Victorious in Christ

2Cor 2:14
Every servant of God faces hardships and setbacks. Some are because of his shorts comings and some are not. Yet our Lord always leads us in His triumphant possession so that even our setbacks become part of His victorious march. He alone is able to turn defeat into victory. The key for us is to be faithful.(Prov.24:10,2Cor4:1)
If anyone knew about discouragement and depression it was Paul. He had no rest in his spirit even though he had been given a door to preach the gospel. He knew what those sleepless nights were like and he was well acquainted with adversaries. What was it that kept Paul out of the dungeon of despair? How did he wade though the slough of despondency? He had learned a secret that we all must learn or sooner or later the ‘ministry’ will get to us. He had learned to view his life from God’s perspective. In spite of the setbacks Paul knew that somehow some way God was leading him toward the end. He knew that all the hardships and adversaries would be worth it when he reached his final destination.
When our Lord takes us as His captive, He has claimed victory over us. In effect it becomes the first of many victories in Christ. Paul saw himself and a host of others being lead in Christ's glorious victory march through history.
Note: Many of us can look back and see what seemed to be defeat and disappointment now makes the victory even sweeter. Here is one reason why we should not make crucial decisions during hard times if we can avoid it. We can see much better once the darkness has passed and the light has come.