MOVIE MONDAY | Miracle

Over the next four weeks, we'll be doing our summer devotional series, “Movie Mondays,” as we unpack a sports movie and its Biblical parallel.

With Independence Day on our minds and the USMNT taking on Belgium in the World Cup tonight, we kick off the series by looking at one of the greatest American sports stories ever.

The movie Miracle, released in 2004 by Disney, depicts the 1980 US men’s hockey team’s epic defeat of the Soviet Union at the Olympics and their gold-medal run.

The true story was put back in the spotlight earlier this year when the USA team won Olympic Gold again, but I loved watching the movie yesterday as it reminded me of how impactful their Olympic run truly was.

It’s a wonderful sports movie that captures the dynamics of team building and the accomplishment of something that very few thought possible.

The movie focuses on the head coach, Herb Brooks, played by Kurt Russell, who does a phenomenal job portraying him and carrying the movie. I also want to focus today's devotional on Coach Brooks.

In the movie, from the time Brooks interviewed for the head coaching job with the committee through the training leading up to the Olympics, his plan and strategy were questioned, and not everyone believed he was always doing what was best.

He was in charge and knew what he was doing, as he saw things nobody else did, but his players, assistant coach, and team doctor didn’t always understand his tactics or his motivations and, along the way, raised concerns.

Here are some of the lines uttered in the movie:

“You sure about that?” (Jim Craig, the goalie)

“You're kidding me, right?” (Craig Patrick, assistant coach)

“I just don't see what it has to do with stopping a puck.” (Jim Craig, the goalie)

“This has gone on long enough!” (Dr. George Nagobads, team doctor)

“Doc, I mean, this is madness, right?” (Craig Patrick, assistant coach)

“Oh, no, I'll tell you what I don't understand, Herb. I don't understand you. Nobody on this team understands you and your ridiculous sayings and your drills and those stupid psychology tests you had everybody take.” (Jim Craig, the goalie)

The players didn't always understand what Herb Brooks was up to because it didn't always make sense, and what they had to endure wasn't easy. They didn’t always like the way he disciplined them, but he knew it was necessary for their growth.

Yet they didn’t quit, and they wanted to be on the team, so they submitted to his leadership even when he pushed them beyond their perceived limits.

The reality was that Herb Brooks understood what it would take for this team to defeat the Soviet Union and win the gold medal. He only wanted to do what was best for the team, and he knew the right things to do to ensure his players were prepared, equipped, disciplined, conditioned, refined, playing at their best, and understanding who they were playing for.

The design for every test, every extra sprint on the ice, and every difficult challenge was to help the team build oneness, play the right way, and experience victory. 

Here are a few lines that reveal this in the movie:

“He'll do whatever it takes.” (Jim Craig, the goalie)

“Herb has a reason for everything he does.” (Dr. George Nagobads, team doctor)

“Jack, I got  guys to think about here, and they're all looking at me to do what's best.” (Herb Brooks)

The movie is inspiring, and it’s eye-opening to watch the difficult and sometimes painful training process the team went through before heading to the Olympics. It’s also rewarding to see that everything Coach Brooks set them up to endure ultimately led to the gold medals around their necks.

As we reflect on this classic sports movie, we can relate to not always understanding what God is up to, why He allows us to go through certain challenges, gives us certain tests, and pushes us beyond our perceived limits.

We often use the following lines from the movie when we talk to Him:

“You're kidding me, right?”

“You sure about that?”

“This has gone on long enough!”

However, as followers of Jesus, we can’t give up. We want to be on His team, so we have to submit to His leadership and acknowledge and understand that His plans, purposes, strategies, and tactics are always good, wise, right, and best.  

Romans 11:33 (NLT) declares, "Oh, how great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His ways!"

Psalm 18:30 (NLT) tells us, "God's way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection."

Job 37:5 (NIV) says, "God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; He does great things beyond our understanding."

Even when it doesn't make sense to us, He knows what we need and what we require to become more like Jesus, and He'll do whatever it takes to see His purposes prevail.

Sometimes it can be painful, confusing, and frustrating, but He has greater plans for us. He is in charge, knows what He is doing, and sees things we can’t.

Isaiah 40:13 (NIV) asks, "Who can fathom the Spirit [or mind] of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as His counselor?"

Proverbs 19:21 (AMP) says, "Many plans are in a man's mind, but it is the Lord's purpose for him that will stand (be carried out)."

Similar to Coach Brooks, God is always helping us become prepared, equipped, and refined. Sometimes He has to discipline us so we can grow and let go of things that hold us back. We are to have oneness as the body of Christ, defeat the opponents in front of us, and understand our identity and who we live for. 

We aren’t competing for a gold medal, but God has us in the same process as gold, and He is setting us up to experience victory now and forever.

1 Peter 1:6-7 (NLT) encourages us, “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold.

“So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”

Today, let's keep enduring, surrendering, and trusting through whatever training we find ourselves in, knowing that our God, like Coach Brooks, “has a reason for everything [He] does.”

Even when we don’t understand fully, let’s look to God “to do what’s best.”

I’m Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for the amazing work You’re doing in my life to train, prepare, and equip me to do Your will and become like Jesus. I know You are good and do what’s best. Help me to trust You more and question You less. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.