“Life is full of ups and downs”. This is a very familiar saying and probably one to which we can all relate. But recently, I heard a Bible teaching that challenged this saying, and that premise really blessed me. So, I thought it might bless you too.
Life can be messy as we know. And there is no doubt that it has its ups and downs. The world is unkind, and it often seems to delight in tearing people down. Have you ever been “flying high” and suddenly something (or everything) went wrong? The world loves throwing monkey-wrenches into our celebrations. And generally, people’s reaction is, “Oh well. That’s just how things go sometimes”, hence the saying being so familiar. The world’s modus operandi is to raise people up just to knock them down. God on the other hand, takes people from the lowest pit and raises them up to glory. And He continues to provide His children with “ups” that the world just can’t comprehend.
The Bible says that before we were born again, we had no hope and were without God in the world. (Ephesians 2:12) But God made us alive, raised us up and seated us in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:5 and 6) That is a pretty big up! And it sets the pattern for all our downs and ups. We start out being down in the world and God raises us up. And with God, the end result is always UP!
The world is not going to change. If anything, it will grow worse. So, are we relegated to going with the flow and accepting the wrongs the world gives us? Absolutely not! God gives us solutions. He delivers us from worldly traps. He makes a way where there is no way. When the world drags us down, God pulls us up.
There are many verses that talk about our strength, our freedom, our rights, and our guaranteed victory with God. These verses edify and encourage us, so that we can remain strong in adversity. They also remind us that the world opposes the things of God.
For example:
Romans 8:37 – Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
This is one of my favorite verses. From the first time I heard it, I believed its promise that I could be a super-conqueror. But it took a while for me to realize that being a super-conqueror necessitated that there was something that needed conquering. The world is full of things that oppose us as Christians, and any one of them could knock us down. But God gave us this upward promise of being “more than conquerors” so that we would know that even when the chips are down, He provides an up.
Galatians 5:1 tells us to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ made us free. We wouldn’t need liberty if there weren’t things in the world that seek to enslave us. But God freed us from the world’s enslavement and seated us UP above the world’s commotion. How about Ephesians chapter 6 that tells us to put on the whole armor of God. We wouldn’t need armor if we weren’t in a battle. And we wouldn’t be in a battle if we didn’t have an enemy. And that enemy is pulling the strings in the world today. But God gave us the victory over him through the finished works of Jesus Christ. (And just an aside; When God says things like “stand fast” or “put on” we must remember that He never asks us to do anything that we can’t do. And everything that God asks us to do is for our benefit.)
Does the world’s opposition diminish God’s power in any way? Can anything the world throws at us, keep God from fulfilling His promises? The answer to those questions is a resounding NO! Our God is the Almighty God, Who created the heavens and the earth, and Who is our Father. He has made exceeding great and precious promises to us. He has sworn to never leave us nor forsake us. His ear is always open to our prayer. And His compassions never fail. He is all love and all light. He gave His only begotten son so that we could be saved and become His children. Don’t you think God wants the best for His kids? Don’t you think God will fight for His kids? Of course, He does and He will! God’s love for us is unfathomable. He would move heaven and earth for us if He needed to. And because of His undying love for us, God has promised us the ultimate victory – our enemy’s total annihilation and our future securely in God’s presence with Christ Jesus for all eternity. Nothing in this life can stop us from attaining this victorious UP, not even death.
God’s Word is jammed packed with knowledge about all that God has given us and all that He has done and will do for us. The Scriptures lift us up far beyond anything the world could offer. Here are a few verses that I remind myself of every day:
Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Romans 8:18 – For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Isaiah 40:31 – But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
For the people of this world, life has its ups and downs. But for God’s children, life has its downs and ups! Whatever the world throws at us; God can fix. Whenever we get knocked down; God can pick us up and set our feet on solid ground. Whenever we feel like quitting; God has the resources to turn our lives around. We may not be able to avoid every down. But we can always, always, always count on God for a glorious UP.
Note to my readers: I’m not suggesting that we rewrite the old saying. It has such a familiar cadence. But why not think of our lives in terms of downs and ups? Because truly, God’s marvelous ups are ready and waiting for us whenever we ask.
2 Corinthians 2:14 – Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ…