There are days when the dysfunction and brokenness of the world can be overwhelming. Gardens grow weeds, governments migrate toward tyranny and rejection of the moral law seems to be the order of the day. On top of all this I see my own tendency toward selfishness and rebellion. Everywhere I look I see chaos that results from the Fall.

In thinking about this today, a song lyric started running through my head:

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

These lyrics are from the song Behold the Lamb of God by Andrew Peterson which provide a needed reminder of the victory that has been won over the chaos around me and within me.

Yet, the Cross is on only the beginning of the victory. The third verse of the song provides the ultimate encouragement:

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace,
One in Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God!

As Paul tells us in Romans 1:4, the resurrection is the proof that Jesus has the power to conquer the chaos.

When despair seems to be the logical response to all the problems we can see, it is then that we must choose to look beyond the chaos to see the risen Christ as triumphant. He is large and in charge and at some point in time will set all right.

Jesus himself told us,

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”” (John 16:33, ESV)

Jesus wins. I’m good with that.