Just like any event, there is the excitement leading up, the adrenaline during and then the inevitable joy or sadness at victory or defeat. Afterwards, there are comments from every armchair judge and brand-new expert in whatever is trending on twitter or X.
South Africa has a brand new T-shirt to wear:
“Hulle weet nie wat ons weet nie!”
(They don’t know what we know!)
I wonder if Dricus du Plessis realises the profound depth of that statement? Giving away our secrets like that? [end of clickbait 😊]
1 John 5 says:
“And we know that the Son of God has made our understanding come alive so that we can know by experience the One who is true.”
(1 John 5:20 TPT)
The Devil made me do it… Even Jesus was baffled when the Jewish religious leaders ascribed His miracles and healings to the Devil. (…and on this day, God created the facepalm… 🤦🏼♂️) We are quick to ascribe to the devil that for which we do not really want to accept responsibility for…
…or repent of…
(Why repent if it wasn’t my fault?)
And because we know that Satan is the lord of everything that goes wrong, and every evil thing in this world… Every Challenge MUST be the devil’s work!?
”We know that we are God’s children and that the whole world lies under the misery and influence of the Evil One…”
(1 John 5:19 TPT)
But the fact of the matter is that God is like the greatest coach that ever has been. He uses every opportunity and every situation to His advantage to make His athletes run better, be stronger. His athletes doesn’t just run in the sunshine with wind on their back. They run in the rain, they have to climb over fallen trees, they have to run uphill, and worse… downhill in the mud…
“We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them…”
(1 John 5:18 NIV)
“In Hebrew, there is no word for tragedy. Why? Because Judaism, and Christianity likewise, are the principled defeat, refutation of tragedy in the name of hope.”
– Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
There cannot exist a thing as a “tragedy” because if it has not ended in Joyful praise, it is because God is still busy with the process. How awesome is that?! May I somehow ingrain that into my very existence!?
Perseverance grows through resistance
Patience grows through frustrations
Strength grows through hardships
Wisdom grows through experienced failures
Love grows through seeking Him
God uses even the works and influences of the devil to make us better, stronger, more compassionate, more caring, more loving.
”So, little children, guard yourselves from worshiping anything but him…”
(1 John 5:21 TPT)
