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What a difference a few days can make.

In the 1996-97 NBA season when former NBA MVP David Robinson went down with injuries, things got ugly for the San Antonio Spurs. They finished that season with just 20 wins and 62 losses. There was good news in that dismal season, however. It led to the prime draft pick Tim Duncan. Four months after a horrible season, the Spurs started the 1997-98 season with Robinson recovered and Duncan’s talented play. They posted a 56-26 record that season — with the 36-game win improvement setting the record for the biggest regular-season turnaround in league history. What a difference a few days made!

A few days made a tremendous difference for a man named Saul. As a rising Jewish attorney, he was an adamant opponent of Christianity in his homeland until he had a startling revelation and realized he was on the wrong side. Three days later, he was baptized to become a Christian. He went on to become known the world over as the apostle Paul, the prolific preacher and author of much of our New Testament.

A few days even made a powerful difference for Jesus himself. He was rejected by the crowds and crucified by those in power, seemingly ending his bid to be a leader of his people. But, three days later, death gave way to life and defeat blossomed into victory.

God has always been in the turn-around business. He delights in making a dramatic difference in the life of a person just like you or me. Consider what the “turned-around” Saul/Paul wrote about Christians in Corinth:
Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

What some of you were — that’s the key thing to notice. God changed their lives. In a few days, they had become something other than what they had always been.

That can happen for any of us. Perhaps it’s time for you to let God turn you around. What a difference a few days could make in your life!

 

Keith Wishum is minister, Williams Road Church, Americus.