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Victim, Victor or Vector? Part 2

Victor

On the long march to Egypt, as Joseph hobbled along, his ankles chaffed by the shackles banging at every step, it would have been very natural for him to continue as a victim, feeling sorry for himself, fantasizing about getting revenge on his brothers.   However before he got to Egypt, it seems that Joseph moved from away from being a victim towards becoming a victor.  This means he shifted his vision from his suffering to his God and seemed to grasp some of what his Lord was doing in the situation.

How do we know this?  Because when Joseph arrived in Egypt and was sold to Potipher, he proved to be a hard working, pleasant, responsible, well-liked person, and God blessed him in all that he did.

“The  LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the  LORD gave him success in everything he did,  Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.” (Gen 39”2-4)

Victims are not like this.  They are generally disagreeable people: angry, resentful, complaining, always seeking to blame others and often shirking responsibility.  No, Joseph had become a victor, understanding that his God was at work here doing something. So Joseph embraced the challenge before him and triumphed in the midst of his slavery.  Now his life was defined, not by his suffering, but by his achievements, the visible blessings of God in his life.

This is where most of us want to be, and when we arrive here, are content to stay.  However, this is not the end point, it is only a means of reaching what God actually has for us, being a vector.  The danger in remaining a victor is that we end up being focused on self, our blessings, our comforts, not on our Lord.

This was clearly illustrated when Joseph was tempted by Potipher’s wife.  Listen to what he said. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Gen 39:8,9, underlining added)

He was focused on all his achievements; note the use of  “I, me, my.”  He was conscious enough of God that he didn’t want to transgress, but the focus was on Joseph. Without knowing it, Joseph has become a glory-stealer.  So can we when we camp out as victors.  Or we can move to the next stage and become glory-givers.  For this we often need God’s direct help through difficulty, as we will see in the next section.

Read Part 3

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Victim, Victor or Vector? part 1

[The following basic insights came from Fran Sciacca, leader of Hands of Hur Minstries. Check out his edifying resources on his website at https://www.handsofhur.org]

In every situation we can choose to be one of the following:  a victim, a victor, or a vector (an arrow pointing to God).

If we choose to respond as a victim, feeling sorry for ourselves, blaming others, grumbling and complaining, then we allow our suffering to define our lives.

If we choose to be a victor, turning difficulties into opportunities, we allow our successes to define our lives.

If we choose to be a vector, going beyond success to the reason for our existence, we allow our relationship with the Lord Jesus, our Great, Glorious and Good God, to define our lives.

Joseph in the OT was first a victim, then a victor and finally a vector, so we’ll look at his life to understand these concepts better.

Victim

Joseph, the next to the youngest of 11 brothers, foolishly told his older brothers of his dreams in which they bowed down to him–an huge insult in an honor culture.  They were already jealous of him and this certainly fanned the flames further.

Then his father foolishly sent Joseph off alone to spy on his brothers.  When they saw him in the distance, “’Here comes that dreamer!’ they said to each other. ‘Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.’” (Gen. 37:19,20)

When they had thrown Joseph into the cistern, he cried and begged them to take him out. He was thinking like a victim: his life was being redefined by his suffering. He was feeling sorry for himself, complaining and wanted to blame others.

A bit later when his brothers pulled him out of the pit, he probably was relieved but then was devastated when he saw they were selling him as a slave. This was a sentence to an early death. No hope. No help. Poor me.  And the treatment he got on his journey only encouraged him in his victim mentality.  So how did he move on to being a victor?

See part 2.

 

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The Foundation of Life Psalm 11:3-7

Interesting that yesterday ended with a dissatisfying taste, an emptiness which I tried at first to distill with reading and popcorn, but then, Lord,  you reminded me to praise you for it, as this emptiness was a reminder that my soul finds rest in you alone—and the response to any unsettledness is praise and the sacrifice of thanksgiving.  Praise you, Lord Jesus, for the wonder and stability of knowing you, being a child of the eternal God.  You give us all we need and I can praise you for it.  As it says in Psalm 11:

Psa 11:3  “If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?” [we can look away to you, Lord God, the only sure foundation in all of existence. We can praise and thank you, rejoice in your character, rest in your love, live in your wisdom.  The instability of the world only serves to highlight the surety of your character: ‘Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever!’]

Psa 11:4  “The Lord is in His holy temple, The Lord’s throne is in heaven;” [You are ever ruling, ever awake, ever alert.  Nothing escapes your notice and you always act at exactly the right time. You rule wisely, wonderfully, willfully. You are moving events to the great conclusion of history, sweeping as many into your Kingdom as are willing to come, and giving those who aren’t willing opportunity as well.]

“His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. [Psa 11:5]  The Lord tests the righteous,” [You watch every person, you test each one, giving opportunities to believe to the not-yet-sons.  And to those who are your children, who have on the righteousness of Christ, you give tests, possibilities to grow, give glory and display grace .  Ah, Lord, help us to remember that difficulties, disappointments, danger and discouragement are tests, each one an opportunity to take up your grace, rise up in praise and defeat the enemy in his own ground.  May we not fail, but cooperate with you, for your glory!]

“But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. “ [Here is one of those seeming paradoxes of the Bible: God loves all, yet hates the wicked. Two possible understandings: He hates what they do, but loves them as His creatures; or here He is speaking of Satan and his minions.  There are, of course, other possibilities. The certainty is that in God’s character there is no contradiction: He hates sin and will punish it, yet found a way to redeem sinners within this context.  You, Lord, are the God of completeness and perfection, without contradiction or wrong.  You are the one we can trust totally.]

Psa 11:6  “Upon the wicked He will rain coals; Fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup.” [You, Lord God, will punish the evil, those who love violence, those who hate what is good, those who refuse to believe you and accept Truth.  This is not what you want, but it is what they choose. So you did in Sodom and Gomorrah. So you did in Canaan to those who rejected you, so you will do to all those who refuse your offer of goodness and grace.  There can be no justice without punishment of evil.]

Psa 11:7  “For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness;” [Praise you, Lord God, that in your there is no evil, no darkness, no sin, no wrong.  You are righteous and love righteousness. You cannot be corrupted and corrupt no one.]

“His countenance beholds the upright.” [You in your love and goodness, look ever on us who stand in the uprightness of Christ. You are aware of every event that comes to us, you filter out what is truly evil and harmful, you equip us to deal with what you allow through.  Your love is great, rich, pure and powerful.  You have qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the Kingdom of Light!  To you be glory, honor and praise forever. May you be lifted up, honored and exalted in my life today in my motives, thoughts, words and actions. Amen.]

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The Land of Acceptance

Lord God, my King and Master, you have set us undeservedly in such a wide place, a position of light and love, of grace and goodness, of beauty and brightness, of color and care.  It is a country of belonging where all depends on your gracious heart, your ever-flowing spring of love that waters all relationships, washing away the stains of self-effort and shame of failure.

In your lovely forgiveness-filled eyes, on your pure grace-giving lips, in your powerful, health-bestowing hands is the message of acceptance: cleansing, delight and favor.

In your presence we, who deserve eternal separation from you, are deeply loved, doted on and delighted in. This is not because of anything we are, but because of all you are, Lord Jesus: King of Grace, Lord of Love, Master of Restoration.  In you all is made right, all harm is banished, all evil is righted.  Your eyes are deep, firey and forgiving; your acts are those of righteousness where mercy triumphs over justice; yours are the thoughts of good for people of evil.

You are at work, turning the kingdom of this world right side up: you will make the kingdom of darkness into a Kingdom of Light.  With you there is hope, a future, a certainty of eternity in joy.  Praise you for the foretaste now as we can gaze upon your grace and be consistently transformed more and more into your image by the Spirit of power.  You, Lord Jesus, are worthy of worship, glory and honor, both now and forever more.

 

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The Purpose of Life: Psalm 11:1,2

Praise be to you, Lord God, for your wonderful wisdom working consistently in the lives of your children, bringing protection, guidance, goodness, suffering and difficulties.  You know what is best, you know what is right.  You give opportunity for faith-responses, for glory-giving, for grace-demonstrations, for volitional praise, for clenched teeth obedience.  These are the purpose for our existence: to bring honor to you, to be reflectors of your glory, to exalt your name and your Word above all other things.

I praise you for another day, another opportunity to live for you, to live by faith, to offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving and thereby honor you while opening the way so your salvation can flow further into my future and that of those around me. (Ps. 50:23)

Psa 11:1 “In the Lord I put my trust;” [Yes, Lord, I willfully choose to trust you, not myself, not people, not circumstances, not power nor politicians.  You alone are the One to rest in, for you are Powerful, All-knowing, All-seeing, All-loving.  I choose to praise you in and for all things, for the difficult as well as the delightful. Your faithful, sinless, errorless character, displayed in the rich outpouring of your Love in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, is all the proof we need that you are good.  I choose to trust you.]

“How can you say to my soul, ‘Flee as a bird to your mountain’?”  [No mountain will save me, no mountain will love me, no mountain is impregnable.  Only you, Lord, are an actual, adequate refuge and strength, my High Tower, my Mighty Rock. To you, Lord, I will flee when worry, fear, danger or loss threaten. To you I will offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving—praising you when it costs me, when I don’t feel like it. Your help is all I need.]

Psa 11:2  “For look! The wicked bend their bow, They make ready their arrow on the string, That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.” [If I fly to temporal help, I make myself vulnerable to attacks of the enemy.  If I set my heart on a desired solution rather than God’s glory, I have made myself open to attack, to loss, to failure, pain and death.

However, if I set my heart on praising you, Lord, rather than on having my way, my desire, my plan, than You will shield my head in the day of battle. I may not got what I desire, but I will be able to exalt your name in praise, fulfilling the purpose you have for my life and live in the freedom of knowing You will do what is best.

What a privilege to live for you, my Great King, Ruler of the universe, Spinner of the Earth, Bringer of the dawn, Beginner and Ender of time.  You are the One to be exalted, praised, honored and worshiped.  I bow before you in surrender, I rise up to obey you this day with all my heart.  May the mediations of my heart and the words of my mouth be pleasing to You, my mighty Rock and my Redeemer. (Ps 19:14)]

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Prayer for Revival

For your name’s sake, Lord, for your glory and honor, work amongst us to  bring revival: reveal Your holiness in such a way to bring us to our knees; show us our sinfulness enough to strike us to the ground; and then pour out the healing knowledge of how much You love and forgive us; finally, stand us again on our feet, transformed as Job was, humbled and broken, not trusting in ourselves, but trusting only in you, the great and mighty King, Creator of everything.

May our resulting worship be unbroken, deep, whole-hearted.  May our first love for you, our Bridegroom, well up continually, expressed every day by obedience in joy.  May You be glorified by our living lives worthy of You, “being filled with the knowledge of Your will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding…being fruitful in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all might…so we have great endurance and patience, joyfully giving thanks to You who have qualified us to be partakes of the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.  For You have rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of Your son whom You love, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins.” (Col 1:9-15)  Glory be to You in all I do today!

 

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Psalm 23 part 3

Ps 23: 5b, 6 “You anoint my head with oil;” [As my Shepherd you care for me, you pour out your goodness on me every day.  Oil here can represent many things, among them the Holy Spirit, protection, blessing, provision and healing.  Shepherds put oil on the heads of sheep to keep away pesky insects, to heal wounds, to refresh.  You, Lord, provide for us all these and more in your gracious giving, pouring out continually from your unending, inexhaustible store of riches.]

“My cup runs over.” [You bring me what I need and far more.  What I actually need is air, water, food, clothing, shelter and love.  When I look at what you have given me it is way beyond that, much more than what I need spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, physically, socially, financially and in every other realm.  And it is my privilege and responsibility to share these with others, let your blessings to me flow over on others.  For example, the joy you give me should bring joy to others as I am kind, thoughtful, positive and helpful to them, whether I feel like it or not. The material provisions I should be sharing around.  The spiritual riches I should also be passing along.  In your Kingdom getting and hoarding is not the norm, receiving and giving is.]

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;” [Goodness and mercy are your constant gifts to your children; it is a certainty that in each situation you are pouring these into our lives, but very often we cannot see them at the moment—however, when we look back at a difficult situation, there they are, following us!  This has been and will be true throughout the whole of our lives with you.  You are faithful, you are good and you are merciful. Praise be to you my wonderful Shepherd!]

“And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.” [What a hope for the future: I WILL be in your presence for eternity.  Death holds no fear, shortness of life holds no panic, the future holds no threat: we press on to what you have for us now in this life and more so in the next.  You are the One we yearn for, live for, hope for, and our hope is as certain as your Love, your Word, your Power, your present Presence!  Glory and honor are due your wonderful Name, Lord Jesus. May my life give you honor today as I trust you through praise and thanksgiving in and for all.]

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Psalm 23 part 2

Psalm 23:4,5a

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;”  One of the paths of righteousness you will lead me on goes through this dark valley.  It may be a time of dying to a desire, to my will, to a possession or it may be physical danger and suffering or death. It may be a threat to what is right and true.  Whatever it is, I do not need to fear that evil will triumph.

There may be loss and suffering, but in the end evil will not win, you, Lord Shepherd, will win.  I think of Paul in his shipwreck: there were days of uncertainty where he was cold, wet and hungry, and then the crashing of the ship into a sandbar and everyone having to swim to shore. There was evil present: the soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners, Paul included, so they couldn’t escape, but that was prevented. Then the viper bit Paul, but God protected him and no harm was done.

It was a dark valley, caused by faulty human decisions, but in it the witness of Paul shone brighter in his faith, in his declaration of God’s sovereignty, in his prediction (all possesions will be lost, all people will be saved), and in his being protected.  Without that dark, the light would have not been seen so clearly. God protects us from what will harm us spiritually as we take refuge in His love, power and truth and in this we can shine as a light house for those seeking Truth.

“I will fear no evil for You are with me;”  You, Lord God, are ever present, never leaving us.  If there is threatening evil, you are also there, watching, providing, protecting in whatever way you deem best.  When the door to the future opens and we have no idea what is on the other side, we can be sure that you are there, waiting to greet us.

“Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”  Your shepherd’s rod, a club to beat off attackers, is powerful, effective, faithful.  You are undefeatable; you have already won. We can rest in uncertainty because you are certain.

And your staff is there for us, the shepherd’s crook used to correct the sheep as they stray.  You are faithful to warn us when we wander willfully out of the path: you tap us, or you pull us back, you guide us persistently.  Praise you for your wisdom, your love, your faithfulness that assures us of your protection and guidance.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;”  As the good Shepherd, you bring us into a place to graze.  On the edges of this pasture may lurk wolves, bears, lions, or the great serpent, Satan.  Their presence, however, does not need to disturb us, for you are our protector.  No one can defeat you, no one can thwart your purposes. We can ignore the threats of the enemy and quietly, peacefully feed on what you have given, resting in your goodness, greatness and glory.

You are our Shepherd, our Warrior King who has defeated the enemy.  As we remain in the shelter of your Word, your way, your wisdom, praising you in and for all, we are safe–not from suffering but certainly from spiritual harm.  Praise be to you for your marvelous gift of being our loving, wise and faithful Shepherd. Glory be to you forever and ever.

 

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Psalm 23 part 1

I praise you that as I awoke this morning, Lord, you were there: my Shepherd, my Lord,  my King.  I praise you that this day I shall not want, for you in your wisdom, your riches, your power have provided all that I need and much more— as your Word says, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” 2 Peter 1:3,4

You as my Shepherd make me to lie down in green pastures—you don’t ask, you make me lie down.  You select the pasture I need now and keep me there as long as is needed so I can grow and deepen, mature and develop.

Joseph in the OT didn’t particularly want to be a slave, or go to prison, but that was the green pasture you had for him where he learned to deny self, to live for you and to be a good administrator.  Then he was equipped to save many others, including his family, the Egyptians, the line of Jesus and eventually us!

As your Word says, whatever comes to us is our present green pasture:  “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.’ James 1:2-4

You lead me beside the still waters—you give me time to be with you, to take in, to gain eternal perspective.  You lead but I must both follow and drink, I must spend time in your Word, in worship, in intercession and confession, pouring out my heart, lifting my soul to you.  And I can do this because you are “good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy to all who come to you.” Psalm 86:5

As I cooperate, you will restore my soul: you will bring refreshment, perspective, understanding, greater faith and more praise.  You restore my soul to more of it’s pre-fall perspective, making me more like yourself. “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory….” 2 Cor 3:18

You will then lead me in paths of righteousness for your name’s sake—and again, I must choose to follow.  I can be sure that where you lead me will be right, righteous, pure, positive and godly.  If I sense leading which is not one of these, then I can know that this is not you leading me, but subtle and sneaky call of the world, the flesh and the devil.  I want to give you glory in all I do, so for the sake of your name will gladly follow your righteous lead, no matter how much self denial it requires.

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You Only Can I Trust, O Lord

Praise you, Lord, that you are the Sovereign One, the prayer-answering, power-giving, all-providing God.  Praise you that you are the Place of Refuge, the Stronghold in times of trouble, the Great Shepherd, the Warrior King.

I praise you that yesterday you guided us through the difficulties, the attacks of the enemy, the traps set for us.  I praise you that you guided me in not defending myself, not striking back, not replying in kind. Praise you that you helped me to remember that my significance is found in you, that you led me to respond with praise when I wanted to complain, to let go of my desire, to hold on to your love, grace and truth and to rise above the events.

You are great and gracious, O God, you are powerful and perfect, good and glorious.  I praise you for the privilege of being your son, your beloved one, your servant, your heir.

I praise you, too, for what you are going to do today.  Praise you that you have been through this day, preparing things and are preparing us.  I praise you now for what you will do. Work things out so we will give glory to you, so that we will have opportunity to give you honor, praise and exaltation throughout the day.  I thank you, Lord, I am so glad to belong to you, to have purpose, protection, power and provision from your hand.  You are my rock, you are my Shepherd, you are my God and I revel in you.