09212024 His Own Victories

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the God who fights – and wins – His own battles.

Victories are good. We like to win. Sometimes, however, victories are totally unexpected, and a winner emerges that we never expected to see. How does this happen? Perhaps the favorite is injured or drops out for some reason at the last minute, allowing an unexpected victor to emerge. Or two strong favorites can spend so much energy battling against each other that a third and less favored entry ends up winning. Maybe there is a collision near the finish line, in which all the leaders lose their advantage, and someone at the back of the pack wins. It is even possible that everyone else drops out of a contest, and an unexpected champion emerges by default. Some wily or wealthy people might use manipulation or money to get others to achieve the victory for them.

God needs none of these methods. He is not dependent on anyone else to achieve His victories. “O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory” (Psalm 98:1). When God wins, (referring to the point in time at which He wins, not the possibility that sometimes He does), it is His own strength and skill that achieved the victory.

In essence, this is because God has no “worthy” opponents. There is no one that can effectively challenge Him. God’s power is sufficient to win. His strategy and wisdom are unmatched. There is no “bad luck” that overthrows His plans. He doesn’t get injured. He doesn’t get distracted.

God is absolutely sufficient in Himself to win every victory. From a human standpoint, we could explain how God sometimes appears to win through secondary means. For example, the weather just happens to cooperate, or a king makes a law that supports God’s position. In actuality, this is part of the beauty of God’s victories. God has unlimited resources at His disposal, and He uses them as He wishes in order to accomplish His purposes.

The king decided. “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will” (Proverbs 21:1).

The weather cooperated. “Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word” (Psalm 148:8).

Someone stepped forward. “But when it pleased God who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace” (Galatians 1:15).

It so happened. “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law” (Galatians 4:4).

So God uses kings and hailstorms, prophets and history, and so much more. But each of these are merely tools in His hand, manipulated and controlled by Him, in order to accomplish exactly what He wishes. Rather than weakening the impact of God’s victories, these externals merely reveal how completely unstoppable God really is.

Is there a battle ahead of you? Does it seem difficult or even impossible? Then trust in the One who fights and wins His own battles. He is strong enough.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA