Times of Trouble

The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. 8Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth. 9He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. (Psalm 46:6-9)

The college football world has taken note, and the sports' writers are sounding the alarm. There is a new kid in town, and he got there by ill-gotten means. So wrote the "Bleacher Report" about Texas Tech the day after their name dropped into the College Football Playoff rankings. Oil money from a big donor paid athletes who may not have chosen Texas Tech had it not been for the NIL payments offered and a portal system that enabled them to transfer and play.

Utter nonsense. Gone from this conversation is the fact that a coaching staff developed a system to choose the right players to join an existing fairly good team, gel, and become productive immediately. Gone from the conversation is that previously "great" coaches are retiring or are being swallowed by a system rather than embrace it (can you say Dabo at Clemson or Kelly at LSU?). The old guard tried to get it modified or dropped completely to get the system they understood back, but this genie is out of the bottle. Coaches like Joey McGuire have proven adept and adaptable to changing landscapes and situations to take a new system and make it work. The college football system has taken notice. Does success at Texas Tech make them interlopers or are teams like Tech the future of college football (and softball like last year's team that rode the million-dollar arm of a great pitcher)? 

There are others like Indiana University that have joined Tech in taking advantage of a new system, but the old guard lurks and waits for opportunities to bring back a system they were familiar with.

The analogy is clear for us as believers. United in faith, faith based on a "new song," those who embrace the old or worldly ways unite at times to try to bring us down, but Christ is our fortress, our "very help in times of trouble." What do we have to fear as nations rise against us and rage or kingdoms of this world totter? Christ "breaks the bow and shatters the spear."

The question before us is do we fear as this happens or find refuge in Christ and boldly speak his Word to the world? Do we "behold his works?" 

Pray with me: Gracious Father, You give us your Spirit to give us abilities that are necessary to navigate this world. Help us as we seek ways to keep the message in front of changing generations and to use your Word to share with the lost. We ask for boldness as we proclaim your Word and strength from the Spirit to keep us bold. In Christ's name, Amen.