Home Field Advantage
Zechariah 4:6-7 KJV
(6) Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
(7) Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
Romans 8:4 KJV
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
There is a force and an advantage in sports that’s referred to as the “home-field advantage”. This is when the sheer number of fans and the volume of cheering they produce creates an atmosphere of victory, enabling a team beyond the limitations of their natural ability. Schools often have a ‘Spirit Week’ where pep rallies and decorations attempt to create a conquering spirit in their team prior to a home game. Whether or not they succeed in winning the game, there is definitely an edge given to those players by the infusion of the spirit of victory that inspires and motivates to excellence.
The power of this energy was felt in a recent game between two Texas college football teams. Although one of them was ranked number one in the country, when they began the game at the home field of the lower ranked team there was such an overwhelming force in and around the spirit of the home team that it really didn’t matter how well number one had performed in the past. Where they had executed with precision in every prior game, nothing seemed to go well for them in the face of the victory spirit they were up against. On the other hand, the home team had to do more than just be excited about how great all the cheers declared them to be. They had to actually go out on the field and let that home field advantage be applied to their actions. To actually subdue their opponent it would take a combination of preparation, skill and spirit for there to be an addition for them in the win column. Though the visiting team managed to come back in the second half, the power of the initial rush of team spirit proved enough to secure a win for the home team once again.
It might seem as if we’re in the enemy’s stadium with the crowd noise so loud we can’t hear the quarterback’s voice calling the play, but there is a way for the crowd to be silenced and for the home field advantage to be taken back. “..When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him. (Isaiah 59:19) We have a significant advantage in the power of the Spirit to be encouraged, strengthened and inspired to rise up to incredible victory and triumph in Him. Where He is allowed to fill and overflow, He will cheer us on and cause that insurmountable mountain to become a plain before us. Then, rather than sitting back wishing things were different, we can rise in the power of the spirit to execute the plays, sling the stone, run through a troop and leap over the wall- actually acting like the victor we’ve been made to be in Christ.
What a gift we’ve been given, to be able to pray in the Spirit and allow this overcoming force to rise, enabling, empowering, and building us up in our most holy faith. May it not be that this incredible gift is left unused and discarded, but may it be that the winning spirit of the home field advantage is taken back in an atmosphere of praise and worship, where negativity and defeat are completely displaced by the cheers of faith and conquering power. Victory is imminent where the Spirit’s standard has been raised in heart’s impressed by His invincibility. Pray on.
