God Always Has The Last Word!

The world, the flesh, the Devil love to minimize God, declaring “when the chips are down” God doesn’t really deliver. Go ahead and surrender to the Savior, elements not of God infer, but you’ll be disappointed, for the Savior will ultimately let you down. 

But scripture consistently declares:  the Savior will ultimately lift you up, for “…the one who is in you [Jesus] is greater than [any spirit or emotion]…in the world…” (1 John 4:4). Bottom line:  no matter the sacrifice – no matter the pain -- no matter the surrender -- no matter the terror -- God always ‘comes through’ – for God always has the last word!

There’s a great story about an elderly Sunday School teacher who returned home from church, only to find an intruder in her house.  Terrified, she used the only weapon she had, God’s Word.  “Stop!” she shouted.  “Acts 2:38!” the verse for “repent and be baptized…”  “Stop!” she shouted.  “Acts 2:38!”  “Stop!  Acts 2:38!”  And with that, the burglar dropped to his knees, giving up!  Quizzing the burglar afterwards, the police where dumbfounded:  why did you give up; all the lady did was shout scripture!  “Shout scripture? Listen, fellas -- she said she had an ax -- and two 38s!!”   

Now we chuckle:  but that is the potency of God’s Word.  Even in terrifying situations, God’s Word can disarm terror, bringing terror to its knees.  But do we truly believe God’s Word is that able and arresting? The world, the flesh, the Devil would love for us to believe otherwise!  But we can come against falseness, and believe, nevertheless, God is able!  

Perry Noble has written a marvelous new book entitled Overwhelmed.    In it, Perry calls us to get real:  “…in this world…” to quote Jesus, “…you will have trouble…” (John 16:33); translated:  you will have intruders, tragedy and terror. But we have a choice, Perry notes, on what we what we dwell on.   Why we can dwell on the crisis – or the Christ.  We can dwell on the mess – or the Messiah.  We can dwell on the sorrow -- or the Savior.   Perry advises dwell on the Savior.  Now never deny the mess, the crisis, Perry advises – but  dwell on the one more powerful than the crisis.   

Translated:   fix “…your eyes on Jesus…” (Hebrews 12:1) to quote the writer of Hebrews “…who both  began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never [got lost]… [putting up] with…[the] Cross, shame, whatever… [And so] when you find [yourself] flagging in…faith, go over [the] story [of Jesus]…that long litany of hostility [He] plowed through. [For as we do we find] adrenaline [for our] souls!  (Hebrews 12:2-3, The Message, adapted).

And so tap into God's adrenaline, flowing from the Savior.   For no matter the pain, the suffering, the terror, our God always ‘comes through’!  

And so focus on the Savior and not your sorrow; the Christ and not the crisis.  Sacrifice, surrender – overcome, don’t be overwhelmed – letting God, indeed -- have the last Word!