Tag: victory

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Psalms Devotionals

Made to see hard things

Psalms

You have made your people see hard things;
you have given us wine to drink that made us stagger. (Psalm 60:3, ESV)

Those words struck me today. Sometimes God does make his people see hard things, things that make us stagger.

I’ve seen my father go blind in an accident. Years later, I saw his life fading away in a hospital.

I have seen the company I work at go bankrupt forcing me into unemployment for nine months.

I have seen friends die before their time.

And of course, we have all seen the effects of Covid-19.

And yet David says,

You have set up a banner for those who fear you,
that they may flee to it from the bow. (4, ESV)

Those words remind me of Exodus 17:15, where Moses called the Lord Himself, “Our Banner!”

He is the one we run to. He is the one we rally to when are afraid and struggling. And he is the one who brings us salvation.

Suffering and hard times are a part of life. But those times are never in vain for those who love God and who are called according to his purpose. Rather, as Paul said,

…affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope.

This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:3-5)

That love was proven to us on the cross (Romans 5:6-8).

So in these times, let us rally to the cross, remembering that Jesus is no longer hanging there, but has conquered death itself. And because of him, we will ultimately find victory! (Psalm 60:12)

Categories
Revelation

A beaten foe, a wrathful foe

Revelation

“But why must we suffer? Why must we go through persecution? Why wouldn’t God just take us out from it all?”

If you’ve been reading through Revelation with me, especially if you believe we will be raptured before all the trouble with antichrist begins, you may be wondering why I hold so fast to this idea.

To be honest, I wish very much that God would just pluck us out. But I just don’t see it from anything I see in Revelation, and particularly in this passage.

Here we get a bird’s eye view of all that’s been happening since the time Mary was pregnant with Jesus.

John tells us of a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. And she was in labor, on the verge of giving birth.

Although I just mentioned Mary and it would seem that this is talking about her, it probably isn’t.

When you see the symbolism of the sun, the moon, and the 12 stars, the very first thing that should come to mind is Joseph’s dream, which showed Joseph’s father Jacob (or Israel, as God renamed him), mother, and 11 brothers all bowing down to him. (Genesis 37:9-10)

So this pregnant woman seems to symbolize the nation of Israel. For it was Israel that gave birth to Jesus, the Messiah, the King.

But Satan, symbolized by the dragon (Revelation 12:9), tried to destroy Jesus while he was on earth. We see this in Herod’s murder of all the babies (Matthew 2:16-18), and in Christ’s crucifixion.

But of course, after Christ’s crucifixion, Jesus was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven.

John then sees a flashback in which he sees a war in heaven in which Satan is cast out along with his angels. And when he was thrust down to earth, he chased after the woman Israel to destroy her.

I’m not sure, but I tend to think this was particularly seen in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

In this attack, Satan was trying to destroy Israel. But not all Jews were destroyed. The Christians, in particular, took Jesus’ warning to heart (Matthew 24:15-21), and fled Jerusalem before it was destroyed.

With Satan unable to destroy Israel completely, he then set his eyes on destroying her other “children.” Not the Jews by blood, but “those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” (Revelation 12:17)

That is, the church. For we are the true children of Israel now, all we Jews and non-Jews who have put our faith in Jesus. (Galatians 3:29)

Why is he so full of wrath against us? Why is he so persistent in trying to destroy us?

John tells us,

He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short. (Revelation 12:12b)

And so John tells us that while those in heaven rejoice over his being cast out of there,

Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! (12a)

What do we get from all this? First, we are facing a beaten foe. He has already lost. And he knows it. His time is short, and he will be judged.

But second, until that time comes, he will take out his wrath against us. And as we have seen and will see in Revelation, that means some of us will be “conquered”, that is killed by him.

Yet the ultimate victory is ours. He may kill our bodies, but he can’t take our souls. When Satan was cast out of heaven, a loud voice cried out,

Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ.

For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. (10)

In other words, because of Jesus’ death on the cross, Satan has lost all right to accuse us. When he tries, God overrules all of Satan’s objections against us.

More, John tells us that though Satan may overcome the saints for a time, ultimately,

They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. (11)

So though Satan may attack us, though he may kill us, in the end, we win. Why?

Because Jesus won the victory for us on the cross. And by our lives and death, we testify to the change that God has brought in our hearts, proving that all of Satan’s accusations no longer have any basis.

Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them. (12a)

We already have won.

Categories
Jude

Contending for the faith

Contend for faith

I love how Jude, the brother of Jesus opens this letter.

To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ. (Jude 1)

This phrase bookends with the last two verses.

To him who able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and great joy — to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forever more. Amen. (24-25)

All very encouraging words. That we are loved by God and kept, not by our own power and strength, but by Jesus Christ himself. And these things are essential for us to understand in the light of Jude’s reason for writing.

Why did he write? Jude tells us,

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. (3)

A couple of things that are important to note here.

First, the gospel has been entrusted to us and it is complete. As we saw in John’s second letter, there is no need to go “beyond” it. (II John 1:9)

Anyone who claims to have deeper truths than the gospel the apostles preached is lying. The faith we have was entrusted to us once for all time.

Second, we need to contend for it. We need to fight for it.

Why? Because Satan is always trying to tear it down. And if he can’t destroy it from without through persecution, he will try to destroy it from within through deception.

This was happening all the way back in the time of the apostles. Paul warned against this (Acts 20:30-31), as did Peter (2 Peter 2:1), John (I John 2:18-19), and now Jude.

He said,

For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you.

They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. (4)

Things have not changed in 2000 years. People still claim to be Christians, justifying their sinful ways by saying, “Oh, it’s okay. I’ll just sin and repent later, and God will forgive me.”

In doing so, though they claim Jesus as Lord, they deny him by their actions.

What’s worse is when they teach others to think and live this way as well.

And so Jude tells us we need to contend for the faith. To contend with these false teachers and false teachings.

But as we contend for the faith, remember that the victory has already been won.

We’ve been called by God, loved by him, and kept by Jesus Christ. And because of Jesus, we will stand before God one day, without fault and with great joy.

So let us never be discouraged in our fight, but let us contend strongly for the faith until Jesus comes again.

Maranatha. Come soon, Lord Jesus.

Categories
1 Corinthians

The final victory

1 Corinthians

I really love these verses here in 1 Corinthians 15:51-57. Somehow, I’ve never gotten around to committing them to memory, but I think I may just do that over the next several days.

It is Paul’s victory cry. He says,

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:54)

It’s possible he was quoting from Isaiah 25:8, where Isaiah said,

He will swallow up death forever. (Isaiah 25:8)

Paul then cries out,

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55)

It’s very interesting the passage he quotes here. It comes from Hosea 13:14. The NIV seems to put Paul’s interpretation on it, translating it to say that God will deliver his people from death.

But actually, it seems in Hosea that God is really calling down curses upon his people.

Essentially, he’s saying, “Shall I rescue you from the grave? Shall I rescue you from death? Death! Rain down plagues upon my people. O grave! Where is your sting that you might prick my people?” (see ESV or NASB).

Why? Because of their sins. Because of their unfaithfulness to God.

But here Paul says, “Whereas God once used these words to call judgment on his people for their sins, now he is proclaiming victory over the very sin and death that had once reigned over them.”

He says,

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. (1 Corinthians 15:56)

The word “sting,” can of course mean “sting” as in a scorpion’s sting or a bee’s sting. And taken that way, sin’s sting was like poison to us leading to death.

The word “sting” can also mean “a goad,” however, and in that sense, it gives the idea that our sin pokes and prods us toward destruction.

Paul tells us that sin’s power was in the law, namely in our inability to keep it. We saw the law, but because of our sinful nature, we broke it leading us to sin and causing us to fall under God’s condemnation. (Romans 7)

But when Jesus came, he fulfilled the law for us, living a perfect life, and then paying the price for our sins.

As a result, we are no longer under the jurisdiction of law, but of grace. The law now has no power over us, and because of that, sin no longer has power over us either.

In short, death has been defanged. (Or “de-stinged”)

And so Paul proclaims joyfully,

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)

What does this mean for us?

It means we no longer have to fear death because we no longer have to fear God’s condemnation.

He’s not waiting to call down plagues and destruction upon us.

Rather, the time will come when he grants us new bodies and new lives in which we can glorify him forever. And for all eternity, we will bask in this grace he has given us.

How about you? Do you fear death? Or can you along with Paul cry out,

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55)

Categories
Romans

Hope

Romans

As I mentioned before in my last blog, I do believe there is room for hope in our fight against sin.

The main problem Christians fight in their struggle against sin is despair.

And the question that most people ask is, “Am I really a Christian? How can a Christian possibly do the things that I do? I want to do what’s right, and I keep failing time and again.”

But here is something important that Paul brings up.

For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good…

For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do–this I keep on doing.

Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does. (Romans 7:15-16, 19-20)

What is the key thing to notice here? One word: struggle.

The non-Christian, at least one not yet touched by the grace of God, does not struggle against sin. They don’t even notice there is a problem. A Christian does.

Now if a Christian were making a practice of sin despite knowing what God has said (and this is a key point because young Christians don’t always know), and telling me, “What do you mean I’m doing something wrong? I’m not doing anything wrong,” that would be a warning sign to me that something is wrong.

Either they are not really a Christian, or they have so hardened their hearts to God that they can’t hear him anymore.

But a Christian that is struggling is a Christian that I have confidence God is working in. And if God is working in you, he will complete his work.

Paul put it this way,

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy… being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:4,6)

Rest assured, if God is bringing into your life conviction of sin, he will not leave you there in the pigsty. He will bring you victory. That’s the hope that we have.

That’s why one minute Paul could cry out,

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? (Romans 7:24)

And the next minute cry out even more loudly,

Thanks be to God–through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:25)

We cannot make ourselves better. We cannot change ourselves. But God can. That’s the hope that we have.

How does he do it? How do we change?

Through the Holy Spirit whom he has given us.

But that’s another blog. Stay tuned.

Categories
Psalms

Remembering our times of victory

Psalms

We’re taking a brief jump to Psalm 108, basically because it’s a combination of Psalms 57 and 60.

Verses 1-5 come from the latter part of Psalm 57 while verses 6-13 come from the latter part of Psalm 60.

Whether it was meant to be a medley of the two psalms or David created new music for the combination of the two, I don’t know.  One wonders though why he would do this.

I have two guesses.

One is that it was written at the same time as Psalm 60 after Israel’s defeat at the hands of their enemy.  And perhaps, David was recalling his time when Saul had him trapped in the cave and God delivered him.

So as he was struggling with doubt and despair after defeat, he turned his thoughts to the time at the cave, and was basically saying to himself, “Don’t get discouraged by this defeat.  Look at what God did for me in the past.  If he delivered me before, he’ll deliver me now.”

The other possibility is that it was written after both incidences.  And now looking back on both, David was singing a psalm of praise to God for all that he had done for him.

Whatever the case may be, I think it’s important that like David, we remember our times of victory.  That in times of trouble, we recall how God delivered us in the past.

And that after times of deliverance, we remember to thank God for what he’s done.

Why?

Hope.

Remembering these things give us hope for the future when things look grim.

Without hope, it’s hard to go on when we face trials in our lives.

But with hope, we can face anything that comes against us, knowing that God’s on our our side and that he will help us.

What victories have you had in your life?  Take the time to write them down.  Write down the times God has answered prayer.  Write down the times God has delivered you.  Praise him for it.

By doing so, when you face trials in your life, you’ll find them easier to bear.

Categories
Psalms

Remembering where victory and blessing come from

Psalms

When things are going badly, our thoughts often quickly turn towards God.  But what about during times of victory and blessing?

Do our thoughts turn quickly in praise towards God?  Or do our thoughts turn towards ourselves, and how great we are?

Even David fell into that trap (see 2 Samuel chapters 11-12, and 24), but here in Psalm 21, he kept in mind just where his victory and blessing came from.  He sang,

The king rejoices in your strength, Lord.  How great is his joy in the victories you give!

You have granted him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips.

You came to greet him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.

He asked you for life, and you gave it to him— length of days, for ever and ever.

Through the victories you gave, his glory is great; you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.

Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.  (Psalm 21:1-6)

Not only did David remember where these things came from, he remembered why God blessed him.

For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.  (7)

Where do your thoughts turn when you find victory in your life?

Do you find yourself boasting in yourself and your wisdom and strength?  Or do you find yourself praising God for what he’s done?

Do you find yourself putting more faith in yourself and what you can do?  Or do you find yourself putting more faith in God and what he can do?

Categories
Zechariah

The bringer of victory, life, and light

Zechariah

As we come to the conclusion of Zechariah, we see the second coming of Christ and the time of the Millennium.

It starts once again with the nations rising up against Jerusalem to crush it, and in so doing, half of its inhabitants will be sent into exile.

But then, Jesus will return, and as he sets foot on the Mount of Olives, it will split in two.

The lights will dwindle, but God himself will bring light to the earth, so that even at night, it will be light. As it says in Revelation,

The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. (Revelation 21:23)

Not only that, but from Jerusalem will flow living water. This is probably the same thing that was written about in Ezekiel 47:3–11 which we have looked at earlier.

God will then fight for Israel, casting down its enemies through plagues.

I kind of wonder from verse 12 if God will turn the nations’ nuclear weapons against themselves. It certainly sounds like some kind of nuclear disaster, anyway. But this is pure speculation on my part.

But anyway, from that point on, people from all over the earth will acknowledge him as King, rejoicing in his goodness.

The Feast of Tabernacles was one of rejoicing out of gratefulness towards God. Rejoicing in how God brought his people out of slavery to Egypt, and gratefulness for his presence with them as he kept them safe through their time in the desert.

We too, will rejoice at how God brought us out of slavery to Satan’s kingdom, and brought us through the trials of life until the day he finally makes all things new.

For all those who refuse to turn to God, however, they will only find judgment.

What can we get from all this?

God is the bringer of victory. Though Satan fights against God and us, God will triumph.

He actually has already triumphed. He triumphed when Jesus died on the cross, but Satan just doesn’t want to admit it.

But whatever trials we may go through, we know that we have victory. And not only will we have victory over our trials, but we’ll have victory over sin and death itself.

As Paul said,

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)

God is the giver of life. Just as the water will flow out from Jerusalem and make even the Dead Sea fresh and alive, God’s Spirit will flow into our lives and give us life.

But for all those who are apart from God, they will be cut off from life, and find only misery.

Finally, God is the giver of light. When all is dark, and we have no hope, he gives us light to see and restores our hope once more. When we can’t see our way and which path we should take, he shines the light on the right path.

Lord, thank you that you give us victory, life, and light.

Let us cling to you every day, and as we do, make us holy unto you. May we be pure before you, set apart for your purposes as we live our lives each day. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Categories
Micah

When the enemy comes against us

Micah

Throughout its history, Israel has constantly been surrounded by its enemies. And in this passage, Assyria seems to be used as a type of all the enemies that would come against Israel.

But Micah prophesies here the ultimate triumph of Israel, saying,

When the Assyrian invades our land and marches through our fortresses, we will raise against him seven shepherds, even eight leaders of men.

They will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod with drawn sword.

He will deliver us from the Assyrian when he invades our land and marches into our borders. (Micah 5:5–6)

In other words, the day will come when the enemies of God will rise up once again against Israel to destroy it.

But God will raise up people to lead Israel to victory over its enemies. Yet their strength will not come from their military, but from God.

Micah adds in verse 7 that the remnant of Israel will be like “dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for man or linger for mankind,” again pointing out that it is the Lord’s work, not man’s that brings this deliverance and ultimate victory.

And because of this the remnant of Israel will become like a lion that none of its enemies can stop (Micah 5:8).

On that day, all the things that Israel had trusted in the past—their military strength, their witchcraft, and all their false idols—will be taken away, and they will once and for all put their trust in God who casts down all their enemies. (Micah 5:9–15)

So what do we take from this? When the enemy of our souls comes against us, how do we respond? When we feel under attack in our lives, in our work, in our relationships, in our finances, or in our ministry, what do we do?

Remember that victory will not come from our own wisdom and strength.

So often, when our lives seem under attack, we panic and try to resolve problems in our own wisdom and understanding, ignoring the one who can deliver us.

But if we are to not only fend off these attacks, but totally overcome, we need to put our faith in God. And when God tells us what to do, we need to obey. And when we do, we will find victory.

The other thing we need to remember when we find ourselves under attack, is that the ultimate victory has already been won. That through Jesus’ work on the cross, our salvation has already been purchased, our sins forgiven.

So no matter what the enemy may do to us on this earth, it can’t touch what we have in heaven.

So don’t give up. Don’t get discouraged. Instead, trust in God and put your hope in him, knowing that the victory has already been won.