more than conquerors

The past couple of Sundays I'd been feeling like I just couldn't go to church. Not that I didn't want to, but I was so tired and sleepy the night before, I'd thought I simply wouldn't be able to get up in time (8am). So I'd not even bother setting my alarm.

Yet somehow God would get me up, and exactly on time too. The previous Sunday morning Kip suddenly barked, which she never does (she sleeps in my room), and I woke up to find it was exactly the time I should get up. Then this morning, I just opened my eyes, and found I was actually early -- I still had five minutes to loll about in bed.

And you know, each time I was SO glad God kicked me in the butt and made me go. I really needed today's message. We had a visiting pastor, a very well-spoken, humourous man, and his sermon was entitled More than conquerors.

The line comes, of course, from that wonderful verse in Romans 8 that reads, "... amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us" (v38).

Romans 8 as a whole is a beautiful chapter, rich in teaching, hope and encouragement; do take time to read and meditate on it in its entirety:

"THEREFORE, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit...

... Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever]...

... But if Christ lives in you, [then although] your [natural] body is dead by reason of sin and guilt, the spirit is alive because of [the] righteousness [that He imputes to you]. And if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, [then] He Who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also restore to life your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you...

... For [the Spirit which] you have now received [is] not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing sonship] in [the bliss of] which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father!...

... the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance...

... We are assured and know that God being a partner in their labour] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose...

... What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?] He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?...

... Who shall ever separate us from Christ's love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or calamity and distress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution or peril or sword?...

... Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us. For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (v1-39).

I cannot of course repeat the worthy pastor's sermon, or do it any real justice. It is enough to say that it spoke to me so profoundly, that I kept repeating in my heart, "Thank you God, thank you God, thank you God".

For I had been going through a bit of a challenge, and had been crying out to Him the past few nights, and each time He would remind me -- or try to remind me -- of how faithful He has always been to deliver me, and that I am more than a conqueror through Christ. I just needed to wait on Him, in faith, and with a good, positive attitude.

Needless to say though, my attitude had been far from good, or even acceptable. I was aware of it, and the feelings of guilt and condemnation just added to my depression. So how wonderful, how uplifting, to hear the Word today: "[There is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus"!

And to know that, as the pastor put it, I had Jesus helping me to "complete my prayers". For indeed, I was starting to worry about the quality of my prayers -- I had sunk to such a state that all I could do was cry out to God to help me, and even that wasn't very articulately done. I was praying the sort of prayers that he described so well as "praying to our own hurt".

But o, how wonderful to be reminded that "if God is for us, who [can be] against us?". God loves us, sinners though we are! God loves me!

It was an uncanny thing to hear him say that it was no coincidence that any of us was there in church that morning, listening to that particular message. Neither, I'm sure, was it a coincidence that my different devotionals for the day highlighted God's love for us, and the blessed victories that are ours when we keep seeking Him, turning to Him in all our circumstances, and waiting on Him.

One devotional quoted Isaiah 30:18: "And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!"

Another quoted Psalm 40:1: "I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry".

Aren't they lovely? I declare in my prayers continually, that God IS my heavenly Father, my rock and my salvation, my faithful deliverer, my healer and the lifter of my head.

He gives us "beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit" (Isa 61:3). So don't don't don't bow to negativity, fear, worry, whatever -- remember that God has already given you the victory. Wait on Him, trust in Him, and know that you will be fine, whatever it is -- we are more than conquerors.

Or, as that worthy pastor said more prosaically, quoting a line he uses frequently in his daily conversations: "In the end, it will be ok".