Category — Victory In Adversity

The killer blow, the straw that broke the camels back, one problem too many! What happens when the worst happens?  What do you do when you really should not recover?   Proverbs 24:16 makes it very clear, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again…”.  A brief analysis of this verse reveals powerful truths.  Seven in Bible numerics is the perfect number.  This seventh attack, sudden disaster or heartbreak is the “perfect blow” for it has within it all the ingredients to “KO” the believer.  Yet Jesus declares that even this will not be able to keep a righteous man or woman down.  Reading the whole verse we discover that the child of God will not only recover and rise again but that this victory will be in stark contrast to the misfortune that awaits those who do not trust in Him, “…but the wicked shall fall…”. 

Your worst nightmare is no match for your Saviour.  When you have no light in the middle of your darkest hour Jesus will be your light, “Rejoice not against me, O my enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me”, Micah 7:8.

When you are going through a hard time the secret is to keep going!  For Christ is your Light in the tunnel and not just at the end of it. 

When you have been hit by a body blow, when the wind has been knocked out of you, when your circumstances are sucking the life from you then declare with all your might that you, “…have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

Don’t lose sight of the spiritual facts just because of the harsh reality of your situation – Peter and the disciples in Luke 5:5-6 learnt this lesson well, “Master, we have toiled [exhausted all our combined experience and done everything we know too do] all night [that is, we have fought through the darkest of hours] and have… NOTHING…nevertheless [we will believe and obey and] they enclosed a great multitude…”.  There is a powerful hidden truth in this passage.  Fishing at night should have yielded their best catch but it produced nothing.  By the time morning had come their decades of fishing experience told them that the opportunity had passed.  This was exactly the place where Christ wanted them.  Their obedience to His commands when all natural indications pointed to things having gone beyond the point of no return produced a result much better than they had hoped for.  When there is no point, no way out and no options left do not be conformed to this world and give up but be transformed and pray, trust and obey for your miracle is closer than you think (Romans 12:2).

The fear that comes with a sudden attack, problem or adverse circumstance can instantly make you feel crushed, exposed and vulnerable.  How did Jesus cope?  His own town folk grabbed Him in a sudden and murderous uproar and rushed him to a cliff’s edge to throw Him off head first (Luke 4:28 – 30).  Jesus miraculously passed through them and walked away free and safe.  He experienced their sudden anger, saw and felt the sense of imminent danger and was broken hearted at the hate in their eyes.   But Jesus was never under threat.  The mob couldn’t hurt Him because God’s promises and protection couldn’t be broken. 

The bottom line is NOTHING ever caught Jesus by surprise. As He is the same yesterday, today and forever there is nothing in your life that either surprises Him or frightens Him.  Is someone or something trying to kill you, plot against you, ridicule and slander you or even demand payment off you?  Jesus not only has the power to deliver you but He has your answer planned and your steps ordered (Matthew 6:8; Psalm 56: 3 – 13; Psalm 37:23).   Put your feelings in check, check that your focus has not been taken off God and watch Jesus checkmate your enemy before your very eyes.  The Psalmist gets it spot on when he writes, “Let them curse but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.  Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle”, Psalm 109:28-29. 

But let us not forget that the human factor does at times kick in.  There are times when the best of us feel completely disillusioned and undermined by a sudden attack, bad news or sense of failure.  If this should be the case then yet again follow the example and advice of the Psalmist, “For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before Thine eyes: nevertheless Thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto Thee” (Psalm 31:22).  Don’t feel you have blown it because you have blown up and momentarily lost control.  Quickly turn the tide on the approaching danger  – repent and run into the arms of a forgiving God who answers your prayers (Mathew 7: 7-12; Psalm 34:4; Hebrews 11: 6; Hebrews 13: 5 – 6; Psalm 86: 7).

Samson’s hair, Moses’ hands lifted up, 300 men with lamps and a shout, five loaves and 2 small fishes. If your fear is based on your weakness think again for God will deliberately include what you cannot do into His plan so that He can reveal and demonstrate His strength. When a battle is won despite your weaknesses then you will never loose the power of that victory. In your walk with God inability does not indicate how much you have fallen short rather how much God intends to make up to ensure that you succeed.  His promise, purpose and plan in no way depend on your talents, intelligence or resources.  In fact so that you do not rely on your natural strength in any given area God will at times deliberately deplete or limit you.  Joshua, for example, may have been a great warrior and leader but in Exodus 17:8 – 14 his victory totally depended on Moses’ hands being lifted up in worship, surrender, and obedience to God. Selah! Bottom line, if you have all that it takes to finish it then God never started it.

 To fulfil the call of God it is not just a case of knowing what to do but knowing how to depend on God in doing it.  The best lesson you will ever learn is to have victory in a situation that you cannot cope with without God’s help.  In this type of pressure cauldron should God abandon you your comfort zones would evaporate, you would be systematically worn down and you would quickly feel isolated and alone.  It is God that “girds us with strength” because we don’t have enough and “makes our way perfect” because life often isn’t (Psalm 18:32). 

 In Mark 6: 36 – 37 Jesus deliberately challenges the disciples as to their ability to feed the 5000 men.  He knows that what they have got is pitifully inadequate but he didn’t ask the question to embarrass them.  Our Lord Jesus Christ did not intend to embitter His disciples with failure but empower them with success.  Jesus wanted to prove that when your weaknesses are exposed in following God’s will you are in fact only a step of obedience away from seeing God’s power revealed. 

Don’t get bitter or angry that you fall short lift your hands to heaven and accept that the battle is His (1 Samuel 17:47). Play your part praying and believing (Mark 11:24) and He will do His part and, “…gird you with strength and make your way perfect” (Psalm 18:32).