Romans 8:37 - No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
I will attempt to refrain from quoting Freddie Mercury, but no guarantees...
When we hit dry seasons in our relationship with Jesus Christ (and they will occur), it can be very hard to remember this great truth that Paul gave us here. Regardless of what we go through in our lives, nothing will ever change the fact that God loves us and because of Jesus' sacrifice we will win in the end. But we have to keep on fighting to the end (ok, I had to get one in there...)
Paul told us in Romans 5:3-4 that when we have problems and trials they help us develop endurance which will develop strength of character and as a result strengthen our confident hope of salvation. The Psalmist talked about trusting in God for victory in Psalm 44. He said, "I do not trust in my bow; I do not count on my sword to save me. You are the One Who gives us victory over our enemies; You disgrace those who hate us. O God, we give glory to You all day long and constantly praise Your name" (Psalm 44:6-9). The Psalmist realized that despite the fact that they were being slaughtered like sheep every day (Psalm 44:22), that victory would still come from God.
So what's the trick to acting like the winners we are because of Christ's love? You've probably heard various coaches from sports tell their teams to act like they've been there before. The idea behind that, in a sports sense, is to maintain good sportsmanship and don't rub your opponents nose in it. In other words, maintain your integrity.
This doesn't mean we need to walk around with fake smiles plastered on our faces when we're going through a dry season. Most people can spot a phony. But it shouldn't preclude us from still sharing the love of Christ with others. And it certainly shouldn't keep us from praising God. The Bible tells us, "For the Lord delights in His people; He crowns the humble with victory. Let the faithful rejoice that He honors them. Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds. Let the praises of God be in their mouths, and a sharp sword in their hands" (Psalm 144:4-6).
When we're facing tough days, the best thing we can do is pick up our Bibles (sharp sword) and dive into God's Word to refresh us and lift us up. If things have gotten you down to the point that you don't want to get out of bed (we all have those days sometimes), that's okay. Sing for joy as you lie in your bed. Sing God's praises as You read and study His Word. And when you get through that dry season, and have achieved victory by the power of Christ over whatever was bringing you down, act like you've been there before. Be humble. Maintain your integrity.
If anyone had a reason to give up, it was Job. I'm not saying he would have been justified to do so, but if he had done it, I sure a lot of us would have understood why. But I loved his response in chapter 2 when his wife told him to just curse God and die. He said, "You talk like a foolish woman" (Job 2:10). Job realized that there should be (and there isn't) anything that compromises his (our) integrity and his (our) faith in God, because of all that God has done for us.
When God brings us through the valleys, stay humble and rejoice in His love that brings us overwhelming victory. The peaks we reach during our life here, are nothing compared the mountaintop that He will bring us to in eternity.
Abba Father, thank You for the overwhelming victory we will enjoy because of Your love and mercy. Thank You for showing us throughout Your Word that You will make everything worth it. I pray for strength so that I will maintain my integrity and be humble before You during the good times and the bad. I pray for those that can't see their way out of the dark valley they are in. My prayer is that Your Holy Spirit will remind them that there is a way out, and it starts by putting their hand in Yours and their trust and faith in You to lead them out to overwhelming victory. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen!
God Bless!!!
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