“It ain’t over till it’s over!” A young preacher friend spoke in a gospel meeting back in January, and talked a little bit about the relativity of time. He illustrated it with two questions. First was, “How many of you thought 2019 would never end?” Almost all the young people raised their hands. Then he asked, “How many of you can’t believe it’s already 2020?” Almost all the older folks raised their hands. Today the question would be, “When will 2020 end?” The answer would be unanimous, “NEVER!”

When God allowed Israel to lose to the city of Ai after the sin of Achan there was great despair and disappointment among the people Israel, especially Joshua. In fact, while the defeat was most embarrassing and shameful, his reaction seemed quite overboard. His lament was as if they had been driven out of the land and it was all over (Joshua 7:6-9). God told him to get up and get busy because it wasn’t over until it was over (Joshua 7:10-15). So he got up discovered the sinner and sanctified the nation. Then God told them to go take Ai because He had given it to them (Joshua 8:1-2). It was over when God said it was over.

This is an important lesson for all of us, in life in general as well as in our relationship to God. We are often surprised by the ability of others to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. We see it all the time in sports, but it happens at school, at work and in family. More importantly it happens in faith as well. People who seemed unredeemable sinners convert and turn to God. Sins we thought undefeatable are defeated (Romans 7:24-25). All because of Jesus who snatched victory from the mouth of defeat (Acts 2:24). Don’t quit, don’t give up, because “It ain’t over till it’s over!”