Where Is Your Victory

Tonight, thousands of years ago, Jesus Christ was dead inside of a tomb. This night was one that many of His followers didn’t believe would actually happen. This night was one of utter darkness.

The enemy was smiling, content with what he thought he had accomplished. The spirits in the realm of darkness could rest, God was dead. They now ruled.

What a dark night. What a night full of hopelessness and fear. Every moment brought about more dread and loneliness for those who had trusted in this man whom they thought would save them. But he was gone.

As I sit here, in this land of barely any believers of Jesus, I sense that dread. I can see it in the eyes of the people here in this country. I notice the hopelessness and fear and loneliness that lies just under the surface, locked away in their hiding place of choice. It’s easy to feel as if the enemy truly did win that night. I’m always one or two thoughts away from saying “there’s really no hope for this land.” Satan seems to have truly won here.

But I know how the story ends.
I know that God truly is not dead.
I know that the spirits in the realm of darkness didn’t rest for long because the God-man was not in that tomb for long and when he walked out all of hell was filled with fear. Because they knew their chance to actually win was forever gone.

Christ died on this night, many years ago, and on this night in Japan there are many that don’t know that he died for them. But we know how it ends. We are promised that ALL nations will be around the throne praising the nail-scarred, risen Savior for all of eternity. All nations, including this one that I’m in right now. So although the night may seem dark, the work may be slow, and the enemy may have many strongholds here... Jesus Christ has already risen and has already won. Death has no victory. Death died on that cross and now Hope lives on, now and for eternity.

This Girl

She’s steady, this girl, never wavering on what she believes and always strong in standing up for truth. 

She’s compassionate, this girl, seeing the needs of those around her and acting without questioning whether she will receive something in return. 

She’s dedicated, this girl, forging ahead to reach her goal and never looking back. 

She’s creative, this girl, using that innate likeness she received from her Creator to design and mold beautiful things and ideas. 

She’s brave, this girl, always ready to try the thing that’s never been done. 

She’s wise, this girl, offering advice beyond what her age should know.

She’s not a girl anymore, this woman.... my sister. She has laughed with me and pushed me forward when I thought my feet could not take another step. She has cried with me and prayed for me. She has shown me what it means to be fearless and independent and spontaneous. She’s the one that I prayed for as a little girl, begging God to give me a sister. And in God’s gracious way he gave me more than I could ever ask for or imagine. 

On her day of graduating from high school and stepping out into this next season, although I can’t be there, I bow before the throne and offer her up to our Savior. I pray that His plans for her are good, as he has promised, and that He will receive glory through them. I pray that he gives her joy and that the desires of her heart will reflect his own and that they will be filled. I pray that He gives her success in her dreams and allows her to accomplish all of her goals. I pray that he protects, guides, and covers her in every step for the rest of her life. 

I love you Hannah Bethany. 

Content

I lay there in the quiet the other night trying to think of what I could be, should be, worried about. Maybe I should worry about the “friends” I’ve lost here in this country because of the gospel. Or maybe I should mourn the fact that we seem to take one step forward and twenty steps back with this culture. I should probably be concerned about my physical health or even about the fact that I haven’t seen my family in... how many months now? But I wasn’t able to conjure up the worry and fear. Something else has replaced that natural tendency to over analyze and fret about the things I literally cannot change. Something that feels really foreign and, I’m ashamed to say, even a little unwelcome. 

Contentment. 

I know the word. I know it’s definition and the promise that if I obtain contentment I’ll have great gain. But in all my life I can honestly say I have not felt it, fully deeply felt it deep inside of my soul, until that moment as I laid there in my bed. I’ve felt peace, yes... that’s the only thing that has kept me going. But contentment is completely different. It’s not a coverup or a bandaid for some broken part I’m trying to cover up or heal. It’s a whole new emotion with a whole new mindset. Not that peace is a coverup, because His peace is so pure that it removes all fear. But contentment comes from a place that fear has never even touched. It comes from the realization that Christ is literally all I have and all I want. There is nothing that I desire more than simply Him. I don’t care about where my home is, the seemingly unfruitful labor, what my future holds, or how sick my physical body is currently. I can’t even begin to worry about those things because all I can think about lately is Him. 

How good He is. 

How He has shown His love. 

How much he loves the Japanese. 

How much he loved this entire world. 

How merciful he is towards me. 

How glorious it is to glimpse Him in the mundane and regular days. 

Maybe contentment does begin in Love. True, undefiled, soul-changing love that can change my entire heart and mind and comes from the creator of Love itself. I’m learning it, this contentment... learning to accept it and to dive deeper into it. There is great gain at the bottom of this dive and I think I’m glimpsing it now, glimpsing Him now.