I started today reading from a devotional, that I was given by dear loved one. Today's excerpt started with John 16:33, "In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
I have read, and heard this verse many times throughout my life, and if I think on it much, it honestly is not very cheerful to me. Even knowing the He has overcome the world. I am grateful that He has, but I still am living in the world. So, like I often do, I looked into the verse a little more and read it in the Amplified Classic and the way the verse is expanded helped. Here it is:
"In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]"
Yes- there are challenges, difficulties, trials, and frustrations that we will go through here in this life. But, He has promised us that He has already overcome it. He took away the power that they had to harm me. He will work good in and through it.
I know I mentioned Joseph's life yesterday- but it fits again. He went through SO much, and yet he came through it to be the second most powerful person in Egypt.
Each of us has a story, with some chapters that are about the more challenging times in our life. Times where someone we should have been able to trust- treated us badly; times where someone totally turned on us; times where our life was turned upside down for seemingly NO reason, and we just didn't know why, or how to get through it. BUT leaning on the Lord, and trusting that He is Faithful to be with us and help us through each trial, a day at a time, or even a moment at a time, is our victory through it.
It reminds me of Isaiah 54: 17, that says, "No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me." says the Lord." (NKJV)
It doesn't say that there are not going to be weapons, or that they won't be used against me- but it does say that it won't prosper. We can't expect our life to be smooth sailing, because we live in a world filled with imperfect people. But we can expect that all that happens will work for our good (Romans 8:28).
Thank You, Lord, that You did overcome the world. You took its power to harm me, and You conquered it for me! Thank you that in You, I am victorious and I don't have to go through the hard things on my own- because You are always with me. Help me to remember this when new challenges and trials arise, and help me to praise You in the storms of life.
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