October 7, 2026 Devo

On February 3, 2008, the New England Patriots played the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. New England was unbeaten coming into the game. They were the first team to go undefeated in the regular season since the 1972 Miami Dolphins. It was considered a David vs. Goliath event, with the Patriots considered an “easy” 12-point favorite. Many expected it to be much worse. You can imagine everyone’s shock when the Giants won 17-14. Especially the bookmakers in Las Vegas who lost a record 2.1 million dollars on that single game!
No team is invincible. No person is unbeatable. If history has taught us anything, it’s that anyone can be beat at the right time and under the right conditions. Believing we’re invincible is actually what sets us up for failure. Sports teams often won’t prepare hard for games they believe to be a “cinch.” Arrogance leads to carelessness, carelessness leads to mistakes, and mistakes lead to defeat.
Belshazzar made this discovery. As king of one of the greatest kingdoms on earth, he believed he was invincible. He had defeated every foe that had stood before him, so he now rested upon those victories. Who would dare to attack him now? Well, the Medes and Persians, that’s who! And that very night Belshazzar was killed, and Darius the Mede took over his kingdom.
Paul made a great statement when he said, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” In other words, when I keep in mind that I am always vulnerable, always beatable, and always fallible, I keep a closer watch on my life. I seek wisdom from God’s Word rather than make decisions out of my own wisdom. I lean into God’s Spirit in prayer and depend upon his Spirit to get me through the day. I seek God daily to show me any weaknesses and to help me close the door on any vulnerable places in my life. When I think I’m invincible, I put at risk all that I am and all that I stand for. It’s knowing I’m not that keeps me close to the Lord and under His watch and protection. Our Jesus IS unbeatable, so let’s bet on Him and not on ourselves! That’s God’s Word for you today.