Last night the Golden State Warriors pulled out a 104-99 victory over the Houston Rockets to take a 3-2 series lead. As important as it was for them to win Game 5 at home, the bigger story is the injury Kevin Durant suffered in the third quarter. As I write this, we don’t know how long he’ll be out but it does sound like he’s going to miss Game 6.

The Warriors were up by three when he went down, and ended up winning by five thanks to a strong fourth quarter that included Steph Curry scoring 12 points.

Klay Thompson also contributed by finishing with 27 points on the night…and Draymond Green did a little bit of everything as he had 11 assists, 10 rebounds, and eight points.

We hate seeing players get injured, especially someone like Durant who has been carrying the team throughout the playoffs, but from a storyline standpoint, it does add an interesting wrinkle. Now there is great intrigue as everyone wonders how well the Warriors will play without him.

We know the Warriors won an NBA Championship before Durant got there and were a 73-9 team, as well. Curry, Thompson, and Green, an accomplished trio, are expected to step up during Durant’s absence.

However, depending on how long Durant is out, the question becomes whether or not the Warriors have enough depth to keep winning? Will players be able to handle the increased pressure and toll it takes being down another man? Will they prove to have a lack of depth or will this be an opportunity for other players to show what they can do?

In our own lives, we encounter tests and trials that reveal the depth of our faith. When we face these situations, do we prove to have a deep trust in God or a shallow faith in Him? Does the depth of our abiding love for Him help us endure when we’re up against it?

James 1:12 (NLT) tells us, “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.”

When we’re dealing with a difficult circumstance, the depth of our faith is tested in how we persevere. Any challenge is an opportunity for us to show how we handle adversity, but more importantly, it’s a chance for our faith to actually deepen and become even stronger.

James 1:3 (AMP) explains, “Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace].”

As the Warriors will soon realize how important their depth is as they try to withstand the injury to Kevin Durant, let’s be reminded of our need for a deep and abiding faith in God to withstand all the pressures of life.

I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I thank You for growing my faith during trials. I pray I’d have a strong desire to continue to deepen my faith and strengthen my reliance on You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.