God: Undefeated
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Today I learned some pretty cool things in church. Simple things, things that every Christian should know.
During the sermon today, my pastor came from II Corinthians 4:7-9 KJV “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.”
What I loved most about this lesson was that she (my pastor) made it clear that we have the power of God in us. Though we face many troubles, we should not fear. God is on our side and He is undefeated!
Of course, I know very well that Christ is undefeated but when I heard my pastor say it this morning, it shined a light on a lot of my troubles. Why am I worrying when I have God on my side? Why am I wondering when I know who will win this battle? Why am I upset when Christ has already conquered the enemy long ago?
Hearing those words makes it so much easier to trust and have faith. I’m not believing in some dream or legend I heard from my grandparents—I’m believing in God Almighty, the undefeated King of all Kings. The Kingdom of God has never been beaten, so what am I worrying for?
I understand there may be some reading this who don’t have any struggles with maintaining trust and faith in the Lord. But I have always had a hard time getting rid of worry. In the past, I needed so much reassurance. I was always double checking, asking God for a sign, a clue—anything to make sure He’d heard my prayer. Anything to make sure I’d heard His answer correctly. I was never able to simply pray, believe, and move on.
I have come such a long way. But I do find there are times where I get frightened. Sometimes I hesitate when I see the enemy before me. They seem to stand so tall: interviews in the way of my new job, bills assaulting my wallet every month, loneliness creeping up behind me as I wait for the Christian man of my dreams. When I think of everything that waits for me along the path of righteousness, I sometimes shrink back—faltering as I realize things may not be so easy. But then I remember the story of Peter walking on the water to meet Jesus in the midst of the storm.
We remember that Peter told Jesus to call him out onto the waters and how Peter followed Christ’s orders and walked along the waves. But when he saw the storm around him, he began to fall. And after Jesus pulled him out of the water (because he began to sink), he said to him: why did you begin to doubt? Matthew 14:22-33 NIV
I have to remember not to look at the storm. When my eyes are focused on Jesus, I am strong, because I know that I’m looking at the winner of this battle. No matter how bad things are around me, Christ is bigger. No matter how horrible the predicament may seem, Christ is stronger. No matter how insurmountable the problem may look, Christ is still on the throne—He is still in charge—and He said I CAN DO IT.
I hope the lesson I learned can encourage someone, even if only by a little. Always remember: the only thing we should fear is God, and He is on our side.