Oklahoma State University’s 1996 season quarterback, President Lyndon Johnson’s nephew Randy Johnson, proved to be a mediocre quarterback for a mediocre team.
But mediocre or not, quarterbacks and teams and Oklahoma State could be lifted to legendary greatness if they beat their arch rival, the University of Oklahoma, in the season-ending game.
In that final game of 1996, Oklahoma was behind by six points.
Little hope remained that they would score with almost 80 yards between them and their goal line, only minutes left on the clock and a steady downpour of rain.
But their mud-covered suits didn’t look half as pitiful as the battered, despairing faces of the State players.
As a gesture of goodwill, the Okla-homa State coach put in all the seniors for the last play of the game and told Randy to call whatever play he wanted.
The team huddled, and to the surprise of his teammates, Randy called play 13, a trick play they’d never used, for the good reason that it had never worked in practice.
Well, the impossible happened, play 13 worked! Oklahoma State scored!
Randy Johnson’s team won the game by one point. The fans went wild!
As they carried Randy, the hero of the game, off the field, his coach called out to him, “Why in the world did you ever call play 13?”
“Well, we were in the huddle,” Randy answered, “and I looked over and saw old Harry with tears running down his cheeks. It was his last college game and we were losing. And I saw that big 8 on his chest. Then I looked over and saw Ralph. And tears were running down his cheeks, too. And I saw that big 7 on his jersey. So, in honor of those two heart-broken seniors, I added eight and seven together and called play 13.”
“But, Randy,” the coach shouted back. “Eight and seven don’t add up to 13.”
Randy thought for a moment and answered back with a smirk, “You’re right, coach! And if I’d been as smart as you are, we would have lost the game!”
This story, from author and speaker Tony Campolo, illustrates that sometimes the correct answers are not always the right answers.
There may be times when the decisions we make seem to be foolish to others…especially in the realm of faith.
The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:5: “Your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”
You may be facing a problem in your life right now.
The odds are against you, the numbers just don’t add up.
But there is another option: have faith in God!
If the doctor’s report isn’t favorable remember: God is the Great Physician.
If your marriage is falling apart, God is the greatest marriage counselor you can find.
If habits and addictions have you chained down, God can set you free.
1 Corinthians 1:25 reminds us, “The foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
This kind of faith may seem foolish to those who don’t believe.
But wise people know that the truth of it can set them free!

Rev. Doug Johnson is the senior pastor at Raven Assembly of God in Raven, Virginia.