Already Finished
“In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NASB
Overcome – Here is the Greek word nenikeka. This is the verb nike (you can see it in the middle of the word). It means, “to be victorious over.” Now you know why a shoe company in Portland has a Greek name. The most important thing about this verb is that it is in the perfect tense. This tells us that the verb describes a completed action in the past that has continuing impact in the present.
Yeshua is telling us something incredibly important. What He accomplished in His death and resurrection (the events in the past) has continuing impact for us today. Because of Him, we have been made overcomers of the world too. Yeshua says that we can take courage. We don’t have to do it all by ourselves. We don’t carry the weight of the world on our shoulders alone. We have been rescued from the specter of failure. No matter what we face in this life, Yeshua has overcome all that stands in the way of victory.
I really needed to read this verse today. In spite of my belief that God’s faithfulness never fails, life has handed me a series of real disappointments recently. Issues that I hoped would be resolved remain. Directions I thought would become clear stayed hidden. I prayed, “God, I know that You love me and I know that You care for me. You have told me that You want good gifts for your children and that You won’t withhold what we need. And I believe you. I am being obedient to you. But I really need some help here. Things are just not getting any better.” The question I face is a question of timing. I see bad things on the horizon. But they are still on the horizon. God is asking me to trust Him. He is the only One Who sees over the horizon.
I could be Greek about all this, project my fears into the unknown (for me) and imagine what might happen. Or I could listen to the voice of Yeshua, reminding me that His victory is mine, even if I can’t see how it all works out.
I need to pay attention to Yeshua’s words in this verse. He has overcome the world. The answer to my trials and tribulations are in His hands. He doesn’t say, “Don’t worry. You have overcome the world.” He says, “Take courage. Rest in what I have already done.”
This is not easy for me. The pattern of my world tells me to panic, to worry, to hurry, to get out there and make everything happen. But God has given me a problem so big that I cannot fix it. Not without Him. So, I have only one direction to go – back to my knees.
“Father, I believe that Your Son has overcome my world and all of its mess. Help me to stay faithful to that belief.”
Topical Index: nike, victory, trust, overcome, John 16:33
Amen, Amen, and Amen!
How many times has He said (to me), “don’t panic,- pray !!!”
Amen!
The profound is so often found in the simple good news!
The perfect word for my day!
Thank you Skip!
I can relate to precisely how you’re feeling, Skip, as I, too, am in a “quiet” time when I feel I need to be hearing and seeing a whole lot! I’ll be praying for your situations as I know others are praying for mine. I appreciate your ministry, Skip, more than you’ll ever know.
I really need this now too. What a blessing. What a Savior!!
When you share your fears, concerns (and joys) in this manner, Skip, along with these reminders, it blesses and encourages us all. Thank you.
Definitely.
Eventhough we might feel like Heman the Ezrahite from Psalm 88, never forget how this Psalm starts:
“O LORD, God of my salvation”!!!
And maybe it is preceded by Psalm 87 for a reason……….
Well, look to how faithful are His promises.
He has assured you that you will have tribulation in this world, has He not?
And you see that you do have tribulation.
Then He needs no more testing of faithfulness,–
He has said He has overcome and there is nothing left to do but to believe it.
We are not going to limp into heaven merely/barely survivors of the cosmic battle, but triumphant & victorious. What is it to you or me how He accomplishes it, or even if we have scars? He has scars.
Hell aims itself at destroying your hope in God’s goodness. Against hope, against all odds, and severeity of trials, stand firm. Suit up!
GOD is still on the Throne and His Perfect Will for your life has not changed one iota.
Jesus is drawing you even closer to Himself in Love as you depend on Him.
Encourage yourself in the Lord like David and remember to put away worry over immediate concerns. Praise and bless Jehovah for His watchful care over your life.
We can all readily trust Him with our entire future.
You are in good company with a huge number of Torah observant believers right now. This has been one of the most difficult seasons of separating the wheat from the chaff EVER for many of our friends.
I’m praying for you too. Thank you for enriching my life and helping us all along our journey.
YHVH bless you and keep you………………………..
one additional thought to bring to the table..- (and this is huge!!) “We do not pray for victory, we pray from victory.” The battle of the ages has (already) been fought and won.
One of my “favorites,” from back in the day..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUzR4HKbi9w
I’m here, too. But a couple of nights ago I “found” a piece by R.A. Torrey called Why God Used D.L. Moody. http://www.freewebs.com/ratorrey/
Scroll down.
God encouraged me much through Torrey this past week
It really is all about what HE AS ACCOMPLISHED.We are to rest in HIS ACCOMPLISHMNENTS. As we are instructed in Proverb 3 ::5 Lean-Trust-Be Confident in HIM.
One day I had diffculty with my original e-mail address so going to internet found “”Myway/com””it was free wow.
On a trip to Mattane”Quebec with a group from Lovers of God Ministry we ran into some real adversity and our leaders asked us to go to are respective places to sleep and pray and see what the Holy Spirit would say. The next morning we had several people with dreams and direction which brought about a unbelievable solution.
As for me I was waiting for the leaders to return from a meeting with town leaders and there came a 18 wheeler with the company name of KINGSWAY and I heard the LORD SAY son you did not understand the significance of your new e-mail address””IT IS NOT YOUR WAY BUT MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY”” I got the message !!! Just some words for thought perhaps – maybe???
A timely reminder for me. One day all is good , then the next my world fell apart. Like David, my sin found me out. It chased me down and tackled me. If I could go back and NOT do it, all would be fine today. But it’s not and my life is upside down. I am guilty as charged and the consequences are too great for me and those I love. And yet he says, All things work together for good…
Yet though he slay me, yet will I trust him.
“Father, I believe that Your Son has overcome my world and all of its mess. Help me to stay faithful to that belief.”
Hi Skip,
Today would be my father’s birthday, if he were still alive
I’ve read the statement above several times and it just does not make sense to me
For me, it is one thing to say that God has forgiven us for the sins of our fathers
But another to say his Son has overcome my world and all of its mess
Because I still need God to help me get through the mess that confronts me
In any case, I don’t really think in terms of believing or having faith in God or not
When I sense that God is there for me, I feel inspired
I feel good, strong, happy, and smart
When I feel like God has abandoned me and the mess is more than I can handle alone
I feel weak, sick, and relatively stupid
In spite of my belief that God’s faithfulness never fails, life has handed me a series of real disappointments recently. Issues that I hoped would be resolved remain. Directions I thought would become clear stayed hidden. I prayed, “God, I know that You love me and I know that You care for me. You have told me that You want good gifts for your children and that You won’t withhold what we need. And I believe you. I am being obedient to you.
Hi Skip, just a word of encouragement to you today.As I was reading in Isaiah this morning, I was struck, very strongly, with the parralels to our current society. I also am struggling with the “remaining things” and the “direction remaining shrouded in mist.”
Although you know it already, I’ll remind you what God said through Isaiah in chapters 3 and 4 and what He has also reminded me of in the strongest possible terms.
Isa 3:1 ¶ For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water,…..and it just keeps getting worse from there, but there’s this little word in the midst of all the chaos (from our perspective) that says, “Say ye to the righteous, that [it shall be] well [with him]: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
Woe unto the wicked! [it shall be] ill [with him]: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.” Isaiah 3:10-11
What “doings” would that be? God doesn’t leave us to wonder, He sets the precedence earlier when He says, “Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.” Is. 1:16-17 (of course it’s much better in the hebrew)
Does He promise that if we do these things that it all will be “fixed?” Not hardly, but what He does say “to us” is this;
Isa 4:2 ¶ In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth [shall be] excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.
Isa 4:3 And it shall come to pass, [that he that is] left in Zion, and [he that] remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, [even] every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem:
Isa 4:4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.
Isa 4:5 And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory [shall be] a defence.
Isa 4:6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.
A tabernacle (a booth) for a shadow….I once had an employer that tried to tell me how to lay my blocks and to attempt to explain to me the error of my ways. My response to him was, “you do the bossin’ part (buisness) and I’ll do the layin’ part (labor) and we’ll get something done. I think it’s much like that in the Kingdom, it’s God’s buisness to take care of all the details, it’s ours to lay blocks. We get to share in His fruit at the end (?) and rest in His protection and shade. I don’t know how we’re going to get from here to there, or what’s in between, but I know we will and that it’ll be all Him. (that’s kinda the point isn’t it!! 🙂 ) I know He’s good, if I need to know anything else, I’m also assured He’ll let me know at the right time (or take away or give) meanwhile, I’ll thank Him (sometimes through clenched teeth) for what He continues to do whether I understand it or not.
Take courage Skip, be bold and continue on in all that He’s called you to do. (Joshua 1) the day is far spent, evening approaches, (no working at night, for us) but there’s a new dawn coming.
YHWH bless you and keep you….