Dove's Eye: Where does Victory Tend to Turn You?

They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. Mark 9:30-31

Beloved Brothers and Sisters,

I heard something this week that caused me to stop and ponder and seek it’s truth.

“When victory does not tend to turn our hearts to worship…. we part company with God, so to speak, as soon as the victory is achieved. As I pushed and pulled on this truth, I received another perspective! This is also true of miracles! When a miracle does not tend to turn our hearts to worship, and is quickly drowned out by life’s new struggles, we tend to part company with God. And on the other end of the spectrum, it can also be said of suffering. If our trials do not tend to drive us to our knees in worship, we miss the purpose, the encounter, a locking eyes with the Savior, and the opportunity to trust Him. We make life about us; not about Him. We do not see our trials from a heavenly perspective.

In Mark 9 Jesus again foretells His death to ears too dull to receive this truth. Instead they were arguing which of them was the greatest. A source of embarrassment when Jesus ask, “ What were you arguing about on the road?” vs 33

They didn’t answer. He shared his heart and not one disciple would hear this precious truth that would change their lives forever. This intimate teaching time was one of the last they would have with Him and He was promising a miracle! Fearful and self-absorbed, they made this about themselves and who was the greatest.

Jesus answered their argument with a powerfully, foreign perspective. Mark 9:35

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

HUH? Say what? In chapter 10:24 it states the truth about the reaction of disciples to His teaching. The disciples were amazed at his words. Also verse 26 enlarges on this: The disciples were even more astonished”, but did it lead to worship? Look at Peter’s question in verse 28…” Peter began to say to Him, ‘Behold, we have left everything and followed You.” Did you hear that? He was saying ‘What’s in it for me?’ Jesus then says again:

“We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.” Mark 10:33-34

This was Jesus third try to ‘teach and prepare’ His disciples. He barely finished speaking when James and John ask to have the honored seats at His side! All about them. Hadn’t they heard anything he just said? As I read this wondering at their callous, self-centeredness, I felt a prick of conviction and knew I was just as self-centered and too often make life about how I feel, or what I want and my desires.

I thought of Jesus healing the lepers in Luke 17:15-16. He cleansed 10 men of an incurable disease. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks. A miracle, which tended to lead only one of ten to worship.

However, for the Lord Jesus to be fully manifested, it is going to involve a lifetime of the Holy Spirit’s deep dealing with the more subtle and deadly characteristics of the self-life “always delivered unto death (2 Corinthians 4: 11) MJS

All of us are going to experience sorrow and suffering and I do not want to miss any spiritual benefits. How sad if victories, trials or miracles lead only to deliverance and joy, instead of sweet, eternal intimacy, where we are crowded to Christ, in dependence as we learn to enjoy Him! It sets my feet to dancing.

One more example is in Job 5:11. We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

God gave satan the permission to afflict job with suffering so terrible it hurts to read it! He is set forth as an example of suffering and endurance. In a short period of time, Job lost multiple flocks, which were stolen in raids and burned up with fire from heaven. Many servants were killed and all of this was valued at a great price. What is Job’s response to multiple tragedies? His response touched my heart deeply this week. Read and receive the truth of Job 1:20-22

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped.He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”Through all of this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.

Suffering drew Job to worship! Let us not just endure, but humbly endure with joy and surrender; as we let God’s grace strengthen us with courage to worship the King!

God of grace, God of mercy, worthy of our worship, we too want to live and bring You glory. Let our response to suffering be, to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might! I pray especially for my brothers and sisters, in countries where they suffer for their faith. Pour out Your grace that they would endure, even endure with joy. Make them strong in faith. Strengthen us that we would endure with a humble, unspeakable joy, so worship of You will flow out of us, even when no one is looking. Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty! We bow in worship of You, now and forever, You who love us unconditionally, amen.

Not to endure is greater pain,