Overcoming Doesn’t Mean It’s Over
What does it mean to overcome? I think sometimes we expect that, in order to overcome, the mountains need to move or the storms need to become calm; or we just need to hold on tightly until it’s all over. “Whew! We did it! That storm didn’t take us down afterall!” But I believe it’s more than this.
Despite the storms, we cling to the Presence and Power of Christ, and as a result, we experience His Peace deep in our souls where the stormy waves cannot stir. I think that to overcome is to remain faithful. To trust that what seems like chaos to us is not chaos to God. To believe that nothing is too difficult for Him.
David knew a thing or two about getting caught in the storms of this life. He lost his best friend, was forced to live on the run as a fugitive, endured the bitter consequences of his sin, and had his own son turn against him. What was his response? He cried out to God and then He waited. And not with a heart full of complaining either. He waited patiently because he knew that only God could truly help him. (Psalm 40).
And God did! He heard David’s cry. We need to remember that He hears our cries too! He wants us to give Him all of the worries that wear us down and exchange them for His rest. (1 Peter 5:7, Matthew 11:28-30). We can cry out to Him believing that His grace is perfectly fitted to meet our needs.
God pulled David out of the muck and set his feet on a firm foundation. He can do the same for us. Even though troubling circumstances may still surround us, we need to remember that God can make our feet able to tread the difficult places without falling. We are secure in Him! (Habakkuk 3).
God also exchanged David’s cries of dread and despair with a new song of trust and praise. We don’t have to keep repeating all that we think is unfair or wrong. God can give us a new song too! Songs of power and strength, peace and rejoicing, as we huddle in close to Him.
And as usual, none of this is just about us! I believe God wants us to share with others what He has done for us so that they can be encouraged too. We can comfort others with the comfort we have experienced from Him (1 Corinthians 1:4). God can use our stories to inspire hope in others.
So, when we are tempted to whine about how mighty the storm we are facing, or fear the overwhelming size of the mountain before us, let us wait patiently for God. We must hold fast to the belief that no storm is too mighty or mountain too tall for God to overcome as we wait patiently for Him.
