With the NFL season quickly approaching, as fans, we can’t wait to watch the action on the field. Until then, we are having to settle for training camp reports from team beat writers and sound bites from coaches and players.
Each day, headlines are displayed on sports websites, and push notifications are sent to our phones with new information about our favorite teams.
With no preseason to watch players for ourselves, we must try to predict what will happen this year based on what coaches and media members relay to us.
The problem is in knowing what the truth will be once the season begins. Will Cam Newton actually be the starter in New England with an offense built around his running ability? Are the Raiders' rookie wide receivers really ready to contribute right away? Will the Chiefs' Clyde Edwards-Helaire truly be the game-changer everyone seems to think he’ll be?
This time of year is when coaches hype up particular players on their team and even promise roster spots to some, but then end up cutting them a couple of weeks later.
Since coaches end up lying about how well certain players are doing during camp, as Fantasy Football owners, this often leads to adjustments in our draft preparation.
As fans, we try to decipher between the lies and the coachspeak to determine if we should indeed have hope about specific teams. With coaches and media members making proclamations and promises that certain guys are in store for a big year, we decide whether or not to buy in and believe them.
The reality is, however, that much of what we're hearing now won’t pan out to be true. That, of course, will lead to fans being disappointed because they were told something false during training camp.
Whether it’s reading sports headlines or news headlines, we are fed countless lies and misinformation. It’s hard to know who to trust and what to believe.
That’s why, as followers of Jesus, we have to cling to the promises of God and the hope we have in Him. If we place our hope in anyone else, we’re going to be left very disappointed.
Even though coaches and media members may lead us to believe something that turns out to be untrue, we can't let that stop us from the assurance of God’s Word being true.
He never lies, He is faithful, and we can fully trust in His goodness. He delivers on His promises and we can trust His character and everything He says.
Hebrews 6:17-19 (NLT) reminds us that, “God also bound Himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that He would never change His mind. So God has given both His promise and His oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie.
"Therefore, we who have fled to Him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.”
When we surrender our lives to Jesus and receive salvation, God doesn't change His mind. So even if the world lies to us every day, we remain confident and filled with hope as we cling to the promise that our sins are forgiven and our eternity is secure in Christ.
Today, let's cling to the powerful promise found in Deuteronomy 7:9 (NLT): ”Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps His covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes His unfailing love on those who love Him and obey His commands.”
I'm Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I praise You for Your unchanging character and Your never-ending faithfulness. I cling to Your promises and trust Your Word. My soul is anchored in You and I'm filled with hope and confidence because of Jesus. In His name, I pray, Amen.Discussion Questions for PACKS:
Does anything cause you to question God's character or His Word?
Why is it so important to believe that God never lies and His promises are trustworthy?
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