Part 4 of 4 - Victory from Suffering
"You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me; your help has made me great." Psalm 18:35
Without a battle, there can be no victory.
Let that sink in. Victory results from winning a battle.
We cannot claim victory until we have suffered -- whether our battles are health hurdles, relationship rifts, lost loved ones, or financial fallout, whether it's sin struggles within self or cataclysmic conflicts beyond our control.
"Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one -- for God himself has given us right standing with himself." Romans 8:33
As I write this today, I type with one finger on a tiny laptop perched beside a pile of pillows elevating my leg. Making capital letters is tricky because I have stitches in both of my hands. Also, my left foot and ankle are both broken from a freak fall onto broken glass. Hence the stitches.
If that raises more questions than answers, let me explain. I was carrying two glass tiered trays that my church donated to our non-profit. On the sidewalk, Satan placed one of those spiky seed balls from a tree right in my path. Oh yes, I'm convinced the devil made me do it. And right in the middle of my blog series on suffering. And at church!
So how can I proclaim victory now?
Imagine me carrying these glass trays, one in each hand, and stepping on a blasted seed pod that's hard as stone. My foot twisted. The trays shattered on the sidewalk. And I fell -- hands outstretched -- onto the broken glass.
Five stitches in one hand, one in the other where doc removed 2 shards of glass from my carpal tunnel scar that was just starting to feel healed. Yup, and a broken foot AND a broken ankle.
Y'all just can't imagine the victory over here!
So how do I proclaim it? (I'm asking myself why do I proclaim it?)
Because this I know:
"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28
Let's look for the good. My personal struggles this year forced me to find the silver linings, the blessings of family who are Christians with assurance of salvation and an eternity in heaven, the blessings of mending relationships, the blessings of career potential, and the blessings of financial options (even if they aren't preferred, we do have options!).
Right now, I'm honestly struggling to see any good in my current pain. Except I know it could have been worse. I didn't hit my head or face, break my wrists or any fingers, or hurt my knees.
This experience totally changed the context of what I'm writing today. How could I write about victory now? And yet, that is exactly what I needed to think and write about.
(So y'all don't think it's easy for me to claim victory. And for me! Believe me, it's rough to have both hands in stitches and a broken foot.)
"No, despite all these things, overwhelming VICTORY is ours through Christ, who loved us." Romans 8:37
No matter what suffering, obstacles, tragedy, trial, or torment Satan puts in our path to stop us from praising God, our Lord and Savior proclaims the victory. Because our God is more powerful than evil.
Our good God always wins!
God orchestrates our lives to bring victory from our pain. Our God is stronger than any setback or sin, stronger than Satan or seed pods! Our God even wins victory over death!
Suffering proclaims VICTORY!
Because we need the battle to claim the victory.
"But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ."
I Corinthians 15:57