Today, being the day the world celebrates Resurrection in some fashion, I have been pondering on the victory Jesus Christ gained AND gave to you and I through His shed blood, death, burial, and ressurection. Thank God He gave us that victory!!!
Several years ago, I went to an "ultimate kickboxing" match here in Tulsa. My wife, Sheila, and I were invited to go with our friends, Charlie and Marquitta, to watch their grown son, Robert, in a match. He won that night. I was glad to be there and watch him. There were several other matches that night also.
In a heavyweight match, the two guys came into the ring and started to get ready to fight. We were sizing them up, and making our guesses as to who was going to win. The defending champion was in this match. The match started. It had gone about 2 or 3 minutes when all of a sudden the champion got taken down and the struggle really started. Suddenly the defending champion was on his back and I began to think, "This is over, he's beat!" A few seconds later, the challenger, who was on top and looked like he had the upper hand, started tapping out!! The referee blew his whistle, the match was over, the defending champ had won! What!.....wait!....How did that happen? Well, the defending champion had got a "choke hold" on the challenger and he, the challenger, had to give up! And the defending champion was flat on his back when it happened!! WOW!
The Lord instantly spoke to my heart, right there in the middle of that loud, chaotic, raucus, crowd. He said, "Never give up, even when you're flat on your back, listen, and I will show you how to win from there."
It makes no difference what you and I are going through or facing, we must never give up! Listen to the Voice of the Lord and he will show you what "choke hold" to use to get you set free and win your battle!
Don't even think in yourself that you're not sure if you will hear His voice. He is more determined for you to hear than even you are! Besides, in John 10:27, Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." You are His sheep! You are His child! Listen to this verse from the Amplified Bible, in Hebrews 13:5, "... For He, God, Himself has said, "I will not in any way fail you, nor give you up, nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down or relax my hold on you. Assuredly not!" What a great promise!
Trust Him to fulfill His Word to, and in, you. Even if you find yourself flat on your back! There is a "choke hold" the enemy of your soul will have to "tap out" on. And you win! Why? The Good News Bible says it this way in Roman 8:37, "No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us!"
So, NEVER GIVE UP! EVEN IF YOU ARE FLAT ON YOUR BACK!
