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By Mike Umbenhaur, Pastor Woodland Presbyterian Church

One of the side-effects of being ordered to shelter-in-place for all this time has to be acquiring a desire to watch television, movies or LIVE-streaming videos. I cannot believe how much I have watched series after series; sometimes spending an entire day binge-watching something! I know that is probably not how a pastor should be spending his time. However, I know that I am NOT alone!

A series that my wife and I watched, as did many others, was Netflixs The Queens Gambit. It is the story of an orphaned girl, who learns the intricacies and finer points and strategies of chess. Her journey is filled with drug and alcohol abuse, as well as her rise to the top in the world of chess in the 1960s. She had the ability to see her opponents options several moves ahead. It allowed her to understand and escape traps that were laid for her and the ability to set traps for her challengers.

Contrary to what so many viewers expected, she did not win every match. But she did learn from her mistakes, and several times was able to see she had at least one more move to make.

That reminds me of a story (I do not know where the story originated) of two men visiting an art museum. They were enjoying a painting entitled, Checkmate. It featured a man playing chess against the devil. The man has only his king left. Hence the title. One of the two men looking at the painting notices something and says, We have to find the artist! Either the picture has to be changed or the title of it has to change! And the other man asks his friend, Why? The man says, Because the king still has one more move!

Friends, that is the story of the Resurrection of Jesus. His followers came to the tomb that morning and all they could see was Checkmate. They had given up dreaming and given up hope. But the angel at the tomb that morning said, He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay (Matthew 28:6).

You may be facing financial loss or marital strife; you may be estranged from your children or your parents. You might be standing at the graveside of a loved one, and it all feels like checkmate.

Whatever you face, today or tomorrow, Jesus promise to everyone who puts their trust in Him is this: There is hope! Even when it feels like checkmate, its not, becauseTHE KING STILL HAS ONE MORE MOVE! He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.

Link:
Perseverance when faced with a checkmate | Clergy Corner - Woodland Daily Democrat