"Once"

Once upon a long time ago,

That’s how those tales began,

And the villain was a bad guy,

And from him most folks ran.

But then there came a hero,

Who fought without a fear,

And when the people saw him,

Were glad that he came near.

‘Cause he would fight the battle,

That they could not win,

Vanquish all the evil,

And happy in the end.

I guess I thought my story,

Would be like those old tales,

And happy ever after,

O’er all those hills and vales.

But, folks, I saw the evil,

Steal and kill and ruin,

And I wondered often,

What the heck I’m doin’,

And would there be a happy,

Sometime, long time after,

Or would the rest be tragic,

With no joy or laughter.

And just when I was finished,

And thought it’s just a tale,

The Spirit came back to me,

With wind to fill my sail.

He said it’s never over,

Till God says it is through,

And there is so much out there,

That by His grace you’ll do.

And the Hero still is with you,

And the villain still must go,

And a happy ever after,

I’m saying what you know.

And sure enough I knew it,

And it has come to be,

Though I’m not yet in heaven,

The truth is I will be.

The Hero leads the battle,

But the war’s already won,

And in His name we celebrate,

All that the Lord has done.

“And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God…” (1 John 5:4, NLT)

The victory over the world seems to be a rare occurrence, even with people who lead spiritually. Over and over we hear about people who have fallen into failure, and wonder if anyone can be trusted. Truth is, there are many, many people who are winning the victory everyday- over addiction, hurt, disappointment, and persecution. They typically aren’t famous Christians, but anonymously serve the Lord day after day. They trust Him, live by faith, and win. No one applauds, because no one knows. In fact, in most cases people aren’t even aware the person is fighting a battle, much less winning it. But they are. Never doubt it. And never doubt that you can win, too. How? By exercising your faith in Jesus Christ. Trusting Him to help, lead, guide, and empower is the foundation of all who overcome. Jesus is the Hero who overcomes through us.

Lord, help us to walk in victory everyday, in Jesus’ name.

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Art by Bruce Greene, brucegreeneart.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Bruce, and God bless you.