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

The Faith of the Son of God

How can we live by the faith of the Son of God? First and foremost, we live by faith through the mercy and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and His provision for us of regeneration and resurrection (Galatians 2:20; Titus 3:5).

Prior to Christ's appearing, Believers lived imprisoned under the law, our tutor to bring us to faith in Him. Now that Christ paid the penalty for our sins, we are freed from bondage to the law (Galatians 3:23). We obey through love instead.

We stand firm on our faith in the Rock of Christ throughout the issues of life (2 Corinthians 1:24). We are justified by this solid trust in Calvary's saving grace (Romans 3:30).

Faith has little to do with hope, trust or claiming God’s Word. It has everything to do with Christ who abides within us. If we did not have the faith of Christ within us, we could not have faith in Christ and His redemptive work for us on Calvary’s cross (Ephesians 1:7).

Through faith, we realize that God chose us as His children in Christ (Galatians 3:26). As God's righteous, we live by faith, and hold on to it with a clear conscience (Romans 1:17; 1 Timothy 1:19).

We live in God’s righteousness, not by keeping rules and regulations, but by the faith of Christ to us all (Romans 3:21-22.) We demonstrate our faith through our thoughts, words and deeds (James 2:18).

If we say we trust God, yet never step out in obedience to His will for our life, then what good is our faith? (James 2:14) Faith inspires our actions. Faith and obedience working together are complete (James 2:22).

Prayer:
Father God, thank You for vanquishing our doubts and increasing our faith in Your faithfulness (Romans 14:23). We find our health and strength in the name of Jesus (Acts 3:16). We obey Your direction in our life because of the faith of Christ within us (Hebrews 11:7).

Help us to be examples of sincere faith in You to future generations, so that they too will please You (Hebrews 11:6), grow in their faith, (2 Timothy 1:5) and live blessed lives (Galatians 3:9).

Thought for the Day:

Our genuine faith in God's faithfulness is of much greater eternal value than anything this temporal world has to offer. - 1 Peter 1:7

Nothing is Impossible in Christ

 

 

As a new Christian, our character is still flawed with sin. However, as we allow God to sanctify our carnal nature, we grow into a more mature Christian, exhibiting the fruit of God's Spirit and having the nature of God (Galatians 5:22-23; 2 Peter 1:4). We accept His holiness in exchange for our sin.

The Holy Spirit is not limited by time and space. Even though our perfection is not evident in this earthly realm in which we live, it is already complete in the heavenly realm.

Sometimes, fear attempts to cripple our soul and causes us to relinquish our power and hope to Satan. In our new life in Christ, God gives us power over Satan and his debilitating lies and negative emotions (1 John 4:4).

God also provides us with His unconditional love to give us confidence to live in His peace and joy. As we base our hope in God, no threatening storm will intimidate our stability in Christ.

Christ alone is our chief corner stone in God’s house made without hands (Ephesians 2:19-22; 2 Corinthians 5:1). We live, move and have our entire existence in Him (Acts 17:28). Christ is not ashamed to call us family (Hebrews 2:11).

We no longer live for our selfish pleasures, because Christ lives within us. The life that we now live in our mortal body is lived through our confidence in and the faith of the Son of God who loves us and gave Himself for us (Galatians 2:20).

Prayer:

Father God, at times we find it difficult to muster the faith necessary to live through life’s circumstances (Hebrew 11:6). Remind us that in these trying times, we can pray, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). In doubt we accomplish nothing. In faith we have no limits to what is possible for those who trust in You.

In prayerful, peaceful confidence, Christ is our strength and our whole life (Isaiah 30:15; Colossians 3:3-4). Remind us not to make our own plans for the day, but to walk in Your perfect will for every moment of our life (Ephesians 2:10).

Thought for the Day:

We victoriously withstand any storm or trial, because our faith is built on the Rock of Christ.