Walking in Victory

God puts a guard over a Believer's mind and heart (Philippians 4:7). Our thoughts and emotions govern our actions. Weariness in body and soul leads to unsound decisions, as well as discouragement and depression, which drain our energy.

This negative state of being gives Satan the advantage over us, because our guard is down and our faith is low. In these jaded and uninspired times, we more easily give in to temptation, which causes us to make poor choices.

God teaches us to capture our thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:5) and to fashion them according to His precepts (Romans 12:2). This enables us to step out of the role of the victim into a place of victory, regardless of how bad our current circumstances are.

Journaling helps us to discover the root of our negative thoughts, emotions, energy and drive. It also avails us of a place to record the advice God gives us during these negative periods in our life. As we courageously wait on the Lord, He strengthens our heart (Psalm 27:14).

We overcome life's issues by the blood of the Lamb (Rev 12:11), not by any human wisdom, religious belief, or self-help formula. God's Spirit changes us from one stage of glory to the next during His sanctifying process of our soul (2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 Corinthians 6:11).

God cares about every aspect of our life, even about what we eat and drink (1 Corinthians 10:31). Our diet affects our health in body, soul and spirit. Our spiritual diet of God's Word is also important to strengthen us to face Satan's fiery darts as overcomers (Ephesians 6:16).

With salvation, our spirit is regenerated and redeemed; with sanctification, our soul is made holy; and we look forward to the glorification of our body, when Christ returns to the earth to claim His Bride.

Prayer:

Father God, teach us the difference between truth that sets us free (John 8:32), and Satanic lies that hold us in bondage throughout our lifetime. Remind us to take frequent inventories of our thoughts and emotions, and to use the principles in the Serenity Prayer to keep our mind focused on You.

Help us to forgive those who impose their issues on us - they are human, and are doing their best to survive in this world as we are. Help us also to increase our intimacy with Christ in us, so that we trust only and always in You. We accept Your will for each moment of our life.

Thought for the Day:

We walk in the Spirit, not because we are afraid of God's wrath if we make mistakes, but because we find our peace in the shelter of His wings, and we walk with confidence as we hear His still, small voice within us telling us which way to go each moment of the day.

- Philippians 4:7; 1 Kings 19:12, Isaiah 30:21

A Good Marriage - Finding a Balance

Busyness is the enemy of good relationships. We overly schedule our time and have no resources for what is really important - family. Loneliness is common even in marriage. We marry for companionship, only to allow life's busyness to exclude time for each other.

We enroll the kids in all sorts of extra-curricular activities and sit in the stands - not talking, just watching - while they interact with their friends. We bring our work home with us or vegetate in front of the TV and take no time to chat, share our heart, laugh or have fun together.

It takes a lifetime to figure out what is important in life, such as: entering God's rest, letting go of shame, resisting Satan's lies, building bridges rather than walls, praying without ceasing, showing compassion for our self and others, and finding that third alternative when we disagree.

Pride always goes before the fall (Proverbs 16:18). It prevents needed communication, puts others on the defensive, erects walls between us, and etches away at our intimacy with one another. Open, compassionate communication will tear down those walls.

Finding a balance between responsibilities and relationships is worth the effort. Simplifying our commitments helps to free up our time and energy for each other. Maintaining a partnership in life, rather than a completion, is key for love to flourish.

A life of constant motion wears us out; so taking time to rest in the Lord and to snuggle those we love is rejuvenating to our body and soul, as well as theirs. Praying together to seek God's will in every decision, and playing and laughing together make life worthwhile.

Prayer:

Father God, help us to search out Your perspective on life and to marry a person that shares that concept. Open doors for us to minister together, and remind us to make time for each other as a couple. Remind us that as we value, appreciate and cherish one another, we seek our mate's benefit as well as our own. Help us to give our spouse freedom to make their own goals, even if they do not include us, or if we disagree with them.

Help us to make each other a priority every day. Give us ideas on how to care for each other's individual needs. Remind us to take time to connect, chat, and nurture one another through his/her feelings and fears, priorities and goals. Remind us to make You the focal point in our life together, and to seek You together in every decision and goal (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Thought for the Day:

Couple time ideas:

Pray together, and seek God's will for every decision.

Go out to dinner.

Chat over ice cream or coffee.

Make a lunch date.

Snuggle on the couch and talk.

Go on a leisurely walk around the neighborhood.

Ride bikes.

Hike a nature trail and notice life all around you.

Watch the sunset from the back porch.

Sit down and really talk as a couple -Talk about your biggest dreams together; share your wildest dreams, hopes and desires.

Find a ministry outreach to do together: teach a class, work in a soup kitchen, volunteer at a church thrift store, pass out blankets to the homeless.

Start a savings account to take a vacation together every year.

Support each other, even when you disagree.

Send a text or email and tell your mate what you love about him/her.

God's Continual Goodness

A visiting woman to our congregation said to me, "It is quite obvious that you have lived a pampered life." I was amazed that she would say that; but then realized that she did not know me or the struggles in my history.

She was basing her assumption on the fact that the peace of God fills every cell in my body, soul and spirit - His peace, which transcends human understanding and shines from the inside out for all to see.

I have not had a pampered life in the natural, but my Heavenly Father spoils me rotten. I owe the person that I am today to the sanctifying work of Christ in my life (Philippians 3:8). There is no good thing in me or in my character that did not come from God (Romans 7:18).

I am a person who clings to and relies on Jesus Christ for my very life - through every trial, every physical infirmity and abuse, every rejection, and every moment of insecurity and fear through which I live (Colossians 3:3-4; 1 Timothy 5:8; Malachi 2:14).

Many people endure hardships much greater than I have, and rise from them to live positive, productive lives without Christ; although, they are never completely fulfilled, because their spirit is still dead in sin.

God replaced the negative aspects of my melancholy personality with the fruit of His Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23); He gave me the courage to trust in Him during times of abuse, abandonment, hard work, illness and discouragement.

He showed me that my true identity is in Christ, and not in my human personality and abilities (Colossians 1:27). He taught me through experience that He places a seed for a miracle in every trial, which He works out for my good (Romans 8:28).

God gives me His love, salvation and sanctification that I did not earn, because they are all free gifts from Him (Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 3:1-3). He also gave me a wonderful husband, who loves God more than he loves me, and who loves me more than he loves himself.

Prayer:

Father God, I am humbled by Your love in my life. I am so glad that I have eternity to continue to sing praises to You for all that You have done, are doing and promise to do for me. Thank You for never leaving or forsaking me (Hebrews 13:5), and for teaching me to trust You in the good times and the bad, because You always turn everything around for my good (Romans 8:28).

You shower me with blessings and prove to me throughout the day that I am the apple of Your eye (Psalm 17:8; Zechariah 2:8). You cherish me as Your unique child (1 Peter 2:9). Help my testimony of Your goodness in my life to bring many to a saving knowledge of Your love in their life as well. All things considered, I really am living a very pampered life!

Thought for the Day:

God's presence in our life delights our soul - our thoughts, choices and feelings; heals our body; and nurtures our spirit through each and every day that we dwell on this earth; then when we pass from this life, He finally receives us into His presence in glory to dwell in eternity with Him forever.

- John 5:24

Trusting without Reservation

It is easy to say, "I trust in the Lord." However, trusting without any amount of reservation is extremely hard. We have faith in God's faithfulness; yet, at times, there is a sniggling of doubt that plagues us.

This causes us not to trust with ALL of our heart (Proverbs 3:5-6). We hesitate in the recesses of our mind, driven by some indescribable curse of uncertainty. There is an amount of risk involved in letting go of control.

Thankfully, God continually proves His faithfulness to us. Trusting enough to walk away from a situation, and to leave the issue in God's capable hands, takes a measure of faith. Therefore, we are tempted to call on human resources - our own and other people's - to bail us out of difficulties.

This is only helpful if God's directs us to do so, because He may be setting us up for some divine opportunity to make a new friend, or to fellowship with or to encourage an old friend by enlisting them to help us.

However, this trial may be giving us an opportunity to allow patience to work perfection in us (James 1:4-8). Most humans do not possess much patience. We despise waiting for any length of time. So we have need of this exercise in maturity.

Throughout our life, Daddy God always brings a miracle out of every trial, and this builds our faith. Yet, sometimes we still struggle with that twinge of doubt caused by our human penchant to overthink a problem. Fear of the unknown is the culprit here.

There is risk in every action we take, even when we are sure of the outcome; because life has a way of squeezing right out of our mold for it. We have an innate compulsion to keep our self safe, regardless of the possibilities and liabilities of our actions.

Faith takes courage, as well as trust in God, to help us to deal with any unknown contingencies. Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), and trusting without reservation is equally challenging at times; however, God even helps us in our unbelief (Mark 9:24).

Prayer:

Father God, You know our weaknesses, and You give us strength to trust even when we have reservations. Thank You for Your promises, for examples in Your Word of Saints who also struggled with their faith; and for Your assurance that everything culminates in blessings for us, if we love You and are the called according to Your purposes (Romans 8:28). Remind us not to trust in our own understanding, but to consult You each moment of our day.

In every situation that we encounter, help us to place all of our concerns on Your capable shoulders, and to yoke up with You throughout our lifetime (Matthew 11:29-30). Teach us to pray and praise, even when circumstances threaten to overwhelm us. You are our strength, our defense, and our salvation in every situation, which we experience (Isaiah 12:2).

Thought for the Day:

Trusting God with every fiber of our soul - our thoughts, choices and emotions - is difficult at best, unless we wholeheartedly trust that He will always make our path straight when we walk by His Spirit and in His ways and timing.

- Isaiah 59:8-9; Proverbs 3:5-6; Galatians 5:15-25

Close to You

Relationships are tricky. They have an ebb and flow with a timing of their own. Two distinct personalities with their own set of individual circumstances are unpredictable at best. One person may be more interested than the other, or it may be mutual attraction.

One choice sets us up for heart break, the other has more potential, but there is never a guarantee. Even after years of marriage, one mate may decide there is no future together, and that divorce is the only option.

The most important relationship we can ever cultivate is with God. Knowing Him personally through an intimate relationship is easy and eternal (John 3:16-17). Yet, three-fourths of the world reject Him for their own personal reasons (John 3:18).

Some people do repent of their sins, and never go to God again unless they need something - a superficial relationship. Others go overboard to impress God and to keep the letter of His law - unsuccessfully, of course.

However, the way to nurture our relationship with our Creator, Savior and King is through prayer - casual talking to God without ceasing, through every moment and aspect of our day (1 Thessalonians 5:17). The more we interact, the more He hears and provides.

Prayer enables us to see our problems and decisions from God's point of view instead of our own. It helps us to totally surrender our desire, goals and ideas to God; and to submit to His perfect plans for our life (John 7:17).

Reading God's Word also allows us to deepen our intimate relationship with God. We learn to walk by faith (Matthew 9:29), by seeing how others trusted God and what He did for them. His living Word divides our humanity from our spirituality (Hebrews 4:12).

Prayer:

Father God, help us to share our experiences with others to help them to deepen their relationship with You too. Our circumstances turn into learning moments for us and for those involved in our life. We long for more intimacy with You as You use us for Your Kingdom's advancement each and every day.

Remind us that if we trust in our self, we lose before we even start (Psalm 49: 12-13). Your power is greater and Your glory deeper, when You use broken vessels for Your honor. We count it a privilege to be ranked in their number. Help us to cooperate as You continually prepare us to do Your will on the earth.

Thought for the Day:

In our relationships we can give or take, bless or demand, love or live selfishly; our choices make the difference in our fulfillment both now and for eternity.

The Gift of Grace

What a glorious gift God's grace is for us. I depend on God's grace all through the day. It fills my soul with peace and gives me confidence in God's love for me. Through grace, there is no longer any condemnation when I make mistakes (Romans 8:1).

Some people see grace as a license to continue to live in sin (Romans 6:1-2). Actually, the blood of the Lamb provides us with grace, and we should not take His sacrifice lightly. Grace actually aids us in walking in holiness toward perfection (1 Peter 1:15; Revelation 7:14).

The law of the Spirit of life sets us free from the law of sin and death that used to be the norm for our life (Romans 8:2). Uncompromising adherence to God's Word, enables us to experience the fullness of God's grace.

Through the power of God’s Spirit within us (Acts 1:8), we stand against the temptations of the flesh, the world and the deceitfulness of Satan’s wiles, which strive to draw us away from God’s truth. Then, we can live in the victory of a purified life (James 1:13-16).

Not only does patience do a perfecting work in us (), but the perfection of Christ in us helps us to walk in holiness (Matthew 5:48). Like Enoch, we can walk with God in intimate communion (Genesis 5:24; Hebrews 11:5).

Walking in obedience to God's Spirit each moment of the day allows us to live in perfection. Trials and temptation are opportunities to choose to revere Christ with our life (1 Peter 1:7), and to live by our convictions (Romans 5:1-5).

Living a life of holiness is our tribute to Christ for His sacrifice on our behalf. We give Him the honor due His name by following in His footsteps (2 Corinthians 7:1). We persevere in holy living until we come to a place of complete maturity in Christ (James 1:4).

Prayer:

Father God, help us to trust in Christ’s grace to give us the wisdom and the strength to stand strong and to overcome; so that we can come forth from fiery trials as pure gold (Job 23:10; Philippians 2:12-13). Remind us that we are crucified with Christ, which means that our old nature is already dead, and He is living within us (Galatians 2:20).

Teach us that if we walk in the Spirit, we will never fulfill the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). You promise to rescue Your children from temptations, which are greater than we can bear, and Your grace gives us a way of escape from them (1 Corinthians 10:13). We simply need to look for Your help.

Thought for the Day:

By God’s abounding grace it is possible to:

·       Live one minute without sinning.

·       If one minute, then we can go five minutes.

·       If five minutes, then we can live one hour without sinning.

·       If one hour, then we can live one whole day for the glory of God.

·       If one day, then one lifetime can be lived in the perfection of Jesus Christ, who lives His life in and through us, if we dare to trust only in Him.

Praise God and Thrive

When we experience life's battles, we can turn our fears, insecurity, premonitions and depression into prayers. These are not complaints, but honest confessions of our true thoughts and feelings to our Living Lord of Glory (1 Corinthians 2:8).

Our actual struggle is spiritual warfare, not with human beings or things of this world, but with authorities and powers in dark places, and spiritual forces in the heavenly realm (Ephesians 6:12). Yet, no weapon they use against us can affect us, when we are in Christ, and He is in us (Isaiah 54:17).

The Good News is that Jesus overcame every enemy, both earthly and spiritual, on Calvary's cross; now it just remains for us to walk in that victory. Christ in us is greater than any force in this world or the spiritual realm (1 John 4:4).

We simply draw near to God, resist Satan's forces, and they must flee from us (James 4:7). When we are in the anguish of a trial, we call to God, and He hears our voice; then He protects us in spirit, soul and body.

A person's evil lies, hurtful comments and bitter words attempt to shoot out unexpectedly, like arrows into our soul; but God turns that around against them (Psalm 64:1-4, 7). They trap themselves in their own schemes and words, and feel the shame of their attempts to smear and belittle us.

God's glorious defense of us will spread like wildfire in our community, and God will get the glory. He keeps our soul from growing cold and lifeless, filled with depression and despair. We will get the last laugh, and we turn our joy into praise to our loving and protective Father God (Psalm 64:8-10).

Prayer:

Father God, we have so much gratitude in our heart toward You and Your mighty deeds on our behalf. We turn even our negative experiences and feelings into praise for Your love and provision for us through every positive and negative experience in our life. Thank You for drawing our heart toward You for salvation, which is not only redemption of our spirit, but of our body and soul as well.

When we tend to get weary of the continual uphill battles in life, remind us to trust You for the outcome. Remind us that at times, although praise may be a sacrifice (Hebrews 13:15), it is the best way to defeat Satan's lies. We walk in continual victory with Your presence in us, as it also surrounds us on every side (1 Corinthians 15:57; Romans 8:31-39; Ephesians 3:18).

Thought  for the Day:
When our battles are the most overwhelming, we strengthen our faith by praising our Mighty God, because praise is the most effective weapon against the kingdom of darkness; therefore, let us praise God from the sunrise into the night watches, because His name is worthy of all of our honor, praise and glory.

- Psalm 113:3, 119:148