29 October | Youth
«But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.» 1 Corinthians 1:27, NIV
In 2015, an exciting Super Bowl game took place in the American National Football League (NFL) between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. Tom Brady, Patriots star and husband of Brazilian model Gisele Bündchen, led the game by throwing decisive passes for four touchdowns, leading his team to victory by 28 to 24 points. On that occasion, Brady also reached the mark of thirteen decisive passes in Super Bowls, the best score in the history of the professional American football league.
However, that final was not decided by Tom Brady, but by a 24-year-old newcomer named Malcolm Butler. With just 20 seconds left in the game, he made the first and most important interception of his career, preventing a pass that would have given the rival team a certain victory. This incredible effort from Butler gave his team its fourth Super Bowl title. Brady was so grateful that he donated a $20,000 pickup truck to Butler, which he received as the league’s most valuable player award.
The Bible is full of stories of unlikely people, ordinary men and women, like you and me, who accomplished extraordinary things through the power of God. Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel, for example, were sterile, but it was precisely through them that God gave rise to great nations. David was the youngest of Jesse’s sons, but the Lord chose him to be the great king of Israel.
The apostle Paul was a persecutor of Christians, but Jesus transformed him into the greatest preacher of Christianity. John was a fisherman, a rude and short-tempered man, but he became a disciple of love. What other people would you add to this list?
Would your name be on it? Perhaps you are now feeling despised, small, and incapable while the “championship” of life takes place. Maybe you have gotten to the point where you think no one cares about you, including God himself. Know that the game is not over yet. God wants to do incredible things through you. He specializes in turning the unlikely into the biggest winners. Just trust Him!