There are events or moments in our lives that give us pause to think, “Am I going to get through this?” They seem to be bigger than anything we have dealt with. So, uncertainty creeps in. It is a natural response to the unknown. During those times, our faith plays a role in our determination and resolve. There are thoughts in songs that highlight this idea: Faith Is the Victory, We Have an Anchor, Be Not Dismayed, Victory in Jesus, Safe in the Arms of Jesus, and Where Could I Go? Singing these reminds us of the Biblical truths concerning our faith. We will overcome.
There are many passages that help us with our faith. “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith” (1 John 5:4). “We who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil” (Heb. 6:18-19). As individuals, as families, and as a congregation, there is a great need to overcome the destructive forces of this world. Even our doubts and fears.
There should be reminders in our lives of what God has already done in our lives. “Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the LORD has helped us’” (1 Sam. 7:12). This stone was a reminder of what God had done for them concerning the Philistines. The Passover was a reminder of God’s deliverance out of Egypt. The Lord’s Supper is a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins. Reminders are important. Have you set any up for yourself or your family? Do you talk about what God has done for you or your family with your loved ones or children?
We need to be realistic with our expectations of this life. We quote Revelation 2:10 but just the list part about being “faithful unto death.” Rarely do we mention the first part about the fact that we will suffer in this life. But God has promised, “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son” (Rev. 21:7).
In all these things, we need to “look to Jesus” (Heb. 12:1-2). “For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers” (1 Tim. 4:10). We must say, “I will put my trust in Him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me” (Heb. 2:13). We must have the resolve to “fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life” (1 Tim. 6:12). Always remembering, “thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:57).