[This article comes from a blog post by Charles Morris at haventoday.org/blog/closer-look-checkmate/. I wrote the prayer.]
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. (Isaiah 55:9 NIV)
If you know anything about the game of chess, you know it all comes down to when the King on either side can move no more. Once the king is trapped, the winning side declares “checkmate” and the game is over.
There is a painting that once hung in the Louvre museum in Paris, painted by Friedrich Moritz August Retzsch. Today, the painting is popularly known as “Checkmate.” It is now in private hands, having been sold in a Christie’s auction in 1999.
The painting depicts two chess players. One is Satan, who appears arrogantly confident. The other player is a man who looks forlorn. If Satan wins, he wins the man’s soul. You can view more of the creepy details below.
According to legend, and probably fact, the story goes like this. A chess grand master came upon this intriguing painting in the Louvre museum alongside other famous art such as the Mona Lisa.
The grand mastered stared a long time at the chess board in the painting and finally noticed something surprising. The typical interpretation of the painting (that the devil had the man in “checkmate”) was incorrect.
Though the devil seemed to be the obvious victor, he was in fact not winning. The man, who thought he was losing, was actually winning.
According to the arrangement of the pieces left on the chess board, his king had one more move. This fateful move would make him the winner of the game.
The grand master called the curator and determined that the title “Checkmate” did not fit the scene because the forlorn-looking player actually had the ability to defeat his opponent, though he didn’t realize it yet. His king had one more move.
Now think about the spiritual implications of this painting with me about what the grand master discovered.
Repeatedly in Scripture, God assures his people that there is always a way of escaping situations that seem hopeless at the time.
- When the people of Judah were deported to Babylon because of their sinfulness, God revealed that a future day of release would come.
- Just as God provided water for the Israelites in the desert, he would also provide for them on their long trek homeward.
- A little boy in John 6 only had two fish and a few loaves of bread to feed thousands of people. It looked like checkmate, but our King had another move left! They collected 12 baskets of leftover food after the meal was served.
- In the Old Testament, Daniel was thrown into a den of hungry lions. It looked like checkmate, but our King had another move left and Daniel remained safe.
- In John 8, it looked like checkmate for a woman about to be killed by angry men with stones. But Jesus told the woman to go and not sin anymore.
- On Good Friday, the criminal next to Jesus on the cross thought it was the end, yet he still repented.
So often in life, we consider the world to be a mess. With war, violence, a deadly pandemic, unemployment, struggling marriages, depression, isolation, and more … we can easily become disillusioned. People begin to feel lost. We look for direction but often end up on the wrong path. It looks like checkmate, but we need not fear—the game is not over.
Our Creator God still has one move left! Our lives and future are in His hands. The Lord is the only King who can never be defeated.
Lord,
Thank you that nothing surprises you because you are El Shaddai, Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent. Thank you that your thoughts and ways are so much higher than our thoughts and ways, yet, you invite us in to deep fellowship with you. We recognize that nothing is too hard for you and your plans and purposes are for our good. Help us to remember all the times in the Bible and in our own lives where we have felt like we were at an impasse – where the enemy was telling us that we were in checkmate – but you had a new direction and new plan to rescue us. Help us to remember that there are times you do things we can’t believe, but are ultimately a part of your carefully woven plan. To you who can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, we give praise, honor and glory. In the power of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we pray, AMEN.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine… (Ephesians 3:20 NIV)
“I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” – God (Habakkuk 1:5 NIV)
“Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14 NIV)
And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose. (Romans 8:28 AMP)