Whom Is God For?

By Jason Shreve

Have you ever wondered, Whom is God for? It’s a good question that seems to come up during every big game. Before last year’s Super Bowl, people were counting which team had the most Christians. Is that an indication God is for them?

During the 2012 football season, people were asked, “Do you believe that any of Tim Tebow’s success can be attributed to Divine Intervention?” Forty-three percent of Americans answered yes.

Whom is God for?

Is he for the most talented? The hardest working? The purest in heart? The one who needs it most? In sports and in life, there’s almost always a winner and a loser; which one is God for?

“I live in a high and holy place,” God said in Isaiah 57:15, “but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

God is with both the winners and the losers.

He cares little for the name on the front of the jersey, but he cares desperately for every name on the back.

He’s for all of us . . . and he’s for you.

It might not feel like God’s for you in this particular season of life. You might feel stagnant, as if life is passing you by—or worse. You might be feeling dejected, rejected, or knocked down. You might be feeling nonstop stress—like there is a huge weight on your chest that won’t go away.

But be assured, God says he’s for you. I love what Max Lucado wrote in Let the Journey Begin:

God is for you. Turn to the sidelines; that’s God cheering your run. Look past the finish line; that’s God applauding your steps. Listen for him in the bleachers, shouting your name. Too tired to continue? He’ll carry you. Too discouraged to fight? He’s picking you up. God is for you.

God is for you. Had he a calendar, your birthday would be circled. If he drove a car, your name would be on his bumper. If there’s a tree in heaven, he’s carved your name in the bark. We know he has a tattoo, and we know what it says. “I have written your name on my hand,” he declares (Isaiah 49:16).

Do you need a reminder today that God is for you? He doesn’t just know about you, he knows you, and he loves you. He’s written your name on his hand.

He proved how much he loves you when he sent his one and only Son, Jesus, who gave his life in our place to redeem us and give us the chance to be made new. We remember his body bruised for us, his blood shed for us. We remember that he is for us. Therefore, who can be against us?

Jason Shreve leads the creative team at Northeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. He loves his wife, three kids, and University of Louisville sports.