Read Mt. 15:21-28
John an upcoming boxer had to square it up with Peter a more experienced and accomplished boxer. John entered the context as the underdog while Peter was the clear favorite to win the bout. After the first round John having received a barrage of punches from Peter asked his coach at the corner what stuff Peter’s punches were made of for he had never received such in his life. His coach told him just to ignore the stuff that Peter’s punches were made of rather should go back into the contest standing tall and not going down to the canvas.
John an upcoming boxer had to square it up with Peter a more experienced and accomplished boxer. John entered the context as the underdog while Peter was the clear favorite to win the bout. After the first round John having received a barrage of punches from Peter asked his coach at the corner what stuff Peter’s punches were made of for he had never received such in his life. His coach told him just to ignore the stuff that Peter’s punches were made of rather should go back into the contest standing tall and not going down to the canvas.
John listened and obeyed his coach’s instructions afterwards he had the game plan. He returned from the second round after receiving this time as much as twice of what he got in the first. This time around his eyes were swollen. “Coach” he said, “I’m dying! This guy wants to kill me! Do you think I can survive it?” “Don’t be silly” was the reply. “He is only a man like you, so he cannot kill you. Go back in there and stand toe to toe with him and fight.”
John went back in saying ok coach I believe in you. The result however, wasn’t better, it was worse. John’s face was only not swollen but his right eye was beginning to close. When he came back to his corner he said, “coach, I think I am done, I can’t take anymore and by the way I can’t see well enough with my right eye, please just throw in the towel.” “Nonsense! Retorted his coach, I will do nothing of such. You just go in there and fight, but this time just swing as if your life depends on it.” “Hmmmm! Ok coach, if you say so” was the reply.
John went back in obeying his coach’s instructions to swing as if his life depends on it. He swung ferociously and “gbam!” one connected. It was a knock down. Peter was on the canvas to the amazement of all, he could not survive the countdown. Oh! It was a technical knockout in favour of John. He (John) screamed to the highest heavens not believing what had happened.
It was his very first technical knockout.
Peter the clear favorite was interviewed afterwards and asked what happened. He said he did not know either that he had a game plan that he stuck to. With the barrage of punches he gave to John at the first round, he never expected John to come out for the second, talk less of the third and the fourth. Anytime John keeps coming out to stand toe to toe with him he got confused and was asking himself, what kind of stuff was John made of? What was his game plan? He was actually locked intensely in this thought in the fourth round when he saw himself been counted out. He never knew what hit him.
Dear friend, John won out of cheer determination. He listened to his coach’s advice and was determined to fight on toe to toe. Many a times (if not all the time) in our lives we are faced with an array of daunting barrage of punches (spiritual, physical, psychological, economical, emotional, matrimonial, childlessness, no relationship/ life partner, verbal or what have you) that rattles our trust in God, and it’s like throwing in the towel for why am I still believing, trusting, hoping or living?
I will say hang on in there my friend, just be determined and fight one more round, you never can tell. Remember, to be a champion you need to fight one more round. You see anytime you square up with those daunting challenges confronting you, you put the devil/ the wicked into confusion as John did to Peter. Be faithful and be determined, remaining on the right course of life come what may. Abraham was, so also was Job, Daniel, Zachariah and Elizabeth, the paralytic friends and the Canaanite woman. You too can.
Just ponder on this and have hope: “the Lord’s love abides unceasingly, his compassion is never exhausted; every morning it is renewed, so great is his faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23).
Pray today with the songs: “Christ is my rock” and “my hope is built on nothing less.” Study Deut. 28.
SHEPHERD ME O LORD BEYOND MY STRENGTH.