ONE YARD TO GO IN THE SUPERBOWL

By Ada Brownell

Sunday night the Seattle Seahawks knocked on the goal line, with only one yard to go. They were down by four with 26 seconds left in the game.

Football fan that I used to be when I lived in Bronco Territory, I expected a quarterback sneak like John Elway would have done in his glory days.

 Yet I’m told Seattle had the best running back in the game, especially in short yardage, and others expected a running play. No. On 2nd-and-1 with one time out left, Seattle called a pass play, and quarterback Russell Wilson's slant pass to Ricardo Lockette was intercepted by New England’s Malcolm Butler.

The cheering and screaming Seahawks fans in our crowd quieted. Already cold sober because we don’t indulge in intoxicating beverages, we were even more sober now. A pass? We were shocked.

The game was over. Decision made, and for this moment it wasn’t the correct one, according to some.

Have you ever been in that spot? Close to doing something great and it slipped through your fingers? Or thinking a decision you made was perfect, and then everything blew up?

As a writer, I’ve worked through a few books and articles that ended up like that. My enthusiasm and expectancy grew and grew, and then close to the goal, I discovered that book wasn’t going anywhere.

Or, more important, have you almost decided to give your life to Jesus, but then something drew you back into sin that you knew would send you to hell? Now your life is messed up. It looks like the game is over.

But then in your game you hear a whistle from heaven. There’s a flag on the play. Satan’s team was called for holding and unnecessary roughness. You get another four downs and a chance to make it across the goal.

In Christianity, that’s called redemption. God offering to forgive your sins, make you a new creature, and be with you and never forsake you.

It takes gumption and strength to accept your need of a Savior, to confess sins, and be baptized—and get across that goal line. But be as the Apostle Paul who said “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

Yes, a Super Bowl win, the trophy and ring are big deals. But they are nothing compared to the glory we’ll know here and the crown of life we’ll receive later because we have been redeemed and sing and rejoice around God’s throne.

Note: Discover the power of faith. Imagine the Future You by Ada Brownell. Get it here