Encouragement

The Victory We May Not See

by Brandon Braddy
08/02/23
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Galatians 1: 10 (Kjv)

   What situations are we all of us facing today, in this very season of our lives? Only you know what the circumstances, the troubles, the difficult times you are going through in this very moment if you are, and the same is true with myself. Adversity hits us all, it has hit us all, and so it will again, those times in life when it seems things are not going our way, or the way we think they should. Can I be honest right now? This probably will not help us feel much better, but it will not hurt either, for it is the truth, it is a biblical truth, life is not always fair. And when we have questions, (and there is nothing at all wrong with bringing our questions into the ears of a loving God who knows already what we are feeling and facing, and is ever touched by those same feelings we have), we are capable of asking, why? Nothing wrong with that. But I think there is one question that is commonly asked in the midst of pain, hardship, and adversity, that question so being, Why do bad things happen to good people, people trying to do the right thing. I do not claim to hold all the answers, there is plenty I do not understand, even concerning the bible, but God reveals things to my heart as He does with all of His saved children. I believe part of the answer to this question, is that the ways of God are not like our ways, and he alone is God, we cannot instruct Him on how things should be done. Yes all hardship and pain could vanish if He said the word, for He has all power in His one hand, but He allows things to happen sometimes, bad things, other times very bad things, because God wants us to lean, that is to lean on Him, trust in Him, and to love on Him, because He so loves us as a heavenly Father. I think of one event right now, recorded in the pages of the bible, an event that took place in the life of a man who loved Jesus so much that He was reclining back, and leaning on the Rock of salvation, on His father, His friend, for Jesus is so much more than a teacher, preacher, a healer even, He is a wonderful Father to all who trust Him, to all who will not deny Him, but choose to forsake all to follow Him, and some will not appreciate it when we do that, but what truly matters in life, in all seasons that come our way, is that we have the approval of our God upon us, we have Him smiling down upon us, and that alone in itself is more than enough for us who follow our Jesus, we only love Him because He first loved us. This man who leaned back on Jesus, his name was John, he was known as a Christian man who loved Jesus greatly, He was definitely close to God, and in that moment when John was close to Him, God, likewise was close to John. Draw near unto God, and He will draw near to you, we are only as close to Him as we desire to be, and Jesus Himself said, abide in me, that is, stay close to me in time spent together, God wants our time, He desires us deeply, even the disciple, Peter, one who at one time, denied Jesus several instances, this same Peter who also would turn from his denial of Christ and go on to pen the words of two books of the bible we refer to as both 1 and 2 Peter, this same man once asked Jesus, what will this man do, speaking of John the same one who loved much the Son of God, and Jesus replied with a question of His own, mainly this, What is that to thee? Jesus knew that what another follower of His was doing or was going to do, and the plan of God concerning that person's life, was between only that one person and his God. What matters most is that you and I as individual followers of the One who saved us and forgave us much, gain His approval on our lives, and it is not as much about who we are or what we do as much as who we know and who we follow, and if we know Him, if we who are truly saved seek to follow Him, the Captain of our salvation, and the Lover of all we are to Him, and if we stay so close to His side, and decide to lean on Him and the strength, the virtue that flows through His veins, that comes only from Him, all other things will fall into place, and also, we will have His smile on our lives. Because His approval is not something to be earned or taken away, it is something we automatically have when we dwell beside Him, when we talk to Him in prayer, and read and study His word the bible, it is something we have when we come to Christ after being both drawn to Him (John 6:44 Kjv) to salvation, and then asking Him to save us. Child of God, if there is a time in your life when you sensed an urgency deep within you to get alone with Jesus just you and Him, so you could ask Him to save you (this is called the drawing of the Lord), and then you said sincerely and in a heartfelt way, meaning you meant it from your heart, not only just uttering words, or praying a meaningless prayer), Jesus, save me, (this is the moment when Jesus saved you, after you asked Him to), then you have His approval forever and beyond, it is not something you earn, or can achieve by trying to do better, it is something given to you when your heavenly Father becomes the one and only King of your heart and life. So no matter what is happening around us, or no matter what is coming in our directions, please know this, God sometimes allows things in our lives, and I believe it is because, He wants us to lean more, to trust more, to love Him more, and also to make us stronger, and to call out our God-given potentials. I know this is not a magical fix to our problems or seasons of adversity or difficulties, this may not even be the answers you were looking for to fit your situation, or to fix it, but I hope and pray it will be a help and encouragement to you, when our situations feel out of hand, or seem so weird to us, or our lives individually are going haywire to be a bit blunt, when it appears out of hand or different, or whatever word you would like to add there, God wants us to lean, lean on the God who forgives, lean on He who gives grace, mercy, on the Friend that sticks closer than anyone can, the One who never gives up or quits on you, who will never leave your side nor forsake you, but loves you, sticks with you, forever and beyond. God is not letting go of you, You are in His grasp, He still loves you, still cares for you, and He will provide, according to His will and way and timing, all we are needing, all we are seeking. I think of different stories of men in the bible, God-following Christian men, who could not see at the time, the victory in front of them, it was in front, though they had to wait for it, at last the victory came. I think of a man, job, many preachers and teachers pronounce it with an emphasis on the letter o, as in Jobe, just in case you are reading this and have never hear of this man in the pages of the bible. But Job lost it all, but in all of this, the bible says, he did not charge God foolishly. Job even had times he wished he had not been born, because this was a desperate man, a troubled man, but the time finally came, when, as the bible states, God blessed his latter end more than in the beginning. Good things can still happen, even when situations seem uncertain, and we are filled with unanswered questions, great things can still spring forth, even when you have went through many troubles and mixed feelings, we have a God who can turn things around and He can give us the victory we may not see. When we do not understand, let us lean. When God seems far away from us according to our feelings and perspectives, let us bring ourselves closer to the One who rescues, to our heavenly Father and Friend, our Deliverer and Defender in the midst of all obstacles of life that seem to stand in our ways, and tend to obstruct our views. If we begin to doubt the love God has for us, or His grace, His forgiveness, or to doubt that He is on our sides, let us remember the great words in the bible book of Hebrews, He will never leave us nor forsake us, or how about these words? Jesus despised the shame, and became obedient, even unto death. We may be tempted at times to lean onto feelings, what we feel at the moment, but do not give up, Stand fast in the faith, continue strong in the faith, and strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. We all deal with struggles, even if we are tempted to pretend we do not at times, but God knows well the road ahead of us, He wants us to lean upon Him. He is more than capable to bring the victory we may not see. God knows your story and mine, and He is the only One qualified to write it, release the pen into His hands, because He will sometimes write with invisible ink, but in those pages that we cannot read the words because they are not visible to us, only God see the beginning to the glorious end, if we continue to lean on Him and stay close to Him. We may not see the road ahead, but God does, and He alone who is control over all things, can bring our beginnings into their cheerful and glorious endings, He can bring something wonderful into a empty pit of despair, God can bring good things, great things, out of bad things. This is not the end of your story, but please, choose to lean on Him, make a choice to love Him or love Him more, choose to stay, to bask in the presence of the One who remains closer to you and to me, than the shade, that is, the shadow of your right hand, lean into the presence of Jesus, the One who loves us dearly and greatly, the One who has us and everything that concerns us under His sovereign hand. He is waiting for us to lean deeper, to trust what we cannot see, for faith is the evidence of what we cannot see, and to seek His approval over us, so much more than what anyone else thinks about us, continue smiling when it is hard, because when God is smiling over you, shining His face upon you and over your life, this is what true treasure is, true riches, to know the King over Heaven and earth is smiling down on you, on me, and that He is still the God who does wonders, He still can still accomplish things that will baffle us, and give us an undeniable and sudden reason to say Thank you Jesus, and to praise His great and worthy name with a heart of relief and praise, that shows with lifted hands.