Deep in your heart you have ask yourself, what will I do when… the doctor says, “You have cancer;” “You are no longer employed here;” “I’m leaving you,” or it’s the death of a cherished loved one or…! What do you do…where do you go?

I have good news for you. I have found the one and true source of Peace, Comfort & Strength, His Word. God has put 3 examples on my heart that reveal God’s unique ways He achieved victory in the face of defeat. But first, before you open your Bible, ask Him, the Holy Spirit to whisper to your heart…to teach you (Psalm 25:4-5).

The first example is found in Judges 6 & 7 with Gideon. It’s a fascinating story of God’s people hiding in caves from the Midianites & Amalekites. God called Gideon, a farmer, to be His Mighty Warrior. As the story goes, Gideon brought together 32,000 men and God said it was too many. God used only 300 men to be victorious. How did this happen? We find the answer in Zechariah 4:6, “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” Remember, God’s Ways are different than ours (Isaiah 55:8).

The next example is how the least likely charged into fear. The battle lines had been formed. The daily taunting had gone on for 40 days from the enemy. The mighty army of Israel stood on the hillside uncertain & afraid. And then along comes a teenage boy with food for his brothers. Little did anyone know that God would use this impossible situation to reveal His Glory & Power to launch the future of the young boy to be King David.

David refused to use the traditional weapons of war and chose to face his giant with what God had given him, a slingshot & a rock. Listen to David’s words as he charged down the mountain toward Goliath , “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head.” And He did. 1 Samuel 17:45-46. David knew in His heart the Promise, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

And finally, what appeared as defeat of God’s Mighty One, turned out to be The Glorious Victory. He had come in peace, healing & doing miracles to point people to God the Father. Then in the dead of night, he was betrayed by one of His own disciples. He was arrested by the church leaders, falsely accused and found guilty in a kangaroo court . He was brought before Pilate hoping for a guilty verdict & death sentence. But “Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man (Jesus).” Luke 23:4. But evil had its way. Pilate bent to the political pressure and submitted to Jesus being crucified. That looked like defeat to the world, but not to God.

Then here comes Victory. God revealed His Glory & Power three days later with the empty tomb. We find in John 20 the Good News story of Christ Jesus resurrection. We are told in 1 Corinthians 15:54-57, “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”  “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Our victory is not found in this world but in the presence of God. In His Word we have the certainty of victory found in, Romans 10:9 “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Our 3 Champions had one thing in common when they received their bad news… 2 Chronicles 20:12, “For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

May His Full Power whisper to your heart as you ponder, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39