“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” — Psalm 40:1-2
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A bad start doesn’t always guarantee a bad ending, but the Cincinnati Bengals got off to a poor start in their season opener. According to experts, the Bengals were favored to defeat the New England Patriots, but a surprising turn of events changed the outcome. In the first half as Bengals tight end Tanner Hudson tried to score, he fumbled on the 1-yard line and the Patriots recovered. The problems continued in the second half as Charlie Jones fumbled a kickoff return, and the Patriots again recovered that Bengals miscue. The Patriots went on to win the game, 16-10.
Will the Bengals continue to flounder throughout the season or will they bounce back? We can’t assume the end of the season will be a reflection of how it started — there’s always room for something to change.
When we went to bed the other week in the Southeastern United States — the night before the storm hit — we were nervous, but had no idea how large and damaging Hurricane Helene would be. We heard limbs pop, trees uproot, power poles break, glass shatter, and we woke up in the middle of the night without street lights. Total darkness everywhere. Even though the sun rose the next day, we felt like we were living a nightmare as traffic lights didn’t work, power was out, and many roads were blocked by fallen trees. The devastation stretched through several states and we echoed the words of David when he felt like he was sinking in a deep, dark pit.
As David went through one of the worst experiences of his life, he cried out to God and the Lord heard him. At the time, David didn’t know any more than we do about why bad things happen, but David knew God cares when we hurt. “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand” (Psalm 40:1-2). We’re encouraged to not give up when we go through trouble because the Lord is able to lift us up to a better place.
When the ancient man named Job lost all of his children in one day, his cattle, and soon after also lost his health, he got discouraged and thought about quitting everything (including living). “My spirit is broken, my days are cut short, the grave awaits me” (Job 17:1). Though Job was a man of faith, he felt hopeless for a time. “Where then is my hope — who can see any hope for me?” (Job 17:15). In those moments when Job’s life hung by a thread, the Lord reminded him of his everlasting hope. Job said, “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth” (Job 19:25). Job regained his confidence in God and hope for the future. The Lord’s encouragement brought him to a better place.
After Jesus died on the cross and was placed in the tomb, the disciples feared and trembled. They went into hiding and weren’t sure if they’d see light again, but Christ arose early on Sunday morning. “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord” (John 20:19-20). When the disciples saw the risen Lord, it seemed like night turned into day.
A bad start does not guarantee a bad ending. There is a lot of room for God to move between the start and end of something. And for those who follow Christ, our eternal ending will always end in victory.
— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia
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