Earlier this year, Tanguy Pepiot became so confident he would win the 3000-meter men’s steeplechase he began celebrating 100 meters before the finish line even slowing his pace and taking his eyes off the finish line to wave at the crowd and get them pumped up for his victory. To his shock, in his premature excitement he failed to notice the runner behind him had made a last second push and crossed the finish line one-step ahead winning the race. He must have never heard the pithy witticism of the late Baseball Hall of Fame player Yogi Berra—“It ain’t over till it’s over.” Like this runner, no believer can ever rely on their accomplishments and ease across the finish line. Sadly, through the years, I’ve watched several elderly Christians falter in the latter days of their life who thought they could relax in their maturity and previous successes. Paul said, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead (Phil 3:13). The truth we can learn from this is that we never reach a point in our walk with Christ that we can coast into eternity; because it ain’t over until our last breath.
We can also apply this homespun wisdom in a positive way, which for Christians might be better rephrased, “It ain’t over till God says it’s over.” Scripture gives numerous examples of those who from their perspective believed it was over—Paul after many days in a violent storm on the ship to Rome all hope of our being saved was gradually abandoned (Acts 27:20); losing hope after a tragedy—two disciples on road to Emmaus three days following the crucifixion of Jesus, But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel (Luk 24:21); a spouse, a mother, or a father with a sick or disabled family member—Job’s wife said to him, Curse God and die! (Job 2:9). These are only three examples of many when I can envision the Father in Heaven saying, “Did I say it was over?”
I can’t count the times during my depressions when I believed it was over and even wanted it to be over or the times I had made such a mess of my life I thought “even God can’t fix it this time.” Neither can I count the times when God proved it wasn’t over because He hadn’t said it was over. We must never forget the LORD has a plan for our life. The steps of a man are established by the LORD, And He delights in his way (Psa 37:23). Charles Spurgeon comments, “in lovingkindness all is fixed, settled, and maintained. No reckless fate, no fickle chance rules us; our every step is the subject of divine decree.”
The Christian media has been abuzz for the past two months over the Blood Moon and Shemitah. Many articles centered around themes like, ‘this is it’, ‘it’s over’, ‘this is the end’, or ‘judgment has arrived’. Yes, the world from a human perspective is in absolute chaos when we look at events in the Middle East, the volatility of the stock market, exponential increase of the persecution of Christians, the spread of ISIS, the perversion of the institute of marriage, the plummeting decline in morality, and need I list more. We certainly must not ignore world events. All these signs are included in scripture concerning the return of Christ or ways by which God is trying to warn us of His displeasure, especially America. However, neither do we panic, but examine each event and the multiple prophecies of doom against balanced Biblical teaching. And remember it’s not over until God’s says it’s over.
You may feel your life is over and even want it to end, but God determines when it is over. There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven–A time to give birth and a time to die (Ecc 3:1, 2). It is appointed for men to die once (Heb 9:27). The thought came to me as I was writing this paragraph that if we feel it is over or hopeless, this is a good indication it isn’t because God delights in doing the impossible. Paul made it to Rome and then on to Spain to preach. The disciples found an empty tomb because Jesus was resurrected and alive. Job lived through his difficult time and The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first (Job 42:12 NIV).
What appears to be over for you: your life? your marriage? your family? your career? your dreams? your physical health? or your emotional stability? Let me ask you a question, “Are you still breathing?” Ok then! now ask yourself, “Who told you it was over?” God is probably shouting out from heaven, “Did I tell you it was over. It’s not over until I say it is.”
Sustaining Word for the Week: Fix your eyes of Jesus and press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. It ain’t over till God says it’s over.