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Ready For The Moment

One of the most memorable moments of the 2023 NCAA Tournament was Furman’s upset over four-seed Virginia.

With 12.3 seconds remaining, Virginia’s Kihei Clark took possession of the ball and was promptly trapped in the corner.

Clark inexplicably heaved the ball down the court to Furman’s Garrett Hein. Hein passed the ball ahead to J.P. Pegues, who drained a three-pointer to give the Paladins a dramatic 68-67 upset victory.

The part of the sequence that stood out the most was Pegues’ readiness to take such a huge shot at the drop of a hat.

In an interview following his game-winning shot, Pegues commented, “As soon as I saw it go into Garrett Hien’s hands, I was like: ‘I want the ball!’ I feel like those are the moments I’ve craved my whole life and I feel like I’m built for it.”

As followers of Jesus, I think there’s an important parallel to our need to always be “ready for the moment.”

We never know when we’ll suddenly be faced with a pressure-packed moment.

How do we respond in those moments when something unexpected comes our way? Do we respond in a way that’s pleasing to the Lord, or do we cave under the pressure?

Just like Pegues, much of our success in crucial situations comes down to being prepared in advance.

Psalm 119:11 says, “Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”

The psalmist knew one of the keys to not sinning in a moment of temptation was to have God’s Word already stored in his heart.

If we’re intentional about spending time with God as we pray, read the Bible, fellowship with believers, serve, and think about things that please the Lord, we’ll be equipped to rise to the moment when things are suddenly thrown at us.

We never know when life is going to “pass us the ball” unexpectedly, so let’s choose to do the work ahead of time and be prepared to respond in a winning manner at that moment.

I’m Matt Osborne, and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times when I don’t respond to difficulties in a way that honors You. Please show me how to be prepared for those moments in advance as I trust in You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.