The
passage of the present health care bill will be a catastrophic victory for
President Obama. So argues Peggy Noonan in her most recent WSJ article as she analyzes the administration's
misjudgment of the public mood. Noonan also looks back at catastrophic
victories for previous administrations and predicts that the Republicans risk a
catastrophic victory in the 2010 elections.
Perhaps
Noonan has inadvertently provided an explanation for why the church of Christ
is often defeated, divided, and depleted? God is saving her from the risk of
catastrophic victory - a victory which would result in long-term harm rather
than health. In the Old Testament, God could have given Israel total victory.
Instead He allowed hostile nations to remain as thorns in their sides to keep
His people needy, humble, and looking to Christ through sacrifice (Judges
2:3-4). In the New Testament, God could have established perfect churches.
Instead we find the Corinthians, the Galatians, the Thessalonians, etc, with
all their problems and needs.
And
perhaps this explains our personal defeats and disasters as well. Like Paul we
are given thorns in our flesh lest we should be "exalted above
measure" (2 Cor. 12:7). This thorn kept Paul needy and seeking Christ's
all-sufficient grace.
In other words, though the Devil can turn our victories into defeats, God can turn our defeats into victories.
Read more like this at Dr. Murray's own personal blog, Head Heart Hand.