Victory and Sufficiency

When we view our life from the perspective of our responsibilities, world disasters, terrorist unrest, failing economy and relational issues with family, community and at work, our heart fails us for fear (Luke 21:26).

We prefer to stay in bed in the morning, hiding under the warmth and security of our covers. We want to roll over and continue to sleep like Rip van Winkle and wake up to a whole new world.

Our familiar companions throughout our day are fear, insecurity, doubt and trepidation. Our broken life and world tend to overwhelm us with hopelessness and doubt.

We have no guarantee that our greatest fear or the unexpected catastrophe will not catch us off guard and put us flat on our back or in the hole financially, emotionally or mentally.

Some of us rely on addictions to get us through the day. We adopt bad habits that relieve pressure on the surface, but actually compound our problems in the long run, because we end up reaping the negative aspects, which we sow.

We are too proud and stubborn and rebellious to turn to God and follow His will for our day. We think that we are safer when we remain in control, but this is merely a false illusion to which we cling.

Once we come to God for salvation and allow Him to hide us in the cleft of His Rock, Jesus Christ, the scales fall off our eyes. We clearly see the road to destruction which we formerly followed.

We are filled with His peace and joy overflowing from our spirit and soul as we trust God with our life (Isaiah 43:2). We sing His praises night and day.

As we increase our love and devotion to God, we grow spiritually and the false illusions of this world slip into proper perspective. We realize that as we hide our self through Christ in God, nothing which occurs can touch our life unless it is His will (Colossians 3:1-4).

We walk in unity with His Spirit and grow in our faith in His faithfulness. He gives us the strength, wisdom, provision and mercy we need to face each moment of the day in victory and sufficiency.

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that we must uproot sin in our life without compromise or sympathy. These little foxes spoil the vine (Solomon 2:15) and prevent us from bearing fruit for You through our life. We cannot perfect our self (Galatians 3:1-3), but we can submit to Your Holy Spirit's sanctifying work (Romans 8; Philippians 2:12-13).

Stir a hunger and passion in us to do only Your will with our life, and to dedicate our heart to Your Word and love. Remind us that you are not only in charge of our life, but of the entire world in which we live (Ezekiel 38:4). You have the ages and times in Your capable hands and we can have faith in Your faithfulness.

Thought for the Day:

God instructed Israel to complete destroy the nations currently inhabiting the land, which He gave them, because He knew their sin would infect Israel and pull their hearts away from Him and His truth; in the same way we rid our life of the sins which so easily hold us back. 

- Deuteronomy 7:22, 11:16; Hebrews 12:1

Joyful Thanksgiving

We each suffer terrible trials during our lifetime. We are ridiculed, rejected, abused, accused, deprived, discouraged, denied, and broken when we experience various levels of disaster and disease. Only by the power of God's Spirit within us can we praise when we want to fight or run away.

God advises us to praise Him during these appalling times, because God is in them with us. He never leaves us, so our joy is always complete (Hebrews 13:5; John 15:11). We can give thanks for every trial, because it cannot come to us unless He allows it, and because He reduces its negative effect on us (Romans 8:28).

God calls His children to live with gratitude to Him in our heart through every situation we experience (James 1:2-5; Hebrews 12:3-13; 1 Peter 2:20-21). The Spirit teaches us that our joy does not depend on our circumstances, but simply on the fact that we are constantly in the presence of Christ.

Jesus allowed His own body to be broken (Isaiah 53:10-11). Yet prior to his torture and crucifixion, he gave thanks for God's mercy in His life and for His hope of our everlasting existence (Luke 22:19;). He knew this was the only way to forgive our sins, so He suffered and died in our place (Philippians 2:11, John 15:11; Psalm 16:11).

Jesus is our only way, truth and life (John 14:6). Our most shattering experience and most dreadful day are God's best tools to increase our intimate relationship with Him. In our gratitude, we sing songs of praise to the Lord and serve Him with His joy in our heart (1 Thessalonians 5:18). The Lord is God, and He made us; so we belong to Him. The Psalms are full of reasons to give thanks to God (Psalm 30, 50, 69, 92, 95, 105, 118, etc).

Prayer:

Father God, we always give thanks to You, in the name of Jesus, for everything; even the negative aspects of our life (Ephesians 5:20). Whatever occurs is from You for the purpose of bringing our body, soul or spirit is line with Your perfect will for us. Through Christ, even when we are out of human options and feeling abandoned, we continually offer the sacrifice of praise to You with words inspired by thanksgiving for all You already did, as well as what You will continue to do for us (Hebrews 13:15).

Thought for the Day:

We begin all of our prayers with words of thanksgiving and praise, because God is good and His mercy and truth are everlasting. - Psalm 100

Broken and Spilled Out

The idea of being broken means to separate into parts, usually by some violent act. This causes the broken pieces to have rough, uneven and disconnected edges. We are often crushed, cracked, strained and fractured by events in our life. We feel confused and fearful. We inadvertently injure others because of our own jagged, inner wounds. We have an imperfect life ruined by the ravages of sin. Jesus allowed His own body to be broken and His blood to be spilled out for our eternal healing in body, soul and spirit (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). He came to heal the brokenhearted by the anointing of God’s Holy Spirit (Luke 4:18).

Even if we are pressed in on every side by troubles, we are not crushed. We may be disheartened, but not driven to despair. Our enemies may hunt us down, but God never abandons us. Even if we are persecuted, it happens so that Christ’s character can be revealed in us. We share in Christ’s eternal life, even if we also share in His sufferings (2 Corinthians 4:7-12). God is always near to the broken hearted and He saves those who are crushed in Spirit (Psalm 34:18).

Our suffering here on earth cannot even compare to the unspeakable glory and joy that God will reveal in us and to us through the power of Christ’s resurrection. He comforts all who mourn (Matthew 5:4). God requires from us a spirit, which is humbly broken and contrite (Psalm 51:17). If we fall upon Christ by faith, we may be crushed; but He will save us. Conversely, those who reject Jesus actually expose themselves to danger, ultimate ruin and eternal destruction, because the rock of Christ will fall on them and annihilate them (Luke 20:18; John 3:16-18).

Due to their unbelief, the Jewish branches were broken off from God’s vine. This allowed the Gentile Believers to be grafted into Jesus, who is the vine (Romans 11:19; John 15:5). However, God will not allow the crushed stem to be completely broken or their feeble light to be put out entirely (Matthew 12:20). After the times of the Gentiles, when the Bride of Christ is at her wedding feast, the Jews will receive another chance to accept Jesus as their Savior during the Great Tribulation period (Romans 11:25; Revelation 7:4). Then together we will rule and reign with Christ for eternity (2 Timothy 2:12).

It is only after we humbly recognize our need for our Savior that we call upon Him. He will always answer us, and show us great and mighty things (Jeremiah 33:33). As God does His sanctifying work in us, we slowly come to a place where we completely surrender our plans for our life and follow God’s will for us instead. It is then that we wonder why it took us so long to submit to His unconditional love. In reality, we can do nothing less than offer our total life, broken and spilled out in our love for Christ. Through this sacrificial love we will change the world, one life at a time.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, just like the alabaster jar You allowed Your body to be broken and spilled out for the salvation of mankind (Matthew 26:7; John 10:18). Through this act of sacrifice, You gave the most generous, impossible and extravagant gift to the whole world that we can ever receive - the free gift of salvation through Your  blood. You opened the way for us to enter into the Holy of Holies (Hebrews 10:19-22); so that we can worship You together forever.  

Thought for the Day: A broken life becomes a willing servant of the Lord.