The Vine News

Is this the time to proclaim victory?

Talk to anyone these days and you'll hear the sounds of suffering.

More bills than month, combined with a rising cost of living produce financial woes that provide a constant strain. Marital issues often peak under the pressure, leaving little wiggle room for peace or relief. And stress at work couldn’t be higher, with some fighting for survival and others worrying if there will be a job tomorrow.

So is this the time to proclaim victory? I believe so.

Some people believe it is only appropriate to celebrate winning after the fight is over. But truly victorious people know to proclaim the victory before the fight even begins.

Victory isn't someone else's validation of your triumph, it is a declaration, a state of mind. Victory is being persuaded of a positive outcome regardless of what obstacles come.

Believers have access to victory in every circumstance -- even today's challenges.

We have access because we can choose to believe His promises: that it is finished, that all power is given to Him in heaven and earth; that his eyes are searching the earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those who love Him; that his thoughts toward us are to prosper us and not harm us giving us a hope and a future; that He'll never leave or forsake us, and that this too shall pass.

We can even believe that He'll open the windows of heaven and pour out blessing that you won't have room enough to receive, and that eyes have not seen nor ears heard all that God has in store.

Some people watch circumstances work out just right and see only good fortune. The victorious see the might of their God. Some people find opportunity in the desert and think they're lucky. The victorious see God providing.

Victory doesn’t have to be pretty. And it doesn’t have to be celebrated at its end. Because victory is a state of mind, it can and should be celebrated in the heat of battle.

If you're fighting, and you shout victory now, you agree with God about your destiny, and find strength to hold on until you see the end.

If you shout victory now, you see your battle from the perspective of the victor rather than the victim.

If you shout victory now, you acknowledge God's great ability to fight and win your battles for you. It is a sound of praise to the One who delivers.

If you shout victory now, you find joy in the midst of battle, like an oasis in the desert. What can be more pleasant or necessary?

Celebrate victory today in the worst of your circumstances. And when you experience that victory on the other side, you will have confidence and new access to the God who brought you through.