It is Not Over Yet!
By Steve Popoola

It happened again. The words used were numerous to describe it. Incredible! Awesome! Miraculous!

To soccer fans, what happened in last week’s Champions League Cup final in Istanbul, Turkey was nothing short of a miracle.

I missed the first half of the match because it started while I was making my way home from the office. I guess maybe because of the British in me, I wanted Liverpool football club to win the cup but I also knew that in the match they were the underdogs because AC Milan of Italy was not just a good team, they had an array of stars which included European footballer of the year, Andriy Shevchenko.

When I got home, I was not prepared for the score line. AC Milan were leading 3 – 0! And all this only in the first half of the match! I groaned for Liverpool and wished that they could at least reduce the gap to a respectable margin. I settled down to have my dinner not having much desire to watch the match to the end.

Suddenly, the Liverpool scored a goal. “That’s better!” I thought to myself. “If only they could manage to score one more, it would be a nice way to end the match”. I was wrong. That match did not end that way. Liverpool went ahead to score a second and third goal and also won the match via penalties.

The opponents were stunned! The fans were ecstatic! It sounded unreal and untrue but indeed the underdogs had become the champions of Europe! I leaned back on the couch and began to think about the lessons I learnt from this match. This may have happened in football today but it has happened time and time again through the ages. When the children of Israel came out of Egypt, they were clearly doomed when they got to the coast of the red sea. Behind them galloped the host of Egypt with all its might. On their left and right was the endless dessert and ahead of the was the red sea billowing just waiting for whoever would risk venturing into its territory.

In human terms, they had reached the end of the road. However, God took His children through the red sea and when the host of Egypt attempted to trespass on God’s property – the emergency ocean highway, they paid dearly with their lives. God’s might hand saved His people then and His mighty arm is still available to save us today!

Sometimes it seems as if life has beaten us into a corner. We could almost see the enemy gloating at our defeat. We look every where and it seems all is lost. What do we do in such circumstances? Do we give up? Do we throw in the towel? No! We stay in the game because we have nothing to lose!

Paul knew that for the Christian, ours is a win-win situation. He said, “ For me to live is Christ [His life in me], and to die is gain [the gain of the glory of eternity].” (Phi 1:21, Amplified Bible) We do not lose because we are in the winning team. We have a captain whose words not only motivates but is life in itself.

No matter what you may be going through right now, be assured that you are not destined for failure. Christ did not save us so that we may become failures rather, He has called us to become overcomers. This is the only way the world we know that we have a greater power living in us.

Be encouraged today. Do not let anyone defeat you with the tools of the enemy. Do not let anyone tell you it is all over. It is not over until it is over!

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.] (Joh 16:33)

Steve Popoola is the editor of Biblepraise Newsletter and the webmaster of Biblepraise Fellowship Online at http://www.biblepraise.org. He was born in London but currently resides in Lagos, Nigeria with wife Maris and their children, Praise, Stephanie and Precious. He works in the IT department of bank

Formerly an active singer, he still sings occasionally and speaks at invited forums. He presently serves as the Head of Books/Library in his local church. He is the Moderator/Editor of Biblepraise Newsletter. He can be reached through His email address, steve@biblepraise.org

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