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Overcoming the World


                “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

          Yesterday afternoon, I saw a report that the Supreme Court of Colorado has refused to hear the case of the Christian baker whose First Amendment rights have been violated to placate people whose agenda is to suppress religious expression that disagrees with their dogma. I'm not surprised. We shouldn't be surprised when the world behaves in a worldly manner.

          Why do we keep expecting the world to do what is right? Why do we keep looking to the world for solutions to these problems? Jesus told us that we would have tribulation. Our peace does not and cannot come from the world. If our pleas, prayers and petitions are to the government, or to the people of the world, then they will receive glory for their answers.

          Instead, we should be praying to the One we desire to be glorified. Our prayer should be that He is glorified as He overcomes the world as He promised. We can't know what that will look like. What we can and do know is that even if politicians are on "our side," the political machine is not. Men will fail us. The system will betray us. We will have tribulation. But God loves us. Out victory is "'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty." (Zechariah 4:6.)

 

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Birthday of

John James Audobon

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