In the life of a singer, musician, songwriting-worship leader, you’d think there would be more hours in the day to pick up a guitar.
Not so.
I get caught up with the fast pace of life and miss out on just “me and my guitar” time all too often.
But today I pulled out the chords to a song I’ve been humming for a while now…
It’s called “Victor’s Crown” by Darlene Zschech.
Check out some of the lyrics:
At the cross the work was finished.
You were buried in the ground.
But the grave could not contain You.
For You wear the Victor’s crown.
Hallelujah
You have overcome,
You have overcome.
Hallelujah, Jesus,
You have overcome the world.
What does it mean to overcome? Maybe you have overcome a “giant” standing in your path at some point in life. Having seen that thing defeated, you know that overcoming is possible. But how was it possible?
Jesus gives us a clear answer, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” (Luke 18:27)
I went to a large church for many years that survived great trauma. It’s almost surreal to think that a gunman literally came onto the church campus, after the last service, shooting at people – our people. We lost two precious lives that day. Such grief, fear and pain had to be faced by many church members afterwards. No words can describe it. But worship rose up out of the tragedy and brought amazing healing as we experienced the Presence of God.
Our church declared a powerful chorus that was written through the strife:
Savior worthy of honor and glory,
worthy of all of the praise
You overcame.
Jesus awesome in power forever,
awesome and great is Your Name,
for You overcame.
We will overcome by the blood
of the Lamb and the word
of our testimony, everyone overcome.
(Overcome by Jon Egan)
We attach ourselves to Christ’s victory when we become children of God, when Christ is living on the inside of us. We are now “SO OVER THAT…which once held us captive. “In His Presence fear is silenced,” sings another line in “Victor’s Crown”. This world is full of challenges and chaos but nothing can stand against our Savior and our time with Him reinforces His peace in our lives.
Jesus says, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
In Heaven we see there are no tears, no fear, no pain. (Revelation 21:4) That’s God’s plan for us. We are now citizens of Heaven, here on the Earth for a time. Since Jesus asked us to pray “Let Your kingdom come, let Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven”, we are a people called to carry out lives of overcoming. Seeing Heaven come to Earth.
Jesus made it possible and now we can sing “We will overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony”!
Three ways you can be SO OVER THAT…
1. Intake God’s word every day. Deuteronomy 6:7 says we are to “Talk about them (God’s words or commands) when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Pretty much all the time! And, we read that God’s word is a sword, in Ephesians 6. How often are you bringing God’s Word into the battles you face?
2. Overcoming begins with a heart posture towards God that submits to His Lordship. Humility is saying yes to Gods plan and He will fight FOR us. (Other sources might say, “you’re on your own in this… so take control and solve it yourself!”)
3. People who overcome don’t go by their feelings. Girls, you may feel defeated but in reality you carry the victory of Christ because of the cross. Truth is greater than the feeling. 2 Corinthians 2:14 reads, “thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.”
Have these things helped you overcome?
Leave a comment to cheer others on!
~Elissa
