"Shouts of joy and victory resound."
--Psalm 118:15
Thought:
In the 2001-2002 NHL season, the
Detroit Red Wings were amazing.
The playoffs for the Western Conference
Championship with the Colorado Avalanche
were some of the most exciting hockey
I've ever seen. The series went a full
seven games and the deciding game was
played in Detroit's Joe Louis Arena.
When Detroit leaped to a substantial
4-0 lead by the end of the first period,
the stadium was rocking. With each goal
the sound increased, and by the final
horn the place was going wild. Everyone
was standing and cheering. Victory was
theirs! The scene was repeated several
days later when the Wings won the
Stanley Cup.
The psalmist talked
about the shouts of victory that burst
forth from the mouths of believers
because of the great things God has
done. He may have been referring to the
deeds of a Hebrew king or looking
forward to the victory at Christ's
return, but one thing is certain--the
people of God are on the winning side.
Victory is not reserved for the
armies of God; it can happen in our
individual battles for the Lord as well.
Words of victory should come welling up
from our souls. But sometimes we bottle
them up. Or we don't talk about them
anymore, because we may be experiencing
more defeat than victory.
The
"lost boys of the Sudan" are young men
who didn't let oppressive forces defeat
them. Many of them are now living in the
United States. These refugees suffered
terribly for their faith. Some of their
bodies are horribly scarred. All they
had to do was renounce their faith and
they would have been set free from the
despicable conditions they were in. But
they refused. Those privileged to visit
them reported a look of triumph on their
young faces. They were winning the
battle!
If we lose a close
parking place or receive a minor
criticism, we're plunged into
depression! Come on-- we can live above
those things. By the power of the risen
Christ, we can overcome minor setbacks
and major attacks so that we can let out
shouts of victory!
Questions to consider:
***When have I shouted my praise to
the Lord or fully expressed my feelings
over a major spiritual victory?
***Am I generally an upbeat, joyful
person, or do I usually expect the worst
to happen?
***How can I learn to
live above my circumstances?
Problems melt in the light of Christ!
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