Victory Dance

Evening 12/12/2021

“Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth. He will subdue the peoples under us, And the nations under our feet. He will choose our inheritance for us, The excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭47:1-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Victory Dance

One of the things an American football player should never do is go into a victory dance before the crossing the goal line. Fumbles, penalties and other very embarrassing miscues have been known to happen at the most inappropriate time, making up fodder for highlight reels.

Life is like that grand, end of game, run for the touchdown, pushing forward at an all out pace, and focusing on that glorious moment when the goal line is crossed and points are put on the board. As in football, one must be careful to make sure that victory is not celebrated before it is time, for there are many opportunities to trip, fall, fumble or get penalized, negating all the effort.

As followers of Jesus, we must run the race of faith, circumspectly, using great care to cross the finish line. We run toward the goal of Christ Jesus with satanic tacklers pursuing us, desiring nothing better than seeing us fall, and fumble our testimony. Ok, enough with the football analogies.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
I Peter 5:8 NKJV

Jesus declared the ultimate victory, stepping upon the head of the serpent, crushing it, as it struck His heal. For my sins, Jesus went to the cross, heal stung unto death, but He was buried and rose again. From that moment victory was assured.

“And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.””
Genesis 3:15 NKJV

“So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
I Corinthians 15:54-57 NKJV

Because of Jesus, I don’t race for my justification, for that has been purchased for me, and made mine by faith in Jesus. I race for a crown, for that heavenly reward, reserved for those who are waiting for His appearing, who will one day rule and reign with Christ.

I think of Paul, and all the passages where he is mentioning his battle to finish well. If anyone was saved, it was most certainly Paul, but he had his mind set on a better salvation, or glorification, where he should be found worthy.

“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
Philippians 3:7-11 NKJV

Paul strived for a better resurrection. I also, desiring to glorify the Lord. I am not consumed with merely getting to Heaven, but on eternity in the new heaven and the new earth. Those who have been faithful will have a far more superior office, as they have done much with what they were given.

As we watch the sun go down on another day, let us consider what we can do this coming week to glorify the Lord. It is the season when even the most vile sinner, begins to ponder this Man named Jesus and who He really is. We who are His followers have the answers.

Brothers and sisters, let us press forward toward, having represented the Lord with all that we have. May we never grow weary of telling others about Him, and proclaiming the Good News. Let us focus on that great victory dance that is coming, when we all will meet at the glorious marriage supper of the Lamb.

“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.”
Revelation 21:9-11 NKJV

It is time to rest, my people. We have a full week, as there are many people to go and tell about Jesus.

https://www.allaboutgod.com/the-roman-road.htm