Victory is Here

One thing that God has been impressing on my heart lately is that He is a God of VICTORY. I first realized this truth several months ago. As last August brought closure to the year that I spent recovering from The Wreck, I could not get past the fact that I am a living, breathing, walking, fully functional example of and witness to the victorious fact that God is Healer. As crazy as this sounds, in retrospect I feel so blessed that God led me through that valley. I now know what it is to be uncertain about your health, to be facing a long-term recovery, to have emotional damage over a physical malady, for your physical appearance to be altered, to not know if your body will ever function the same again, to feel the inevitable strain on finances, to feel the guilt of being the main cause of concern and stress of a loved one. I believe that this knowledge is somehow part of God's plan in my life, will be an underlying theme in the story of my life. Praise the Lord that He is not done with me yet!

Because of this, I now feel overwhelming empathy for people who are in the midst of a crisis of physical health. I feel what they feel: the fear, the uncertainty, the anxiety, the fatigue, the "grit your teeth because it's going to be a long road and a hard battle" feeling. The only difference being on the other side of it is that I have this treasure of KNOWING the victory that awaits. Within the past year I have had several friends my age suddenly finding themselves fighting the battle of physical ailment, specifically one with cancer and two with a possible MS diagnosis. While I don't know the specifics that go with fighting those particular diseases, I do feel that I can relate to the overall emotions that accompany such a fight.

I also know from personal experience that we have reason to SHOUT and reason to SING, reason to raise our hands in praise, for the God of heaven and earth will accomplish what concerns us. His lovingkindness is everlasting, He will revive us in the midst of trouble. He has already won the victory of the battle we are fighting. We do not have to fear, for His promise is true. He is our refuge and strength forever, and He will not delay in rescuing us. Satan can weave his webs and plot our demise, but the battle is already won. O death, where is your sting? O death, where is your victory? It has no hold over me. I am convinced that no height, no depth, nor things present, nor things to come can separate us from the love of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

After revealing to me the victory that He provides in the area of physical sickness and disease, the Lord has also been showing me victories in other areas of life. I am now recognizing the victory He has already won over my fears, our finances, our marriage, my uncertain future, and my insecurities, just to name a few. It is TRUTH that the Lord our God is Redeemer, Deliverer, Prince of Peace, Healer, and Lover of our Souls.