March Madness

March Madness is upon us! – that time of year when sixty-eight university basketball teams are scrambling, scrapping, and giving everything they’ve got to win a tournament game and advance to the next round.

It’s called ‘madness’ for several reasons. The pace of play. The ‘do or die’ atmosphere. The unknown factors. How will one team match up against another? Which team will ‘show up to play’ on a given night, and which team won’t? Who will win and advance? One doesn’t know until the games are played.

Do you ever feel as though your life is one big ‘March Madness’? Spiritually, I’m speaking about. Do you feel as if you’re scrambling and clawing your way through life, wondering if you’ll advance to heaven? Does it look (at times) as though you can’t match up against Satan and his team? Does the world with its temptations and struggles loom large, making you feel like a #16 seeded team going up against some #1 seed?

Dear friend, take heart! You ARE on Jesus’ team, aren’t you? (Now, if you’re not, you can be certain that you’ll lose at life – and it’s not any game, that’s for sure! But if you are saved in Jesus, don’t fear.)

Should you be scrambling and scrapping to advance? Yes. “Be even more diligent to make your calling and election sure.” “Contend earnestly.” “Strive to enter through the narrow gate.” “Strive to enter that rest.” (2 Peter 1:10; Jude 3; Luke 13:24; Hebrews 4:11)
But with that noted, have confidence. Jesus is our leader! And with Jesus we WILL win over Satan and, one day, leave this world’s ‘madness’ behind. (I cannot emphasize enough, however, that we must stick with Jesus.)

When was the last time you read The Revelation? The message of the last book of the Bible is that Jesus and His church (His ‘team’) WILL win! Without Him we’ll lose it all. With Him we’ll win. It is certain.


--Mike Noble