…tie a knot and hang on. We have new reasons today to do just that.

First, I repent. I was one of the two dozen Dallas Cowboys fans still watching the game last night at its end, but I admit that I was waiting only to see if Coach Parcells would finally play Drew Henson. After our defense turned a fourth-and-one into a ten point lead for Seattle, I knew the game was over, taking our faint playoff hopes with it.

Who knew Keyshawn Johnson would catch a Vinny Testaverde lob into the back of the end zone? (Whether he caught it in the end zone or not is a subject for devotional writers in Seattle, not me.) Who knew Jason Witten would make an even more improbable catch on the ensuing on-side kickoff? Or that rookie Julius Jones would become the best running back on the planet, scoring his third touchdown to seal the win? It's not how the game begins--it's how it ends. So tie a knot and hang on.

Three years ago the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, using it to support terrorist networks the world over. Yesterday the people of that beleaguered country inaugurated the first democratically elected president in their history. After many had given up hope, this morning's Wall Street Journal tells us that lawmakers in Congress have apparently broken a deadlock on intelligence reform, moving us closer to adopting the recommendations of the 9-11 panel. This is Pearl Harbor Day, yet again. But as World War II proved, it's not how the story begins, but how it ends. So tie a knot and hang on.

In the Garden of Eden, the Lord promised us that the "seed of woman" would crush Satan's head (Genesis 3:15). The world waited for him to keep his promise. The Jewish people eventually came to believe that this promised Messiah would be a military conqueror, a general and hero who would overthrow the cursed Roman Empire and exalt their nation over all the earth. What they got was a baby in a feed trough. But it's not how the story begins, it's how it ends.

It's your first Christmas without someone you love. Or another Christmas without them. Or the economic recovery hasn't found you yet. Or your son is on his way to Baghdad. Or there's just one experimental treatment left to try. But it's not how the story begins--it's how it ends. And we know how it ends: the Child is sitting on the throne of the universe, with you at his side.

The game isn't over yet. This morning's sunrise is God's decision that the world should go on. So tie a knot and hang on another day. This is the invitation of God.

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