“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.” Psalm 34:19
The Story of the Painting
The painting hung in an obscure corner of the old museum. Most people passed it by with just a glance and then moved on to better-known works or to something more esthetic, like landscapes or portraits.
The unusual painting depicts two people with a chess board set up between them. Playing pieces were lined up: The king, queen, pawn, bishops, knights, and rook. Legend has it that one person represents the devil and the other a young man, who is obviously not doing well in the game. With a smirk on his face, the devil believes he has the man cornered. The painting is entitled “Checkmate” because the young man seemingly has no moves left. The game is over, and the devil is waiting for an admission of defeat.
One day, an international chess champion visited the art museum, stood in front of the painting, and studied it thoughtfully for a long time. Finally, he called the museum curator over and said to him, “Sir, you need to contact the artist of this painting immediately!”
“Why? Whatever for?” questioned the curator.
“Because the title of the painting is incorrect. It isn’t checkmate, because the king has one more move!”
When we are tempted to think all hope is lost, take heart! God has the final move.