"Understanding Victory"

"When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." John 19:30 

We are getting ready to celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. It is said that hindsight is 20/20. On this side of the cross we have a clear understanding that what was done was the greatest act of love and complete victory. But to those who were there it looked like defeat. As they watched the events of that evening unfold, as they saw their Jesus being arrested, tried, convicted and crucified all they could see were their hopes and dreams being destroyed. 

 

When we are going through times of great testing, we tend to be more like those disciples. We don't view the situation as something good. We can't see how anything good can come out of what we are going through. It looks hopeless. It often looks like defeat. But may I remind you that even in the darkest time, even when all hope seems lost, even when you don't understand why, God hasn't left, He is watching over the situation, and He is still in control. 

 

The situations that look like darkness, He can bring light from. What looks like death, He can bring forth life. What looks like defeat, He can bring forth victory from--- the cross and the empty tomb are a testimony to that. 

 

Don't look at your situation as "defeat", trust that God somehow, someway, is working all things together for your good. Even if you don't see any good in it, and even if you don't understand it now, perhaps you may never understand it all this side of heaven, but like the old song says, "We'll understand it better by and by". 

 

Have a great day. Even though we may not understand what looks like defeat, God is still working to bring victory. 

 

For further reading:

Romans 8:28

Genesis 45:1-8

"He Rejoices Over You"

"The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing." Zephaniah 3:17 

The Lord God is Mighty. He is a powerful Warrior fighting our battles for us. But He is also a gentle, kind and compassionate Savior. He has a heart for you. He loves you. He rejoices over you with singing and dancing. He delights in you. You are the apple of His eye. You are the object of His affection. He loves to hold you close to Himself. He desires to embrace you. 

 

Often, we see God as "one-sided". He is "either" or "but not "both". If that is how you see Him, you need to enlarge your vision of Him. He is the Lion and the Lamb. Do you see Him as One who is hard and cruel always waiting to "get you" if you mess up? Most people have no problem seeing Him in this way. They have a struggle with seeing Him as someone who truly loves and cares about them, and as someone who is for them and on their side. They can't fathom God rejoicing over them with singing. 

 

Perhaps that is you? How do you see God? A hard taskmaster? One who is out to get you? If it is, it is time you start seeing Him as One who loves you dearly and deeply. He rejoices over you. He has joy in you. He takes delight in you. He sings over you. 

 

Have a great day. God loves you so much, He sings and rejoices over you. 

 

For further reading:

John 3:16,17

Romans 5:8

Psalm 32:7; 103:13

Isaiah 62:5

"Struggling Or Soaring?"

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31 

As I was driving the other day, I noticed in the sky two birds. One was soaring effortlessly and the other one was flapping its wings nonstop. The only difference I could see between the two was that the one that was soaring was only a couple of feet higher than the other one. I thought to myself about the "flapping" bird, "If you would just catch the wind and go a little higher you would not have to struggle so much and could soar". 

 

Many Christians are "struggling" in this life. They are constantly "flapping" just to make it through. The are struggling to have peace, struggling with problems, struggling to know what to do, struggling with temptations, etc. Instead, we should be "soaring". 

 

How do we get from struggling to soaring? By going a little higher. Going higher means that we press in a little closer to the Lord. It means that we move out of the flesh and into walking in the spirit. As we press in a little closer, we will catch the wind of the Spirit and He will take us into that place of rest and lack of struggle- the place where we soar.

 

The Lord doesn't want you constantly struggling. He wants you soaring- like the verse above says. But the key is to go higher. Wait upon the Lord. Draw close to Him. Get your strength from Him. Get your rest from Him. Get that second wind from Him. Get the wisdom you need from Him. Get the grace you need from Him. He is the Wind that will take you higher and cause you to soar.

 

Have a great day. Are you struggling or soaring? Draw a little closer to the Lord and catch the wind of His Spirit which will take you higher so you can soar.

 

For further reading:

Zechariah 4:6

Matthew 11:28

"Fullness of Time Is Perfect Timing"

"That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him." Ephesians 1:10 

There is a time called "fullness". It is in that time when promises come into manifestation, when faith becomes sight, when answers come. They don't come until then. Joseph did not come to the palace until the "fullness of time". The Israelites were not delivered from Egypt until the "fullness of time". Abraham did not receive the promised son until the "fullness of time". The Savior, Jesus, did not come into the world until the "fullness of time". 

 

Why didn't Jesus come earlier? Why didn't He arrive a hundred years earlier? A thousand years earlier? Why weren't the Israelites delivered sooner? The answer is simple yet not always easy for us to understand. It is because the time "fullness" has to come. This time is determined by the sovereignty of God and the counsel of His own will. 

 

Why aren't some things happening sooner in our lives? Why are they delayed? What is holding it up? We tend to get caught up in time elements. We want things to happen right away. But there are some things that will not occur until the "fullness of time". And when is that time? It is when God says it is. 

 

When a woman gets pregnant, she doesn't give birth the next day. She has to wait until the "fullness of time" for the child's birth. When a farmer plants a seed, he doesn't harvest a crop the following week. He has to wait until the plants have grown and matured. Without the waiting, the baby would not survive and the plants would not produce fruit. This the reason for the fullness of time. 

 

When is the fullness of time? Who knows. It is different lengths of time for different situations. But what we can say about it is that it is also the "perfect time". It is perfect because it is determined and brought forth by God Himself. So, we need to learn to be content, patient and trust while we are waiting on that time to come.

 

Have a great day. There is a time called "fullness". It is determined by God's sovereignty, so we need to learn how to trust Him while we are waiting because it is also called "perfect timing".

 

For further reading:

Ephesians 1:11

Psalm 27:14; 1:3

Isaiah 55:8,9

 

"Look At Jesus, Not The Problem"

"Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us." Psalm 123:2 

I woke up this morning with a chorus repeating over and over in my thoughts. "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace."

 

If you look at it long enough, whatever it is, that is what will have the most power in your life. This is why we are not told to "look at the mountain" but to "speak to it". If you continue to look at it, it just gets bigger and bigger and before long it will completely overwhelm you and take control. 

 

The same thing will happen if we look at Jesus, He too will begin to become bigger in our view than even the largest problem. When Moses looked at the Lord in the burning bush, He became greater in his eyes than Moses' fear of Pharaoh. When Peter looked at Jesus, Jesus became greater to him than his fear of stepping out of the boat. When David stood before Goliath, he looked to the Lord and the Lord became much larger than the giant. 

 

If you are looking at that impossible situation, if you are looking at the overwhelming problem, if you are looking at that daunting circumstance, then you are looking at the wrong place. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look at Him. He is greater than the problem. He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above whatever the situation needs. He is bigger than anything that you are facing. His ability to handle whatever it is you are going through is more powerful than the thing that is coming against you.

So where are you looking and where should you be looking? Turn your eyes upon Jesus and the things- the problems, the mountain, the giant, the fire, the wilderness, the situation, the storm- will all begin to look smaller compared to Him.

 

Have a great day. Whatever you look at long enough will be what looks the biggest. So, turn your eyes upon Jesus and not the problem.

 

For further reading:

Numbers 13:33

Ephesians 3:20

Hebrews 12:2

Matthew 17:20