Proverbs Chapter 21

I don’t know about you, but I love to win! Many, many moons ago, Shawn and I used to be roommates. Basically, our days would consist of 5 good hours of “church stuff”, and then book it home as fast as we could. I would love to tell you that we booked it home so that we could get alone and intercede for the nations. Or, that we went home because the peace and quiet was more conducive to reading the Bible. But, that would be a flat out lie. (And, we already know about the dangers of lying from our Proverbs.)

Truth is, Shawn and I raced home everyday to do one thing: COMPETE! Whether it was backyard basketball on a hoop that we lowered to 8’ feet (white boys can’t jump), Tiger Woods golf on the Sony Playstation, or ping-pong, we found ways to compete with one another. Don’t tell anyone this, but one day after watching a sumo-wrestling match on ESPN, we both got into our sumo gear (don’t ask), cleared out some furniture, and preceded to sumo wrestle for about an hour. For those of you who love to compete (like Shawn and I), you understand that VICTORY is key objective no matter what you are competing in.

In the very last verse of Proverbs 21, we get some wisdom concerning victory. The writer says:

“The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but VICTORY rest with the Lord.”

As a broken, sin-stained, flawed human being, I love this verse! It gives me a sense of confidence and peace. It reminds me that winning, at least in the eternal sense, is not up to me.

Now, as a competitor, I don’t like this verse! One attribute of a great competitor is his or her self-confidence. Great competitors want the ball when the game is on the line. They believe in their skills and their ability to win, so they want the game’s outcome to be placed in their hands. I realize that everyone reading this has different degrees of the competitive spirit, but can we all agree that we all want to “win” when it comes to this thing called life? And, the Bible clearly tells us what victory in this lifetime looks like. Proverbs 21:31 just said this in essence:

Your job, as my children, is to get the “horse ready for battle.”

Practice, for the competitor, is a very difficult thing. Why? It is because we love the thrill of competing much more than the discipline of getting ready to compete. We want the win, but not deal with the process of preparing to win. The writer of this Proverb just said that our main role in living a victorious life is NOT being the “Hero” of the game. Instead, we are to prepare for the game. Preparation for the game of life can be defined by one word: OBEDIENCE.

If you really want to live a VICTORIOUS life, God say’s to prepare. He says to live obedient to His commands, honor His word daily, and He will prosper your life! Our job, as God’s children, is to submit to His way of doing things, and then put the game in His hands! God desperately wants you and I to live full lives. Yet, He equally wants the glory from those redeemed lives!

Ask yourself today, “Am I preparing for victory? Am I living obedient to what God has asked of me? Have I made the horse ready for battle?” If the answer is yes, then sit back, relax, and trust God to do what only He can do…WIN!

The victory is HIS in Christ Jesus,

Chad