Psalm 34:17 NKJV “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.”

Each February, our nation eagerly awaits a football battle of gigantic proportion. Perhaps you, too, were a Super Bowl spectator who consumed massive amounts of junk food and transformed into a couch-referee and half-time-show critique. What’s interesting is that regardless of the score, when the game clock runs out each year, the outcome remains the same. One team celebrates. The other leaves brokenhearted.

If you think about it, the losing team’s loss was not due to incompetence. They trained diligently. Their players consumed the proper nutrition. Their coaches analyzed every single play. But while the winning team’s victory is celebrated with confetti and trophies, loud cheers, and hugs all around, the losing team departs the field with tears, heads hung low, and fans too stunned to speak.

Watching this, I am reminded of the sweet taste of victory and the sting of defeat. One person’s win creates another’s unfortunate loss. But gratefully, losing does have a positive side. Losses can fill us with the determination to try harder. Losses give us a greater appreciation for victory.

If you love to win, here is a bit of advice: choose to be on God’s team. He has proven Himself the great victor. He defeated the mighty army of Egypt with a torrent of water, brought down the thick walls of Jericho with a marching squad, and defeated death as He breathed life back into His precious Son.

So, friend, we must prepare for battles ahead by choosing to be on God’s team. This way, when we grapple with self-doubt and anxiety, our God will fight for us as He reminds us, “You are enough. You were lovingly created in My image.” When we suffer self-inflicted wounds from our wrongdoing, God will offer sweet redemption so that we never need surrender to our sin. And when we oppose Satan for the preservation of our families, our mighty God will triumph over all his evil.

Friend, I am putting my name on God’s roster, and I hope you will join me. Prepare for sweet victory!

Father God, we praise You for the ways you fight for us.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane