Waxing On The Thrill of Victory And The Agony of Defeat

Novak Djokovic (3)of Serbia (below) has the look of victory...and well he should. He just accomplished what no other man has been able to do in the last 10 Major Tennis Tournaments...defeat Roger Federer(1) in the semi-finals. Un-seeded Tsonga of France eliminated number 2 Nadal of Spain in the other semi-final of the Australian Open. How the mighty have fallen!

Roger Federer is considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest, tennis player of all time but his picture above reveals that even the best suffer the agony of defeat. He has 12 Grand Slam titles but will not catch up to Pete Sampras just yet. He will have to wait until the French Open for his next chance to do that. These players are all just so good! I marvel at the ability of these men...being a very novice tennis player myself, these guys amaze me, but still...and you knew it was coming...how much does it really matter? Sure, they are at the very pinnacle of success in their professions and that has to be fulfilling, for a time. They have millions of dollars and should enjoy a comfortable life, barring any unforeseen circumstances...and then they will die...just like me... and you.
Be not afraid when a man becomes rich,when the glory of his house increases. For when he dies he will carry nothing away;his glory will not go down after him. For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed—and though you get praise when you do well for yourself— his soul will go to the generation of his fathers,who will never again see light. Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish. (Psalm 49:16-20)
Nothing that we can accomplish, obtain or be can keep us from death. We can be sure it is coming, and then comes the judgment. No victories of any kind on this earth will help us there. Only Christ has won the victory that will save us from the agony of eternal defeat. Repent! Trust in Jesus! He has won the victory over sin and death and He will save those who trust in Him!
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:27-28)

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,even as we hope in you. (Psalm 33:18-22)