Known and Loved, Beyond the Buzzer

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. Psalm 37:23-24

To say it was a disappointment was putting it lightly. They’d made it to the nation’s college basketball tournament when the team’s worst night of the season ended their dreams in the first game, 52 to 81.

The Bible says that “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand” (Psalm 37:23-24). Yes, that even applies to basketball, as the coach and players of a Christian university demonstrated to the world.

“We got beat tonight by more points than we had in our six combined losses [of the season] so this one was a tough one—you don’t want to end your season like this,” mused the coach of the team. “But we’ve always said that we won’t base our identity on the outcome of a game…. we should never get our identity from what we do, what we have or what other people think about us.”[1]

And how did the players react? “Getting to do that on a national stage was special,” said one of the team’s forwards. “We’re grateful that God loves us just as much [now] as He did before the game.”

Life is full of losses—many far more heartbreaking than a college basketball tournament defeat. Yet, through it all, to the follower of Jesus, God says He’s aware of all the details of your life. He loves you just as much in failure as in success. He holds you by the hand. And the final score in the greater game of life ends in a win in Christ.

Feel like you’re losing the game today? Jesus follower, whatever the score, regardless of your achievements, possessions, reputation, or lack of those things, your identity is always secure in Him. Jesus will never love you more than He does right now.

[1] James Crepea. “What Liberty Coach Ritchie McKay Said after Losing to Oregon in NCAA Tournament.” OregonLive, 22 Mar. 2025, https://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/2025/03/what-liberty-coach-ritchie-mckay-said-after-losing-to-oregon-in-ncaa-tournament.html. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.