Poker is a game filled with many highs and lows. One moment you win big money and the next, you lose your entire life savings. The more I played poker, the more I realized that it is a game that requires concentration, decision making skills, and high emotional intelligence.
I also realized that silence and body language are powerful tools to win. For example, sometimes you are dealt a bad hand and it is easy to become negative, shake your head, and throw up your hands in frustration. But your opponent will never know what you have in your hand if you don’t say anything or react. This can play to your advantage because if you have a good hand, your opponent might think you have a bad one and vise versa.
In 1 Kings chapter 19, we find a character named Elijah. Elijah was a mighty man who God used to defeat all the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. But one day, Jezebel an evil queen and wife of King Ahab, threatened to kill Elijah. Afraid for his life, he ran to the desert and prayed to the Lord complaining about how he was being treated.
“I have had enough Lord. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” (1 Kings 19:4) Then an angel touched him and said “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you. (1 Kings 19:7) Side note: it’s amazing how many problems in our life can be solved with some food and some rest.
Elijah then got up, ate and drank. Strengthened by the food, he traveled 40 days and nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God, and spent the night in a cave. Then the Word of the Lord came to Him saying “What are you doing here Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:8-9)
He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too” (1 Kings 19:10)
We see in this passage of scripture that Elijah’s perspective was not true. Elijah thought that he was the only one left because he was in a place of loneliness and discouragement. But later on, we see that the Lord already had a plan for what he was worried about. The Lord told him “Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him” (1 Kings 19:18).
I can identify with Elijah because I also get lonely and discouraged. There are times when it seems like I am the only one who cares, or the only one who works hard, or the only one who is going through a certain problem. I look at the poker hand I have been dealt and throw up my hands in frustration. I say things like, “I guess it will always be like this.”
You also might be seeing things from the hand that you were dealt. It could be a bad report, a relationship or family issue, an unexpected expense, or a rejection from someone at school or work. But like Elijah, self pity and complaining won’t get you anywhere. The key is to get the right perspective and the right attitude.
Next time, before reacting negatively, remember that God’s hand is much bigger and stronger than yours and He can do far beyond anything you could ask or imagine. Jesus won the victory on the cross and He is more than able to bring the victory to your life. Just because life dealt you a bad hand, it doesn’t mean the game is over. Be patient and don’t fold yet.
The Bigger Picture: Don’t let your emotions fold you before God shows you His best hand.
The Bigger Picture 