Victory is Sweet!

One of my favorite NFL moments was in SuperBowl XXIII in 1989, between the San Francisco 49ers and the Cincinnati Bengals.  It was a tight, and even played game with the Bengals up by 3 points with only a couple of minutes left on the clock.  Joe Montana, "Joe Cool", led the Niners with a historic last-minute drive to steal a victory away from the Bengals with a touch down pass to John Taylor with only 34 seconds to go.  As an avid 49er fan in the 80’s living in the Bay area, I distinctly remember that last drive, the hits, the catches, the anxiousness I felt as time was slipping away, and the elation with the final TD catch.  What a great victory!

But that’s just a game.  In life we face many challenges, obstacles, and opposition that threaten our security, relationships, and work.  We desire success, we hope for victory, but often we feel that the odds are against us and the circumstances are mounting up with a sense of hopelessness.  In our series on faithfulness, we have taken a journey that has led us to a deeper understanding of God’s faithfulness offered to us, ingrained in his character, as well as, our steps of obedience, trust and worship through each day.  The final principle in our journey of faithfulness, is the destination has been secured, and the destination is Victory! 

God, in his faithfulness, has secured our victory in the past (through Christ victory over sin and death on the Cross and in his resurrection), in the future (with Christ’s imminent return and our eternal life in God’s Kingdom), and in our present (with the daily challenges of life).  Victory is sweet, but while you are in the game and there is time on the clock, the game is full of hits, disappointments, TDs, missed opportunities, yards gained, yards lost, and at times the outcome feels uncertain.  One thing is certain, as long as we are faithful, we will have victory.  It may not come as we expect, it may not be easy, and it may even be a last second score, but the outcome has been determined by the Creator of time, our world, the vast expanse of space and humanity out of his love and faithfulness to us.

Listen to our Heavenly Coach:

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:9) ESV

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.  (1 Corinthians 10:13) ESV

But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:3) ESV

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Romans 8:37-39) ESV