Being Victorious

Being victorious.

Psalms 149:4
⁴ For the LORD takes delight in his people;
he crowns the humble with victory. (NIV)

We have no victory but from the Lord. Even if I believe I am being victorious, if I am not operating in the Spirit, what appears to be a victory will be working against my soul. Only God and those who move within the parameters of the Spirit will be victorious in this life. One parameter often missed is meekness.

Jesus is the ultimate victor. He conquered sin, death, and Hell. He conquered these things but they do remain. There is coming a day when what has been conquered will be destroyed by the power and might of Christ. John the Revelator was given a vision of this day when Christ shall come as a warrior on a white horse. But Christ did not conquer sin, death, and Hell through might, but meekness.

Meekness is not to be downtrodden or weak. To be meek is to patiently endure suffering in order to submit to the will of the Father. Jesus was victorious through submission to the Father’s call to suffer the cross without resistance so that the love of God might be displayed. Then the Father, to honor the Son’s patient submission exalted Him to the highest place.

Our passage today reminds us of God’s call upon us to endure affliction with patience and how this delights the Lord so that He crowns us with victory.

Love is patient. To be meek then is to endure affliction and respond in love. Jesus gave up Himself to the Father. He forgave those who tortured Him. He ministered to those left behind. He did not respond in anger or insult those responsible for His pain. He did not renounce God for asking Him to suffer like this. And He did not forget His mother and John in their despair.

Allowing the love of God to pour out of us in times of suffering in the name of God reveals the love of God that many would come to God. And this delights the Lord and He is moved by us to crown our humility with victory. This path is the power to overcome all that would come against us to destroy our soul. Raging, fighting, arguing, and pity parties will destroy us from the inside out even if the temporarily achieve what we desire. But humility wins every battle.

Prayer: Lord, help me to submit to your will when suffering comes that I might endure patiently in love to reveal Your love to others. Amen.