Winning or Losing?

At any one time it takes a substantial amount of insight - beyond what we are capable of applying with our natural mind - to evaluate whether we are "winning or losing".

We all encounter challenges. We can be sure that the storms will come (Luke 6:46-49).

I'm thinking of the life of Joseph. What if he had stopped in the pit or the prison to determine his potential? Certainly he would have concluded that his life meant nothing and that he was a failure. Instead, with the passage of time, he was able to say to his brothers, "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive" (Genesis 50:20).

Or Paul and Silas in prison - all that commitment and zeal for God's work ending in the sludge of the prison depths...but they worshipped their way out of a mess.

Paul was able to write, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

Joseph, Paul, Silas, others - they chose God's perspective. Their conditions didn't limit their perspective. Their future wasn't dependent on their circumstance.

When venturing out in God, pursuing His face and His purposes for our lives, we may not know if we are "winning or losing" by evaluating at any one time using the world's perspective, but we do know this...

We can have peace and rest knowing that He - the Greater One - is with us. We can have peace in the midst of uncertainty. He sees the end from the beginning.

Worship Sets Us Free - remix

David discovered something for himself...

The same worship that calmed an anxious lamb soothed the tormented spirit of a king.

"And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him" (1 Samuel 16:23).

Paul and Silas understood this too (Acts 16:16-31), and the chains that bound them fell away.

Worship changes our perspective and reminds us of Who God is and, in that, we remember who we are - God is Love and we are the objects of His love.

Our challenges can't get in the way of our worship of Him. Our worship is the echo of His love for us.