death.
‘I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!’
“Saul finally consented. ‘All right, go ahead,’ he said. ‘And may the Lord be with you!’”
We must place our confidence and trust in the God who has already proven His love and shown us His power over and over again.
No comeback is too big for Him and based on what He showed us on the cross, we know He is able. Today, let’s call upon Him and anticipate the incredible ways He'll show up.
I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I pray I wouldn’t forget about all the times You showed up in amazing ways and really came through with Your power and faithfulness. Help me realize that You aren’t done working in me and in my circumstances…and that I can trust Your plan through it all. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
Discussion Questions for PACKS:
What is an example of a time in your life when God came through and showed you His faithfulness?
When was a time when you thought, "Here we go again," and God once again revealed His power?
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