Spiritual Devotional
by Pastor Dexter Sanders
Week of January 3, 2021
It ain’t over until it’s over
Ecclesiastes 9:11 (NKJV)
11I returned and saw under the sun that— The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.
Our devotion title is not new. It’s a phrase we hear often on the streets, on TV or even in a song. You usually hear it when it looks like the thing that you’re trying to complete is not getting done. It means there is still time to complete the thing we are trying to complete.
The year 2020 brought with it trials and tribulations like we’ve never seen before. Many of us made plans on how we would progress, move forward and successfully achieve our goals and then Covid showed up. Today, I’m here to encourage those of you who felt the sting of this pandemic, having lost love ones, jobs, businesses and even hope. I’m here to tell you hope is still alive, God is still on the throne and “It ain’t over until it’s over”.
In Ecclesiastes 9:11 (NKJV) we have King Solomon sharing wisdom, verse 11 reads; 11I returned and saw under the sun that— The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.
In this verse King Solomon suggest six concepts that will help us understand that indeed it ain’t over until it’s over.
First Solomon says:
- “The race is not to the swift”
If the race is not always given to the swift, the slow still have a chance.
- “Nor the battle to the strong”
If the battle is not always given to the strong, the weak still have a chance.
- “Nor bread to the wise”
If food is not just given to the wise, the not so wise people still have a chance.
- “Nor riches to men of understanding”.
If riches don’t always go to people with great understanding, then those of us who still lack in understanding still have a chance.
- “Nor favor to men of skill”.
If favor does not always go to the skilled, then we unskilled are still in the race.
- “But time and chance happen to them all”.
What does all this mean? Scripture suggests neither speed, nor strength, nor wisdom or any other attribute exempts us from time and chance. Life, with all of its ups and downs, happens to all of us. There are no guarantees that you’ll be successful in life, simply because time and chance determine everything.
Let me be clear, time and chance does not mean life is some series of random occurrences. However, it does suggest; the degree that we allow God to lead our lives will determine the outcomes though time and chance. When all is said and done, it’s all in God’s hands, and if we remain in God’s hands, God is in control and if God is in control “It ain’t over until it’s over”.
I pray that you will be encouraged as you go into 2021, trusting that God is willing, able and ready to lead you in every aspect of your life.