recentchristian

I’m not a sports fan and really don’t understand football.  I did watch some of the game though.

Jermaine Kearse’s crazy, hot potato reception was incredible – this made me sit up in my seat and really watch the game.

When I saw Malcolm Butler’s (a New England rookie free agent out of Alabama) pivotal interception I decided that maybe, just maybe, I’ll tune in again.

I knew the moment was special when I heard the short on-field interview with Butler – I knew there was a lot more to just the brilliant interception – he steered the glory from himself in a short interview just moments after the interception.  This was a game-changer for me.  This was incredible and I had to look into it further!

I found this on CBS News:

“I was expecting them to run.  I just drove on the ball and made play because I know we needed it,” Butler said.

As the play developed, he knew he had to act fast.

“I felt like if we would have lost the game, it would have been my fault even though I gave them my best effort,” Butler said.

But the now-famed cornerback hasn’t always been in the spotlight.  He once worked at a Popeyes, and last year he wasn’t even playing on a football team.

“I believe in God, I’m truly blessed, and just prayed all this week.  I pray in other times too,” Butler said.  “I just had to wake up this morning and really just be like ‘Was this real? Is this real?”

He also said in his interview that he’s “gotta be blessed for the talent He gave me.”

From that statement, I believe Butler doesn’t take this God-given talent lightly.  He steers the glory from him and recognizes that his talent is a gift from God, a gift that God chose to give him and that God can take away at any time He so chooses.

He didn’t go into pride (that would have been easy to do).  Instead, he steered it back to God.  Pride puts itself in competition with God.  Butler didn’t go there.

God does answer prayers … I’ve learned this.  Sometimes the answer is yes; sometimes the answer is yes – not just yet though; sometimes the answer is no.  One thing for sure, God does listen.  God heard Butler’s prayers and gave him a “yes.”

I’ve received many “yes” responses to prayer from God and I’m thankful for them.  I’m also thankful for the “no” responses.  God, and only God knows how things will play out for the future into eternity.  God and only God knows the impact of answering a prayer with a “yes” or “not yet” or “no” response.

I have come to believe that God knows everything that has happened, is happening and everything that will happen, with no exceptions – he decided all of these things and has known all these things before our beginning.  He knows what we’ll pray for, He knows who we’ll talk to, He knows our decisions, He knows everything.  He made us and knows us – knows our hearts – knows everything about us.

I’ve learned quickly that just because God knows everything to come for an eternity, that doesn’t make our prayers meaningless.  You’re in relationship with God when you pray … you’re talking with Him and He is listening.

God determines everything, even the outcome of Super Bowl, with or without our prayers.