“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.” Psalm 34:17-20

Marshall beat Xavier 15-13 on Sept. 25, 1971, in a college football game. Nothing about that seems spectacular, noteworthy or would make anyone have goose bumps—except a Marshall fan or someone who knows college football history.

That game was memorable and spectacular, not because Marshall quarterback Reggie Oliver threw a touchdown pass on the last play of the game, but because it was the first home game for Marshall since a Nov. 14, 1970, plane crash killed all 75 people on board (37 Marshall players, eight coaches, 25 boosters and 5 flight crew members).

Merely putting a football team on the field after losing nearly everyone from the program inspired hope; the victory made the game sweeter. An inspiring movie simply titled We Are Marshall was made in 2006 about the events surrounding the tragedy and the program’s revitalization.

Have you ever felt so hopeless that you couldn’t see how things could work out? Remember that God sees you, and He hears you when you cry out to Him. Continue to ask God for His help and guidance in the midst of your pain. He does hear, and He will answer.

By Brett Honeycutt

Brett Honeycutt is the managing editor at Sports Spectrum magazine. Log in here to access our most recent Training Table. Subscribe here to receive 12 issues a year and a daily sports-related devotional.