Bob Tamasy
Did you watch Saturday’s Kentucky Derby? The outcome was intriguing, because Journalism was the odds-on favorite. But at the end, the betting favorite came second to a horse named Sovereignty. (A horse named Publisher finished 14th, so it wasn’t a good day for the media.)
But getting back to the winner, one dictionary I consulted defines sovereignty as “supreme power or authority.” At least for this first leg of the famed Triple Crown of horse racing, Sovereignty exerted supreme power or authority at the finish.
It also was interesting because in his immediate post-race interview, Junior Alvarado, Sovereignty’s jockey, made a point to express thanks to his Lord, Jesus Christ. In the Bible, sovereignty is one of the paramount attributes of God, ascribing to Him the “ultimate authority, power and control over all things, including creation, history, and the lives of individuals,” as an online source puts it.
I’m a big fan of giving credit where credit is due, whether it’s a team working together; a teacher or mentor helping to develop someone’s capabilities; a medical professional who has provided life-saving care, or parents who sacrificed to enable a child to succeed. And it’s especially heartening to see athletes acknowledge God for their talents and the opportunities they’ve had to compete on a big stage.
We’ve seen a lot of this of late in a variety of sports, and it affirms the biblical admonition, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17).
Does this mean that God ordained that Sovereignty, and not Journalism or some other horse, would win the revered Derby? No. At least not necessarily. Because as theologians will note, while the Lord exerts the ultimate control over His creation, the Scriptures don’t declare that He orchestrates every single outcome. Man’s free will also plays a major role in outcomes, major and minor.
In the case of last weekend’s race, myriad details needed to be addressed leading up to it. The winning horse had to be purchased, meticulously trained and cared for, and prepped for such a racing spectacle. The right trainer had to be selected. Jockey Alvarado was an accomplished horseman, but he had to overcome significant health issues weeks earlier even to get in the saddle.
We don’t know from the Scriptures whether God ever has a rooting interest in the outcomes of specific sporting competitions. Especially if there are followers of Jesus opposing one another. But we do know He delights when His people praise Him for enabling them to showcase their talents.
As King David wrote in 1 Chronicles 29:17, “Since I know, my God, that You put the heart to the test and delight in uprightness, I, in the integrity of my heart, have willingly offered all these things; so now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here, make their offerings willingly to You.”
We also know that the Lord is not distant and indifferent to His people. In one of David’s psalms he declares, “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them…. My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise His holy name for ever and ever” (Psalm 145:18-21).
Loving and serving God does not always guarantee victory or other forms of worldly success. Partly because we often learn more from defeat than triumph. But we’re told in Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Sometimes that even means being able to lift the championship trophy in Victory Circle.
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Robert J. Tamasy is a veteran journalist, former newspaper editor, and magazine editor. Bob has written, co-authored and edited more than 20 books. These include ”Marketplace Ambassadors”; “Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace”; “Tufting Legacies,” “The Heart of Mentoring,” and “Pursuing Life With a Shepherd’s Heart.” He writes and edits a weekly business meditation, “Monday Manna,” which is translated into nearly 20 languages and distributed via email around the world by CBMC International. The address for Bob's blog is www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com. His email address is btamasy@comcast.net.