"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.” 2 Corinthians 2:14
“but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57
Our Christian life is a victorious life. It's a life in which the LORD has already gained the victory and we live it out in our own lives.
“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
However, our experience of victory is sometimes not aligned with our expectations of victory.
In my observation, the exuberance that follows Christian conversion or initial salvation often gives way to the reality of Christian life which is quite different. We eventually come to realize that isn't all mountain tops. There are valleys that we deal with. There is the experience of wilderness. There are long paths that you go through alone.
Life isn't perfect after you become Christian. There is messiness in life itself. These are not unique to Christians. But the reality is that the Christian is not immune from the challenges of life. We too have physical challenges, financial challenges, career challenges, relationship challenges, emotional challenges. We deal with ill health, poverty, job losses, broken relationships, toxic relationships, unmet expectations, disappointments of every kind.
A couple of examples.
Just a week ago, I truly believed in my heart that God was going to heal brother Vasanth in Austin. Vasanth and his family used to fellowship in this congregation a few years ago. He is a brother who came to know the Lord at age 13 from a Hindu background. His life was dedicated to serving the LORD, even while working in some very large high-tech organizations. He poured out his life to the service of his God in reaching out to others and in supporting poor missionaries in India. A few weeks ago, he suddenly felt a discomfort and needed heart surgery and never really recovered from there. Our congregation along with hundreds of people in different parts of the world raised their requests to God. However, God chose to call him home.
A few weeks ago we were praying for a sister in Trivandrum, Molly George. She was a missionary in different parts of the world. She was an aunt to Omana Aunty and sister Jainamma, but as someone so close to them that they played together in their childhood. A missionary who was suffering so much due to cancer and in so much pain. When we met to pray for her, we prayed that her death would provide her relief. Eventually her death was what brought relief to that pain.
Why do bad things happen to good people?
We might have theological or philosophical answers to that question, but those answers will not bring back the father and husband to the family that lost him. It does not change the situation concerning their future which has now become extremely different as a result of this incident.
In the middle of these circumstances we pray. Because the difference we have as a result of our conversion is that when we go through these challenging circumstances, we do not go through it alone, but we go through it with God by our side.
In our walk with Christ, there are often heights or mountaintops : where things go well. We experience reasonably quick answer to prayer. We are celebrating and declaring the glory of God.
Then there are valleys. Where we experience low points and setbacks. We pray, but prayer does not immediately yield answers. In fact when we pray we sometimes feel like things get worse. We feel fear in valleys.
We go through deserts where we are devoid of nourishments, where our throats are parched and we feel like we do not have strength for living our life, let alone doing something for the LORD. We experience lack in deserts.
There are periods of wilderness where we are not sure if we are going in the right direction. In fact we do not even know which way to turn. We sometimes go in circles, but we do not realize we are lost. We feel in these times, sometimes that God is distant. That He is not near us. We experience confusion in these times.
We may feel that God is absent from our lives. We do not doubt His existence or that He is good in His nature. But we feel like He is not in our lives. He is good to others. But He no longer seems to be involved in our lives. We pray for some other people and God answers those prayers. But our own prayers seem to go nowhere and receive no answers.
Paul himself writes thus:
“For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us,” 2 Corinthians 1:8-10
1. Correct your ways and seek His face
“I will go away and return to My place Until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.” Hosea 5:15
Examine to see if your ways are correct before Him. God allows affliction in our lives to help us draw close to Him. Sometimes God allows situations in our lives to change us. We pray for the situation to change, but God wants us to change something. As we grow close to a holy God, His Spirit might convict us of something we need to change. God often wants to remove the influence of the world upon our life, that the power of the flesh in our life can be curtained, that the old nature will be fully crucified. The situations we are in could help change us to become more like Him.
2. Rejoice in Him always
The joy of the LORD is your strength. Neh 8:10
Rejoice in the LORD always and again I say rejoice. Phil 4:4
The Christian's greatest weapon is the joy of the LORD. It is a defensive force as well. When we are filled with the joy of the LORD, we can face all circumstances and come out victorious.
Do not let the enemy steal your joy. When your joy is lost and despair fills you, you provide a breeding ground for all kinds of issues. That's why the devil tries to bring despair into your lives.
Let us rejoice in the LORD for who He is, not for what we are going through. We are commanded to be joyful in practice. We are commanded to be joyful by choice.
3. Praise Him privately and publicly
“Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.” Psalms 63:3-4
“At night my soul longs for You, Indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently; For when the earth experiences Your judgments The inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.” Isaiah 26:9
May we be people who always praise His holy name. But let us first be people who praise the LORD in our most private and personal space, by ourselves. God deserves and desires that praise from us.
4. Look to Jesus
“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3
Jesus is the greatest example of endurance and purpose that we have in front of us. When we go through difficult situations, let us fix our eyes upon Him, who endured such hostility by sinners against Himself so that we will not be weary or lose heart.
In the Valley, God is able to keep you close to Him
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
Psalms 23:4
In the wilderness, God is able to send you His word
“In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that very day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. When they set out from Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness; and there Israel camped in front of the mountain. Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.” Exodus 19:1-6
You may be going through a wilderness period, without direction and a word from the LORD. But when you seek Him more, God might give you a new revelation, a fresh word that you need for this season and for your life. Wait on the LORD for Him and He will provide a word for you. The promise to Israel that they will be God’s own possession among all the peoples, and that they will be to God a kingdom of priests and a holy nation found its fulfilment in the church as we read in the new testament.
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” 1 Pet 2: 9
In the desert, God is able to bring forth gushing streams of living water
“Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19
In the season of your lack and emptiness, God is able to bring for a roadway showing you direction and rivers that flow with fresh, pure, energizing, and nourishing water.
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.” 2 Corinthians 2:14
God leads us in victory through the valley, through the desert, and through the wilderness. In all these things He leads us in victory, that we may spread the sweet aroma of the knowledge of our God in every place.