Ladies Bible Study
Mrs. Rick Jackson
When you think of the letter, “V,” a most familiar phrase comes to mind, “V is for Victory.” This wasn’t my first plan, but this is where the Lord has at last led me. The word victory appears in our English Bible, King James Version, 12 times, but, to my surprise, it does not contain the word victorious!
Automatically, I think of the familiar hymn, Victory in Jesus, by author and composer, Eugene Bartlett:
I heard an old, old story, How a Savior came from glory, How He gave His life on Calvary To save a wretch like me; I heard about His groaning, Of His precious blood's atoning, Then I repented of my sins And won the victory. O victory in Jesus, My Savior, forever. He sought me and bought me With His redeeming blood; He loved me 'ere I knew Him And all my love is due Him, He plunged me to victory, Beneath the cleansing flood.
Tonight, it should be easy to see, V is for VICTORY! So, what can we learn about having VICTORY?
- Victory belongs to God
1 Chronicles 29:11 says, “Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.” That verse speaks volumes to me!
Pastor has just gone through the life of David for us, verse by verse, in 1st and 2nd Samuel and it has been a fascinating study. I’ve learned a lot, haven’t you? If you’ll remember, in 2 Samuel 23, there is a list of David’s mighty men, the men who stood with him through all his trials and fought with and for him, and in this listing, we learned of their specific battles and victories, but look with me how these are described, beginning in 2 Samuel 23:9 --
9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away:
10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.
11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentils: and the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.
No matter what our trials are, what battles we face, just like these mighty men of David, we have to remember, WHO is on our side? And when the battle is won, WHO wrought the victory? Everything we do, with everything we have, remember, belongs to the Lord, who is “exalted as head above all.” We cannot fail to give the glory to God, because the victory is His!
Psalm 86:12 says, “I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.” And we read in 1 Peter 4:16, “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.”
So, we should remember what the Psalmist says in Psalm 98:1, “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.”
- Victory can bring sorrow
Once again, the Scriptures bring us back to the life of David. You remember when Absalom, David’s son, decided that he wanted to be king? Eventually, there came a time when Absalom’s crowd had to oppose David’s men. Of course, we know the outcome was in the Lord’s hand, and David’s men were victorious, but with that victory came what? That’s right, the death of the king’s son, Absalom. Turn over to 2 Samuel 19 –
1 And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom.
2 And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son.
3 And the people gat them by stealth that day into the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.
4 But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!
There come times or seasons in our life which may bring a victory of some sort, a battle won for which we had worked and prayed much, but with the victorious outcome, there may also come unexpected sorrow.
Victory in Jesus
I heard about His healing, Of His cleansing power revealing. How He made the lame to walk again And caused the blind to see; And then I cried, "Dear Jesus, Come and heal my broken spirit," And somehow Jesus came and brought To me the victory.
We must be reminded that our time here on this earth is but a temporary walk, a path towards a future which is not of this present world. With victory may come sorrow, but we have to live above that. (i.e., Brother Wayne?) Paul wrote this to the Galatians, in Galatians 1:
1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)
2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
Because Jesus died for us, we can have victory over this present evil world. It troubles us now, it brings sorrow, but we will be delivered! Look what Paul told Titus, in Titus 2:11-15 –
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
So, we are to live righteously, all the while looking for Christ’s return, letting no man despise us!! There may be sorrows in our victories, but we should continue to live a life pleasing to Christ, knowing that He redeemed us and will one day return for us!
- Faith is the Victory
1 John 5:4 says, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”
John Yates wrote an interesting hymn based on this verse which was put to music by the famous Ira D. Sankey, called Faith is the Victory!
Encamped along the hills of light, Ye Christian soldiers, rise. And press the battle ere the night Shall veil the glowing skies. Against the foe in vales below Let all our strength be hurled. Faith is the victory, we know, That overcomes the world.
Refrain
Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory! O glorious victory, that overcomes the world.
Should we say that the world is trying and difficult? Yes! But we can have victory through our faith! So, what victory is ours when we have faith?
Well, if we look in just one chapter in the book of Matthew, we get a small glimpse into just how faith is the victory! Because of the faith of four believing friends, Jesus said in Matthew 9:2 – “And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.” Because a woman who had been sick for twelve years believed in Jesus so much and “touched the hem of his garment,” verse 22 says, “But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.” Because two blind men followed Jesus asking for mercy, we read in verses 29 & 30, “Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.”
And for our lives, how are we to have victory through faith? See these admonitions:
Romans 10:17 – So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Once again, it comes down to the Word of God. We must be in the Bible in order to build up our faith, in order to have the victory to overcome the world!
Ephesians 6:16 – Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
And what is the shield of faith? The Word of God!
Hebrews 6:12 – That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
James 5:15 -- And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
1 Peter 1:7 -- That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
So, here we see again, having faith we can inherit the promises, save the sick, and “be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” It’s important to be reading our Bibles and to build up our faith to please the Lord!
Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory! O glorious victory, that overcomes the world.
- Victory Overcomes Death
Isaiah 25:8 -- He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.
1 Corinthians 15:54-57 – 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
This life, if we have trusted Christ as our Saviour, does not end when we close our eyes in death. Isn’t that a wonderful promise? We have the victory over death, and just as the verse in Isaiah says, in that day, God will wipe away our tears! Yes, we weep here for those we mourn, but there is a day of victory coming!
Victory in Jesus I heard about a mansion He has built for me in glory. And I heard about the streets of gold Beyond the crystal sea; About the angels singing, And the old redemption story, And some sweet day I'll sing up there The song of victory. Chorus: O victory in Jesus, My Savior, forever. He sought me and bought me With His redeeming blood; He loved me ere I knew Him, And all my love is due Him, He plunged me to victory, Beneath the cleansing flood.
No comments:
Post a Comment