The Sweetest 16
After advancing through the first round of the NAIA National Championship with two victories, Friday night we now continue our dance in “The Sweet 16”. This week commemorates the 84th Anniversary of the longest continuous national basketball tournament in any sport in the country, the NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship. What an honor it is to be a part of such a historical event.
In my eight years at OKWU, we have been crazy blessed to have reached the Sweet 16 seven times. All credit goes to my players and more importantly my God for all this success.
What makes something sweet? To truly understand sweet, I believe the best way to realize the answer to that question is to look the opposite direction. The opposite end of the spectrum of sweet is bitter. Something that leaves a bitter taste in your mouth or feeling in your Spirit is the farthest thing from pure joy.
“Sweet Jesus” is one of my favorite adjectives describing our Savior. I have a fond memory of a person who often repeated these two glorious words. There is nothing sweeter than my Jesus!
“In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—an aroma redolent with life.” 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 MSG
How sweet is that! David had a heart for God and numerous times in His Dance. He shared how sweet it is to seek God!
“I will sing my song to the Lord as long as I live! Every day I will sing my praises to God. May you be pleased with every sweet thought I have about you, for you are the source of my joy and gladness. Now, let all the sinners be swept from the earth. But I will keep on praising you, my Lord, with all that is within me. My joyous, blissful shouts of “Hallelujah” are all because of you!” Psalms 104:33-35 TPT
He repeats it again in Psalms 119:103, “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” TPT
Every team’s sweet victory comes with another team’s bitter loss. The definition of bittersweet is a combination of both bitter and sweet, or an emotional feeling that is a mixture of both happy and sad. Nobody sad it better than Jim McKay on CBS’s Wide World of Sports with his powerful words “The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat”.
The Sweet 16 is the glorious fourth step from the top of the ladder leading to the Elite 8, Fab 4, and finally that last step, a Championship. Only one team will taste the title of Champion. How sweet it is!
What could be sweeter? The SWEETEST 16. All who call on the Powerful Name of Sweet Jesus, will taste eternal victory. A taste that completely makes the Sweet 16 seem so small. Don’t get me wrong, I understand exactly how special of an opportunity awaits our team this week. It is an incredible opportunity to bring Jesus Glory! We hope to Preach for more games!
Photo by Alex Perez on Unsplash