13 HIM beat the fartsack and posted at the CHOP on this nice brisk morning for a little 4X4 action around the block 4 corners 4 exercises per corner. Transition between corners varies. Oh and Chappie made it back from picking up his 2.0 just in time for the name-o-rama and COT.
Warm-up- 25 SSH + 10 more just because, 20 Windmills, 20 Mountain Climbers, 20 Cherry Pickers, 20 MNC.
Lt. Dan to first light pole mosey to shipbuilders.
30 LBCs OYO, 25 Flutterkicks IC, 20 Freddie mercuries IC, 15 big boys OYO.
Bear crawl down mulberry street to first light pole mosey to Drs office.
20 Imperial walkers IC. 20 Squats, 20 lunges 10 each leg, 20 monkey jumpers. I believe some pax performed a few extra monkey humpers to entertain a lone car going by and some how we ended up with 10 bombjacks at this stop.
Mosey on to final corner at union street.
20 American hammers, 20 mountain climbers, 20 splitjacks and everones favorite gift was 10 hand release burppes.
Mosey back to CHOP for a stop at the wall.
Wall sit with 10 overhead clamps
Balls to wall 10 Australian mountain climbers IC.
Wall sit with 15 overhead hand claps
After all that Christmas eve fun we still had time for a few minutes of Mary which indo not recall what exactly consisted of.
Finished up with Number-rama
Name-o-rama along with giving our FNG his F3 nickname welcome Phyfe and ending with the COT.
12 men braved the 16 degrees for a 12 days of Christmas beatdown. MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Warm up – IC
SSH- 15
Arm circles – 15 fwd. 15 back.
Squats – 15
Cherry picker- 15
Imperial Walker- 15
The Thang-
Mosey around block and come back to CHOP. ParkingLot
For 12 days of Christmas …(do in format of the timeless classic Christmas song )
1- side shuffles from pole to pole and mosey back to start for 1-6 , lt Dan back for 7-12..
2- burpees 1
3- hand release merkins 2,1
4- side straddle hop IC 3, 2,1
5- tricep dips- 4,3,2,1
6- mountain climbers ….5,4,3,2,1
Break for 3rd F
7- American hammers ….
8- good form merkins …
9- little baby crunches ….
10- alternating lunges ….
11- big boy sit ups ….
12- deep squats …
A little surprise for round 12….. we finished with 12 of EACH exercise
Name A Rama
COT
3rd F-
Duty Is Yours, Results Are God’s
By Jason Benham, Jul 10, 2019
John Quincy Adams once said, after losing case after case after case in a seemingly hopeless cause to set the slaves free, “Duty is mine, results are God’s.”
This sums up what every person should believe concerning the thing God wants them to do. We can’t focus on results, otherwise we’ll deal at the level of the mind and not the heart – we’ll try to figure out how to make the thing happen, when God wants us to just put our faith in Him and trust Him with our hearts.
A statement from the Apostle Paul in Acts 20:22 echoes this – “And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there….”
Check this out:
“And now I am on my way to building this business, not knowing how it’s going to turn out.”
“And now I am going to have another baby, not knowing how I’m going to feed her.”
“And now I am going to tell the truth, not knowing if it’s going to cost my job.”
“And now I am going to expose the lie, not knowing what’s going to happen to my reputation.”
“And now I am going to stand and fight, not knowing if I will win or lose.”
See how this works – all we have to do is our duty, the one given to us by God. Let Him handle the rest. He’ll take care of the results.
When you keep your focus on God you will continue to operate at the level of the heart, which is where faith is found. You can trust Him, you don’t ever have to worry about the results.
Complete in descending order from 11- each of the following: Dips, Squats, Merkins, and Big Boys. After each set mosey around the middle circle of the parking lot. 10, 9, 8, 7… you get the idea.
The Thang – 12 Days of Christmas or Doce dias de Navidad to keep with the “Quattro” theme…..:)…. Exercise set courtesy of Quattro’s M….
Each exercise was completed and repeated in descending order just as the Twelve days of Christmas Song would be sung. You get the idea. After reaching the eighth exercise, we took a break for the third F provided by Quattro….see F3 Message below…. Once the beatdown resumed, we jumped to the twelfth exercise and worked our way down to #1 after-which we jogged our block back to the pile.
1– 30 sec Plank with a run around the Church before adding the next exercise on the list of twelve.
2 – 4 count Mountain Climbers
3 – Overhead block presses
4 – Glute Bridges
5 – Burpees
6 – Donkey kicks
7 – Split jacks
8 – 4 count SSH
9 – Curtsy lunges
10 – Block swings
11 – Full motion squats
12 – Block dead-lifts
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Prayers were offered for multiple needs within the attending PAX, but please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.
F3 Message – Quattro
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Prayers were offered for multiple needs within the attending PAX, but please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.
The Twelve Days of Christmas – True Meaning Behind the Lyrics
Ace Collins – from crosswalk.com
To many people, the lyrics of the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” seem strange beyond belief. The odd carol’s words might make one think it is a novelty song, in the vein of “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” or “My Favorite Things.” Though a host of modern internet sites and some magazine articles have tried to reduce “The Twelve Days of Christmas” to a little more than a silly Christmas carol, most scholars of the Catholic Church deem it a very important surviving example of a time when that denomination used codes to disguise their teachings. Originally a poem written by Catholic clerics, this song was transformed into a carol at a time when celebrating the twelve days of Christmas was one of the most important holiday customs. By understanding the meaning the clerics chose the twelve days as wrapping for their poem, the full impact of the tradition of the twelve days of Christmas can be understood.
The 12 Days of Christmas – True Meaning
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . a partridge in a pear tree.
The partridge in a pear tree represents Jesus, the Son of God, whose birthday we celebrate on the first day of Christmas. Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge, the only bird that will die to protect its young.
On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . two turtledoves.
These twin birds represent the Old and New Testaments. So in this gift, the singer finds the complete story of Judeo-Christian faith and God’s plan for the world. The doves are the biblical roadmap that is available to everyone.
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . three French hens.
These birds represent faith, hope, and love. This gift hearkens back to 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter written by the apostle Paul.
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . four calling birds.
One of the easiest facets of the song’s code to figure out, these fowl are the four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . five gold rings.
The gift of the rings represents the first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the Pentateuch.
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . six geese a-laying.
These lyrics can be traced back to the first story found in the Bible. Each egg is a day in creation, a time when the world was “hatched” or formed by God.
On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . seven swans a-swimming.
It would take someone quite familiar with the Bible to identify this gift. Hidden in the code are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and compassion. As swans are one of the most beautiful and graceful creatures on earth, they would seem to be a perfect symbol for the spiritual gifts.
On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . eight maids a-milking.
As Christ came to save even the lowest of the low, this gift represents the ones who would receive his word and accept his grace. Being a milkmaid was about the worst job one could have in England during this period; this code conveyed that Jesus cared as much about servants as he did those of royal blood. The eight who were blessed included the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . nine ladies dancing.
These nine dancers were really the gifts known as the fruit of the Spirit. The fruits are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . ten lords a-leaping.
This is probably the easiest gift to understand. As lords were judges and in charge of the law, this code for the Ten Commandments was fairly straightforward to Catholics.
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . eleven pipers piping.
This is almost a trick question, as most think of the disciples in terms of a dozen. But when Judas betrayed Jesus and committed suicide, there were only eleven men who carried out the gospel message.
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . twelve drummers drumming.
The final gift is tied directly to the Catholic Church. The drummers are the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles’ Creed. “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.”
The Context & History Behind “The 12 Days of Christmas”
Teaching the Catholic faith was outlawed in sixteenth-century England. Those who instructed their children in Catholicism could be drawn and quartered. Thus, the church went underground. To hide the important and illegal elements of their teaching, clerics composed poems that seemed sill to most people. But these verses were veiled works that taught the church’s most important tenets. “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is said to be one of these teaching tools.
Most people today believe that the twelve days of Christmas start on December 12th or 13th and run through Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. But in fact, the first day of Christmas is December 25th and the final day is January 5th. Thus, for hundreds of years the Christmas holidays didn’t begin until Christmas Eve and didn’t end until Epiphany.
Why were these twelve days important? These dozen days were tied to more than just the teaching of the Catholic Church. A host of other denominations also celebrated the twelve days of Christmas. Some denominations celebrated Christmas in January and began to count the twelve days then. But whenever they began, the counting of the days became an important facet of each holiday season. Even in the Dark Ages, in some Eastern European churches, the twelve days of Christmas meant attending daily church services. For Christians who lived during this extremely difficult age, the twelve days were a time of rededication and renewal. It was also a period when small, simple, and usually symbolic gifts of faith were given to children. Thus, in both coded poems and public worship, the twelve days were considered a holy period.
For many Christians today, even the recognition of the twelve days of Christmas has been lost . . . for two reasons. The first is that when Epiphany lost out to Christmas as the day of giving gifts, many simply quit celebrating the twelve-day observance. The other reason is based more on the change in the fabric of culture than on overlooking the Christian holiday of Epiphany.
In ancient times, when most societies were rural, few people worked in the dead of winter. It was a time when many were spending long, dark days inside their homes, looking forward to winter’s chill giving way to the spring thaw. So devoting a dozen days to prayer, reflection, and attending church was not a huge undertaking. Yet with the coming of the Industrial Age and the regular year-round work schedules it brought, finding time to continue the activities that had been traditionally associated with the twelve days of Christmas became all but impossible for most people.
So the passing of the twelve-days custom probably had as much to do with “progress” as with anything else. As fewer and fewer churches and families participated in the tradition, it was all but lost. Yet in the obscure poem that was later turned into a popular carol, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” live on. And the twelve days described are actually a wonderful and complete picture of the Christian faith.
The “true love” mentioned in the song is not a sweetheart but the Catholic Church’s code for God. The person who receives the gifts represents anyone who has accepted Christ as the Son of God and as Savior. And each of the gifts portrays an important facet of the story of true faith.
So, just a silly song? On the surface maybe, but in reality, a refreshing reminder of the essential elements of Christian faith. The twelve days of Christmas may no longer be a widely recognized holiday tradition, but the days were an important bridge that connected persecuted believers of the past with the whole story of God’s plan. In the complicated world of today, a trip back to the not-so-distant past when Christians celebrated the twelve days of Christmas would only enhance the meaning of Christmas for everyone.
Ace Collins is the writer of more than sixty books, including several bestsellers: Stories behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas, Stories behind the Great Traditions of Christmas, The Cathedrals, and Lassie: A Dog’s Life. Based in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, he continues to publish several new titles each year. Ace has appeared on scores of television shows, including CBS This Morning, NBC Nightly News, CNN, Good Morning America, MSNBC, and Entertainment Tonight.
This article is part of our larger Christmas and Advent resource library centered around the events leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ. We hope these articles help you understand the meaning and story behind important Christian holidays and dates and encourage you as you take time to reflect on all that God has done for us through his son Jesus Christ!
A dirty dozen PAX won THAT FIRST BATTLE, gave their fartsack a beatdown, and posted for the first beatdown of the week on an amazing 63 degree day in December!
If you can’t figure out the beatdown from the title, then read on. If you have children at home, you get the reference. If you were 1 of the 12 HIM who posted, then you know…
WARM-O-RAMA:
Disclaimer given
SSH – 18 IC (Because many men are 18″ from life eternal)
Swartzjacks – 10 IC (Because, well, it’s the 10th of December)
Sealjacks – 10 IC
Crab Flippers – 10 IC…Nice and slow for full effect
Patty Cake Merkins – 10 OYO (w/partner)
Bolt 45 – No complaint breaks in between – Squats: 15 – Top to half, 15 – Half to bottom, 15 – Top to bottom
THE THANG:
PAX stayed paired up, each pair retrieved a 40# sandbag and lined up at the edge of the Grace Church field. Approximately 150 yards in length, PAX alternated between doing 10 Burpees & the Sand Bear Drag (planked over the sandbag, PAX Bearcrawled and pulled the sandbag forward) while advancing the entire length of the field. “Sand Bear, Sand Bear, what do you see? I see the opposite end of the field looking at me.”
Partner 1: 10 Burpees
Partner 2: Sand Bear Drag
Swap, rinse & repeat as necessary
To return from opposite end of the field, PAX swapped out from 10 Apollo Ohno’s to Burpees while advancing the length of the field in return. “Sand Bear, Sand Bear, what do you see? I see the opposite end of the field looking at me.”
Partner 1: 10 Apollo Ohno’s
Partner 2: Sand Bear Drag
Swap, rinse & repeat as necessary
————————-
Back in the AO parking lot, PAX circled up for the day’s 3rd F Message:
(Source: Adapted from F3 Nation QSource Nov. 20)
COMMITMENT – Unwavering Loyalty To The Group And Unflinching Determination To Accomplish It’s Mission
Loyalty requires abandonment of self
How important is commitment to you?
Are you someone who values loyalty and follow-through? When things get tough, are you in the habit of standing firm? Or do you have a tendency to compromise your level of commitment or even quit? More specifically, how committed are you to your team? Is your support solid? Is your dedication undeniable?
WAYS to improve your level of commitment . . .
1) TIE COMMITMENTS TO YOUR VALUES. Because your values and your ability to fulfill your commitments are closely related, take some time to reflect on them.
First, make a list of your personal and professional commitments. Then try to articulate your core values.
Once you have both lists, compare them. You will probably find that you have commitments unrelated to your values. Reevaluate them. You will also find that you have values that you are not living out. Commit yourself to them.
2) TAKE A RISK Being committed involves risk. You may fail. Your teammates may let you down. You may discover that fulfilling your goals doesn’t give you the results you desire. But take the risk of committing anyway. George Halas, former owner of the NFL Chicago Bears, asserted, “Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.”
3) EVALUATE TEAMMATES’ COMMITMENT If you find it difficult to commit in particular relationships and you cannot find a reason for it in yourself, consider this: you cannot make a commitment to uncommitted people and expect to receive a commitment from them (Emphasis added). Examine the relationship(s), team, group to see whether YOU are reluctant because the potential recipient is uncommitted (maybe even untrustworthy).
4) INCREASE YOUR LEVEL OF COMMITMENT AND STAND FIRM ON MATTERS RELATED TO YOUR VALUES Loyalty is firm, and constant support and allegiance manifested, through the subordination of one’s own well-being to the Prosperity of the Group. A Loyal person puts the interest of his Group and the needs of its Members before his own. In his decision making, he is concerned first with the impact a course of action will have on the Group and only secondarily upon himself. His relationship with his Group and its Members is that of a fiduciary, in that he is charged with a special duty of Trust that obligates him to safeguard the groups Prosperity in everything he does.
DAILY SCRIPTURE
Psalm 37:5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.
Proverbs 16:3 Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
1 Kings 8:61 Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day
Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men
————————-
Next PAX circled up with sandbags & bricks: 1 PAX on Sandbag, 1 PAX on a brick, sandbag, brick, sandbag, brick, etc. (you get the idea). PAX rotated counter-clockwise around the circle alternating between Sandbags & Bricks:
Sandbags = 10 Sandbag Squats
Bricks = 10 Merkins (touch chest to the brick to work on full form)
Final stops of bags & bricks = 20 reps each
Total = 70 reps Sandbag Squats, 70 reps Merkins
One final COP: Al Gore for a couple of 10 Counts
With that, it was a wrap! Sand Bear, Sand Bear, what do you see? I see the end of the workout looking at me!
COT/BOM:
Announcements: Plan B has been activated for this year’s F3 first State Christmas Party – We’re moving to Irish Eyes, Friday, Dec. 13 @ 7 pm. Come one, come all. Thanks to Chairman for taking the lead on making the reservations call! Dec. 21-22 Crossroad Christmas (See Quattro for the skinny on the times)
Prayers: Streudel’s M, Lisa, biopsy today. Danielle, continued prayers thru her battle. Aaron, Chappie’s nephew deployed. Vanilla, continued prayers for health for entire family recovering from colds and flu. Prayers for all PAX to check their commitment levels.
Always an honor and painful pleasure to Q. Shout out to the Dirty Dozen who posted, and, as Chattahoochee’s shirt said, “Embrace the Suck.” Way to embrace it men!
Why: Why not? You’ll regret not being there if you miss it.
Q&A:
Q: How much does it cost?
A: Not a dime. But each PAX/M is asked to bring a pasta dish of your choice, salad, & dessert (just bring something to share)
Q: BYOB?
A: Drinks will be provided. But booze…I think is BYOB. Check with Ruxpin
Q: When should I RSVP?
A: Yesterday. Since you can’t do that hit up Ruxpin on the GroupMe or DM him so that he and Shawna can start to get a headcount.
Q: What if I have any additional questions not covered here?
A: Reach out to Ruxpin or Chappie in the Gloom or on F# First State FB or IG.
Thanks ahead of time to Ruxpin and his M, Shawna, for hosting this always-a-fun-time event. Let’s get together, celebrate Christmas and another year of F3, and enjoy some 2ndF beyond a morning workout (i.e. lets introduce our families to each other…)
Bolt 45’s IC (4 Count) – 15 squats to
halfway down. 15 squats halfway to full
down. 15 full squats.
Cherry Pickers – 15 IC
Mosey .48 miles to Food Lion Shopping
Center
The Thang
Pax
performed a quick Mike Tyson set of 7’s in the alley between Walgreens and
Dollar Tree utilizing a bear crawl to traverse the distance between the walls. Once complete Pax went right at a set of
Doracides which is identified in the Exicon as follows: Two Pax worked together to reach exercise reps of 100, 200,
300, & 400 of 4 different exercises.
One Pax worked on the exercises while the second Pax completed suicides
to three designated waypoints. The extra
twist is at the waypoint of each suicide run; the Pax completed 1 burpee, then
2 burpees, and finally 3 burpees before returning to the starting point. Once all three suicide sprints were
completed, the Pax switched stations until all reps of each exercise were
completed. The exercises completed are
as follows: 100 American Hammers, 200
Merkins, 300 LBC’s, & 400 squats.
Mosey .48 miles back to CHOP
F3 Message
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers. Specific prayers were lifted up for Lisa, Doubtfire, Briggs Family, and Aaron.
“I only had 24 hours in Athens, Greece. Well, what am I going to do? Well, I knew what I wanted to see – the Acropolis, and there it is. It’s on this hill that dominates the city, and it’s there that the ancient Greeks built this incredible temple to their goddess Athena. Even after 20 centuries, I have to tell you, it’s still an impressive, imposing structure and it still dominates the city. The Acropolis was the most sacred, most protected, most honored place in all of Athens. In fact, it was a serious crime to violate that temple, as it was in many ancient cultures. Hey, everybody knew the temple got first class treatment because the gods live there.
I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A
Word With You today about “Temple Treasure.”
Now, those ancient worshippers had the wrong
God, but in a way they had the right idea about His temple. It was in the time
of those temples and ancient deities that Paul wrote our word for today from
the Word of God in 1 Corinthians 6:19- 20.
Here’s what he says, “Do you not know that
your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received
from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God
with your body.” Now Paul is presenting here one of Christianity’s most
revolutionary and most shocking ideas. If you belong to Jesus Christ, you are
the building God lives in!
And even pagan people knew that the way you take
care of your god’s dwelling place tells a lot about how you feel about your
god. If you know Christ, you are God’s two-legged temple! You don’t have to go
to Greece to see a temple – all you have to do is look in the mirror! So
everything you do with that body of yours, God is part of. Everything you do to
that body, in a sense, you do to God.
So the question is: Are you treating your body
like the temple treasure that it is? If you really care about the God you say
you love, you won’t let His temple run down, get overweight, get abused by an
eating disorder, or get all out of shape. Ancient pagans knew you had to keep
the temple in good condition because your temple advertises what your god is
like. That’s what you and I do with the body that His Holy Spirit has come to
live in. Maybe you’re devaluing that temple God lives in with the junk you put
in it, or by playing around sexually, using His temple to satisfy your glands
or your curiosity. Do you know who lives in the body you’re doing that with?
The Holy Spirit of God.
It isn’t smart to junk up God’s temple. It isn’t
smart to misuse God’s temple. That’s what the moneychangers found out when they
were abusing God’s temple in Jesus’ day – when His temple was a building. It’s
one of the few places in the Bible where Jesus is really angry. He physically,
angrily goes after those who have messed up the place that is God’s dwelling.
Today, that’s your body, and Jesus doesn’t like it when you junk up His temple.
It matters what you do with His temple; what you put into it, how you treat it. The reason it matters to Jesus so much – what you do with that body of yours – with that temple of yours – is that He paid for you with His blood. You were, remember, “bought at a price.” And that price was Jesus’ life. He has a right to expect that the body His Spirit has moved into will be kept very special for Him.”
Respectfully Submitted,
Fireplex
MUPPET LEGS – Compliments of Bolt 45’s, Mike Tyson’s, & Doracides !
Bolt 45’s IC (4 Count) – 15 squats to halfway down. 15 squats halfway to full down. 15 full squats.
Cherry Pickers – 20 IC
Mosey .5 miles to that darn hill
again….:)…
The Thang
Q revisited the beatdown that could
not be completed on last Q opportunity.
We started with the exercises originally slated for the descending evolutions
of the hill climbing portion of the beatdown….but we decided to start back at
10 instead of 5 where we had left off last time….:)……PAX completed 10 Burpees,
10 Squats, 10 Merkins & 10 Big Boys.
Nur up the hill and mosey down and complete 9 Burpees, 9 Squats, 9
Merkins, & 9 Big Boys. Dragon Crawl
up & mosey down and complete 8 Burpees, 8 Squats, 8 Merkins, & 8 Big
Boys. Nur up the hill and mosey down and
complete 7 Burpees, 7 Squats, 7 Merkins, & 7 Big Boys. Boo Boo Bear Crawl up the hill and mosey down
and complete 6 Burpees, 6 Squats, 6 Merkins & 6 Big Boys. Nur up the hill and mosey down and complete 5
Burpees, 5 Squats, 5 Merkins, & 5 Big Boys.
Mosey .5 miles back to CHOP
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.
F3 Message 11/12/19
LAST-SECOND VICTORIES They’re usually some of the most exciting moments in sports: the touchdown or field goal that wins the game with no time left on the clock, that game-winning basket as the final buzzer sounds, or the game-winning home run with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning. Whatever the sport, there is nothing like a sudden victory when victory seems out of reach. It makes the fans go ballistic.
It can be
really nerve-wracking when you’re behind and time is running out, but it’s
really thrilling when a hero pulls it out at the last minute. The longer
someone walks with God, the more they come to appreciate Him as the God of the
last-second victory, the God of the eleventh hour.
The Bible
reveals many names by which God wants us to know Him. One that has meant so
much to so many for so long is the name Jehovah-jireh. It means, “The Lord
will provide.” You may be facing a need or situation right now where that
is literally your only hope – that the Lord will provide. Maybe it’s a job, a
friend, the funds, the person, the answer, the house, the healing, or the
breakthrough you need.
There is
a rock-solid promise in Philippians 4:19 that “God will
meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
God’s supply has nothing to do with what’s happening in the economy, in the
news, at work, or in what your resources can do. It’s all about His unlimited
“Jesus-account” in heaven, which transcends every limitation earth
has.
God
sometimes waits a while to meet that need. That’s when we tend to panic, to
come up with some desperate way to meet the need on our own, or to abandon our
trust in God because we think He’s taking too long. That takes us right out of
the will of God and aborts what God was going to do.
It’s
in Genesis 22 that God is known as
Jehovah-jireh for the very first time. We can learn a lot from how He worked
that day for Abraham. Abraham had, by faith, obeyed God’s direction to take the
son God had once promised to him, climb Mt. Moriah with him, and sacrifice his
son – as God Himself would do one day when Jesus died on the cross.
Believing
that God will somehow provide something Abraham can’t imagine, Abraham promises
his servants that both he and his son Isaac will return from the
mountain. Genesis 22:10 says his faith and
obedience went so far that “he reached out his hand and took the knife to
slay his son.” At the very last moment, God stopped him and showed Abraham
a ram, stuck in a thicket, who would be sacrificed instead of his son. The Bible
says, “So Abraham called that place, ‘The Lord Will Provide.'”
Jehovah-jireh made His move when there was no time left.
Now,
about your need. God loves to come through for us when there is absolutely no
place else that answer could come from, and there is no time left on the clock.
It’s 11:59 and the buzzer is about to sound. God shows up with His provision at
a time and in a way that will blow you away, that will give Him all the glory,
that will show the people around you the greatness of God, and that will take
you to a whole new level of faith and worship.
Have
faith in God. God’s last-minute victories are some of the most awesome moments
of your life. The greater the need and the later the hour, the more amazing
God’s work on your behalf is going to be. Hang in there until the end of the
game, because that is when God really does His stuff!
