Victory! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Judges 5:31,

"So may all your enemies perish, O Lord! But may they who love you be
like the sun when it rises in its strength."

At the end of Deborah's and Barak's victory song is found a curse and
a blessing. A curse is uttered upon those who, horrifically, find
themselves as the enemies of the Lord, while a blessing is called upon
those who love the Lord. This is exactly the scene given us at the end
of the age. In the book of Revelation we read of the cursed
unbelievers who are God's enemies that are cast into a fiery lake of
burning sulfur, while those who love the Lord, those who have
embraced him in faith enter into an eternity of blessings and bliss.

I find a victory song in the form of the worship of the "twenty-four
elders" in Revelation 11:17-18 that points to the disposition of the
enemies of God as well as those who have embraced him in faith:

"We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
the One who is and who was,
because you have taken your great power
and have begun to reign.
The nations were angry;
and your wrath has come.
The time has come for judging the dead,
and for rewarding your servants the prophets
and your saints and those who reverence your name,
both small and great—
and for destroying those who destroy the earth."

A wonderful victory song is shouted in Revelation 19:6-8:

"Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear."

This victory is pointed to in Revelation 22:14-15, "Blessed are those
who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life
and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs,
those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers,
the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood." Paul
speaks of the victory the faithful have as theirs through the
resurrection they look forward to, "When the perishable has been
clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then
the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed
up in victory.' 'Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is
your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the
law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:54-57.

John tells us how this ontological victory is had, "This is the
victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that
overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of
God." 1 John 5:4-5.

Deborah and Barak found victory in obedience to the Lord. The Lord's
enemies were vanquished and those who loved the Lord were blessed.
Likewise we find victory over the pull of the world, over sin and over
eternal death through faith! "Faith is the victory."

How I thank God victory comes through faith! If it depended upon my
performance I'd have no hope!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com