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Friday, January 31, 2014

Joy Comes

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalm 30:5b, KJV).

Whatever my sorrow, it does not last forever. Whatever my struggle or battle, there will be a time of respite. Whatever comes against me will one day be over. Whatever my pain, there will at some point be release. No matter what I deal with in this life, the promises of peace and joy are real. My sorrow can anticipate the joy to come. The struggle that weighs me down does not determine my outcome. The pain that feels like a knife in my heart, lifts when I dwell on God's faithfulness instead of what I feel. There will never be more than I can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). He always provides a way of escape when there is too much. He is the answer that brings peace and joy. No matter what goes on in my life, God will keep me in perfect peace when my thoughts are on Him (Isaiah 26:3). When I give Him my sorrow, my battle, and the pain I try to control, and I plead with Him to handle what I can't, His peace sweeps over me (Philippians 4:6-7). No matter what has been, no matter what is now, and no matter what is to come, He is my only peace. His joy is my strength (Nehemiah 8:10). His strongest children are those who, in the night of weeping, confidently believe in the promise of joy in the morning .

Thursday, January 30, 2014

He Never Wastes My Hurt

Hurting is painful. When I have gone through suffering, my human desire is to move on as quickly as possible. But God may have other plans. He certainly doesn't desire for me to stay buried in that pain. He wants me healed from it. But He never wastes my hurt. He longs to use the pain I've experienced—the things that I regret—the highs and the lows—the fears and the failures—the very things I want to hide from—to help others. He wants my life open so others might find freedom from their own pain, and I might discover healing for mine.


Being open is a very hard place to be! I want to build a wall to protect myself from my own pain. But building a wall doesn't protect me. It imprisons my heart. My wall turns my heart into a heart of stone because, in closing myself off, I have shut out the Holy Spirit. However, when I allow that wall of false protection to tumble down, the Lord turns my pain into victory. “I'll give you a new heart, “the Lord promises, “and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).


A heart that yields completely to the Holy Spirit is a heart of tender “spiritual flesh”. It is a heart that is malleable, vulnerable, and not afraid of the pain that often accompanies healing. It is a heart that is ready to face the hurt of the past or the present head-on, and allow the Holy Spirit to do whatever is necessary. Willing to deal with whatever must be dealt with, this heart trusts that the Lord who has exposed the pain is capable of healing all that has caused it.


"Now the Lord is the Spirit,” Paul imparts, “and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17). The Holy Spirit will liberate me from any pain, or fear, but I must be willing to open my life and my heart. In my willingness to be vulnerable, His Spirit will be free to heal me. There will be no wall of false protection. I will experience His healing. Others who hurt will share in my walk, and be inspired to open their own hearts to His healing presence. He never wastes my hurt. He uses it for His glory.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

My Decision His Decision


“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

Am I convinced that there is no separation from God? There is no separation from His love, but sometimes I don't feel the peace that I long to know. When I lose that peace, I feel separated. Because I love Him and want to obey Him, I yearn to make sure that my decisions are what He wishes for me. I have a fear I will make the wrong decision and fail God. What I don't understand in that moment is that He is in control, and if the desire of of my heart is to follow Him, He will take my decision, whatever it might be, and bring about His plan for my life. “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans” (Proverbs 16:3).

I am convinced that He knows my heart. I am convinced that there is no separation from His love. I am convinced that since He knows my deepest desire to follow Him, He will take whatever decision I make, and bring about His purpose for my life.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Letting Go in a Different Light

Last night at our Bible study we discussed the word “let”, and in what several contexts it appears in the Bible. The verse that stood out the most to me was Matthew 26:39. “And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (KJV).

In the garden the night before His crucifixion Jesus faced what He had come into the world to do....to carry the weight of our sin to the cross so that we might be freed from its destruction. He, who had no sin, was called to become sin so that we might know the greatest forgiveness and grace ever promised. There Jesus was in such agony of what was to come that he sweated blood. Even though he cried out and asked God to release Him from the burden of our sin, and the pain of separation at the cross, He surrendered to the pain that was ahead for Him. He let go of His own desire for that of His father. He said yes, and took our sin to the cross. And there is was forever crucified and buried so that we might be raised with Him to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). He let go of everything for us.

Our Bible study and Matthew 26:39 came together this morning as I thought of my mother, and one year ago today. On Monday, January 28, 2013, my mother let go of her struggle to make it through each day. Mama retired to her bed, and never got out of it again. She died on February 3rd a few days later. Mama had a strong faith in God, and knew it was time to let go. She had tried so hard all of her life to reach her family and hold us strongly together. She had given all she had for each one of us. She had faithfully prayed for years for each one of us. As my sister declared at Mama's service “mama loved fiercely.” She loved with all she had to give.

Jesus loved us with all He had to give. There is no greater love that when a man lays down his life for another. Mama's life was changed by Christ, and her love was deep and it was fierce. It was a result of what Jesus had accomplished in her life. I have known His love through her. And I know it within me because of her influence in my life.

Daddy let me have a discipleship study book from years ago and there in her own writing this morning, I discovered something I have never known before.....her precious words written for only me....her only words about what she witnessed in my life. It is a gift I never expected. Mama let go, and I have discovered a part of her heart where I never knew I brought her joy. Jesus let go for me and He let go for you. We can all discover a part of His heart and understand His love that brings great joy.

Perhaps this devotional is a little disjointed this morning. But I know that Mama let go in order to be with the Savior who let go for her. It is just a matter of letting go and letting Him. It is just a matter of heart, mercy, grace, and the greatest love ever known.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Call to Him

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3, NIV)

Stop and think about this verse in Jeremiah, and you will realize that it is an incredible promise. But it is more than an incredible promise of God; it is an absolute truth in God's constant and abiding Word. If you call to Him, He will answer. You do not ask a void for an answer. You ask the omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient God. You ask the Creator of the universe. You ask your loving God who knows you better than you know yourself. You ask your Father for His time, and He gives it willingly and unsparingly because you are precious to Him. You ask the Lord who is everywhere at the same time, and yet He is there for you. You ask an all-powerful God who is there for all who believe. He brings the same power to your need that He used to raise Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:19). There is no other name that you need, but that of Jesus Christ.

He answers you with great and unsearchable things which you do not know. You may not understand them all after he imparts them to you, but you believe because He is your God. He only imparts truth. You believe them by faith, and you trust by faith. One day you may understand, and one day you may not understand. It is alright either way. You have His peace either way. Because you love Him deeply and intimately as He has loved you, there is peace in either knowing or not knowing....in understanding or not understanding. You know that He knows best.... so there is no struggle against His will. There is acceptance and rejoicing. He speaks to your longing spirit and heart because you have peace no matter what. You receive powerfully and completely and trustingly from His magnificent bounty.

Call to Him. Pray to Him. Cry out to Him, and He will answer you. It is when you want all of Him, and have given up all of yourself, that the unsearchable things He imparts, fall behind the importance of His presence in your life. The unsearchable truths are beyond magnificent, but He is..... there are no words for what He is except joy unspeakable and full of glory.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

My Daily Call

He calls me, and I will obey. Whatever comes against me will not succeed if I stay focused on His purpose. There will be hard times, but I must keep calm in His never-changing purpose and unlimited power. If I lose my peace for even a moment, I must give Him my unrest, and my struggle. I must regain His peace (Philippians 4:6-7). I can accomplish nothing when I am upset and stressed out. In giving Him all that I face, I get rid of my selfish needs, and concentrate on His purpose for me.

I will always believe that I can do what He has called me to do. He is faithful and will do the work (1 Thessalonians 5:24). But His work is only accomplished by His spirit working through me. I must surrender all my desires for His. I must surrender what I consider my inadequacies for His ability. I must surrender. In my surrender I discover His power.

Focusing on His call, I will concentrate on the daily things which need be done to work toward His vision. If I lose the focus, I will lose the purpose for my life. If I rush the work to attain His purpose, I will become discouraged by the immensity of it all. Daily I lay down my cross, and ask Him to come, and lead. I will remember each day that He never asks me to do something without providing the power to accomplish it. And that is enough for my journey.

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Rest in Him

When I am tired, exhausted, overwhelmed, depleted, I go to Him for rest. But I don't just go. I stay. I wait. I let go of all that pulls me down and drains my heart and spirit. And I stay with Him. I stop all that rushes my mind and disturbs my spirit. I go to Him because I know He alone is my help and my restorer. He is my help in my time of need. His presence is constant and sure, and I wait until He fills every crevice of my tired and hurting heart. I fine peaceful rest in His presence.

His rest is fearless. His rest supplies all that I lack. His rest is complete, and is all that I need to complete my journey. I rest in Him until He shows me it is time to go again....until my spirit sings with His strength and purpose.

Whatever your struggle or pain or heartache or want, rest in Him until you are strong again, and your spirit sings once more with His strength and purpose.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28, NIV).

Friday, January 24, 2014

Righteousness, Peace, and Joy

“The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).
If you look for a description for the Kingdom of God, you can find it in this verse. The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. This is a picture of what Christ is within our hearts. This is where His kingdom lives... within our hearts. It might matter to the world what we eat or drink and how we structure our days, but God always looks at the heart. If our hearts are right with God, then we live and act in His righteousness. We ask forgiveness for sin, but what we are really placing on the altar is the motive in our hearts. It is what lives in our heart that speaks unrest and discouragement or peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Righteousness is God's gift to us. (Romans 5:17). Sin no longer separates us, and we stand in a right relationship with Him. Everything is right between us and God. Because the blood of Jesus has cleansed us, we are forgiven. Because we have right standing with God, and His righteousness lives without our hearts, we have peace. When everything is right with Him, there is no more struggle. Sin does not stand between us. We can be at peace. God is for us. He is on our side. He are at peace within our hearts.
Peace is defined as the absence of conflict. His peace comes from being reconciled to Him. It means that nothing is broken or missing any longer in our lives. His peace means that we know that all that we need is provided. His peace means that we live abundantly in our relationship to Him. We lack for nothing. When we are right with God and have peace that He is all we need.... that nothing is missing from our lives.... that nothing is broken in our lives...... we will know His joy. Righteousness brings peace. When we have His righteousness and peace, then we discover His joy.
The Kingdom of God lives in the hearts of men. It is a kingdom of the greatest love ever known. It is a kingdom where there is no separation, or imperfection, or selfishness, or anger, or bitterness, or hurt. It is a kingdom of righteousness, or peace and of joy in Him. And it is for now. And it is for us.... for me and for you. We can have His peace and His Joy....... when His righteousness is what rules in our hearts.



Thursday, January 23, 2014

Never Limit God

 
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Philippians 4:6, KJV).

Do we limit God sometimes by not believing the promise He sees for our lives? As a result, we don't receive what we could receive from Him. The Word is full of promises from God. But if we don't believe what God says is true, then why should we receive His promise? Don't just believe in God. Believe Him. Believe His Word. Believe what He says is true. We receive His promise when we believe Him.

Some people also limit God by informing Him what they need and the way in which He needs to provide it. They don't even see how demanding and irreverent they are with prayers like “God I need that house. I can't live without that house.” You wouldn't tell a doctor how to treat your illness, and inform him of each procedure that you need. So why should anyone demand from God what he considers his due or how it should be given to him? It is true that when we pray we need to ask God for our needs. The Bible teaches us to be honest with him, and let him know all our hurts and longings. But it doesn’t tell us to demand anything. “We have not because we ask not” is according to His will. We also have not sometimes, because we demand. Our God is God, and we even though he is our “abba father”, He is also the Lord of all, and He is due our love and respect. We do have the privilege to ask and to pour out our heart to Him. Our part is to ask and believe. His part is to provide what He deems the best for us.

Another way we limit God is by not feeling we are worthy. How many believers feel unworthy because they feel guilty and condemned? They don't feel worthy to ask God for anything. They truly believe that God wouldn't hear or answer their prayers because of past sins. They end up limiting God because of feelings of unworthiness. No one is perfect. We all fall short of God's perfection. But Jesus paid the price for our sins. Our past is forgiven. Our sins are forgiven, and we can approach our omnipotent God and forgiving God with a humble and believing heart. We are worthy because He has made us righteous by His sacrifice.

“Lord, help us to realize that can we come humbly and boldly before you with our requests. Lord, help our unbelief. Help us to believe you are who you say you are, and we are who you say we are. We can pour out our hearts to you, and know that you will bring your promises forth in our lives. You are unlimited in your power. You are everywhere with us. You know every thought that we have, yet we need to ask. Asking makes it our sacrifice of praise. Lord, you answer our prayers in amazing ways....ways that we never even think of. When we believe you, Lord, we trust you. We look to you to take care of things that we are unable to take care of. We ask for your help in all things we face. We ask humbly and yet boldly for big things that honor you and your will our lives. Lord, help us not to limit you by not believing or by demanding or by feeling unworthy. Help us to understand who you are, and what we mean to you. Help us realize that such a loving God who would give His life, never turns His back on the prayers of His child. Lord, help us to never limit you again.”


Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Sacrifice the Fence


If we are honest, we all have areas where we sit on a fence. We regard it as a place of safety, but it is not. We yearn for it to keep fear at arm's length, but all it does is keep away any hope. We sit on the fence because not sitting on the fence means that we must make a decision one way or the other. If we get off the fence, we will be forced to commit to something. We will either believe or not believe. We will either have faith or not have faith. We will either accept or reject. We are afraid to commit because we might be wrong. On the other hand we are afraid to not commit, because we might be wrong. So we are imprisoned on our fence. The fence has not become a place of safe retreat, but it has become a prison. What we might not realize is that staying on the fence is really a choice. It is a choice to remain in bondage instead of discovering freedom.

"Now the Lord is the Spirit,” Paul imparts, “and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17). The Holy Spirit will liberate me from my fence, but I must be willing. I must choose to let go of its false protection, and make a commitment to believe in His faithfulness. The fence does not protect me. It is a place where non-commitment will destroy what little faith I have.

Before his death Moses spoke to the Israelites and instructed them to choose prosperity and life instead of destruction and death (Deuteronomy 30:11-15). They had remained on their fence afraid to go into their promised land, but now was the time for them to choose. Not stepping out on faith to claim their promise was choosing death over life. Choosing to get off their fence and move into their promise was going to cost them something. They would have to overcome the barriers to their promise. Letting go of the fence means that we must face our own giants. But we do not face them alone. Just as the Israelites moved forward in faith with God's protection, so will you, and so will I. Getting off the fence does not mean that I will fail. It means that I have chosen to trust Him and His promises. It means that I have chosen life.

My promised land waits. Yours waits. It is a land where walking by faith in God's faithfulness is all that we need. It is a land where we face the unknown with the assurance that all is well in His protection and providence. “Choose life,” the Lord pleads, “the land is waiting for you to enter and possess it!” The ability to choose life rests within your heart, but it is only discovered in making a commitment to believe in God's faithfulness to you.

Choose to believe in His faithfulness to you, and let go of your fence. He will not fail you. He will carry you through pain, fear, and doubt to your own promised land because you have chosen to believe in Him. Faith comes as a result of great sacrifice. Sacrifice your fence, and trust in Jesus Christ who sacrificed all for you. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

My Lord My Fortress My Future

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).

You are not alone. I am with you," He whispers. "I have all the concerns of your life in my grasp. Don't worry about what is ahead in your life. Don't worry about what tomorrow holds. Today is enough for you. Don't dwell on what has not even happened. I keep your future from you on purpose. Your faith is precious, and it cost me my life. Don't sacrifice my love for you by not trusting in me. Trusting and having faith in me comes by hearing and knowing my Word. It comes through an intimacy with me that creates deep trust in my faithfulness to you. Learn of me. Know me, and your future is safe and secure in me. No weapon that forms against you will succeed. No problem will be too great or horrible for you to handle. You will soar above whatever might come because you have waited on me instead of trying to take matters into your own hand. You have sought me. You have learned from me. You have taken my Word, and it has become your very life. No matter what your future might hold, it is secure in me. I am your unassailable defense, your fortress, your strong tower, and I will never leave you or forsake you. Believe me, not just believe in me. Then nothing shall break the faith you have in my plans for your life.”

Monday, January 20, 2014

There is a Peace

There is a peace that is greater than anything my mind can fathom. There is a peace that protects me from pain that the storms of life impart. There is a peace that carries me through each battle that arises. There is a constant peace that is found only in Him. When my life is a roller coaster ride, swinging from one crisis to the next, His peace is my promise that, no matter what I think or see or feel or hear, it is entirely possible to have His quiet rest within me.

By now I know you must realize that Philippians 4:6-7 are two are my favorites verses. I constantly write about them. This is because they have brought me peace in the midst of life's heartaches and struggles. The only reason they have brought peace is that I had to do what they instructed. For the truth of the peace they offer to be real, I must act on what truth they impart. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
The instruction in verse 6 is clear. I will be honest with you. When it says that I am not to be anxious about anything, at first that is hard.. But if I do what I am instructed to do in the next few phrases, my anxiety level drops considerably. In every situation that I face, I am instructed in prayer to give God all my worries, fears, and every circumstance. When I get to the end of myself, I am ready to let go. When my spirit cries our for release from the burden of trying to carry the heaviness of life all by myself, I can let go. When I realize that I unable to take care of what I unable to take care of, then He lifts the load and carries it for me.

The weight lifts from my spirit, and suddenly I can breathe. I don't have to have an answer. I don't have to protect anyone. I don't have to meet that need. I don't have to take care of a problem that is more than I can handle. His peace that verse 7 promises descends into my heart. And with His peace comes His strength and direction to handle what I can't handle. There are things I must do because I can't retreat from life's problems. Where I didn't have an answer, He imparts His. Where I couldn't protect that person, He offers something that will. Where I didn't have the means to take care of a problem, He reveals the way for it to be done. Where a fear has consumed me, it has lifted.

I can live through the raging times of life, and have His peace for all that comes. I didn't say just exist through the raging times of life. I didn't say to just get by. I said to LIVE through them. I can live in His fullness of life, and not the emptiness of my own. I can't hide or run from problems and struggles of this life. But....His peace that comes from allowing Him to have control is beyond anything I can understand. It gives me what I need to take care of what I am unable to take care of without Him. Isn't that amazing? It just is. His peace is real, and it is absolutely more than possible. It is His promise.



 

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Surrender at His Cross

I must always remember that I am just an instrument. It is not my place to make things happen. God is ultimately in control. What I must do now is work hard to do the work He has called me to do. The things that have hindered me from yielding completely to His will must not hinder me anymore.

Where does this complete surrender begin? It begins in me. I am the only one that I can make surrender. I am the only one that can allow Him to crucify me. I am the only one who can experience the victory of His resurrection through the selflessness of His cross. I must lay down all that I am.... my worries, my burdens, my struggles, my thoughts, my desires, and all of me. I must surrender all of me. It is ridiculous for me to bear my own burden when He has given me the perfect place to lay them down... at His Cross.

If I am to lay all this at His cross, what does it really mean for me to take up His cross and follow Him? The cross that is given to me is the way that I discover how to crucify my own desires. It is only my own self which hinders the flow of His life through me. I come to His cross to lay down my own cross and to find His. It is in this surrender that I discover His power lifting me from the selfishness of my life into His life of peace and joy.
"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).

Saturday, January 18, 2014

HIM

“Yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope. Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:21-23).

No matter what is before me, I have hope. No matter what the struggle or the battle, I have hope. No matter what my feelings, I have hope. No matter what, I have hope. I will recall it to mind this morning and the next, over and over, again and again. Because of His love for me, He is faithful to take care of all the concerns of my heart. He is faithful to provide for all my needs. He is faithful. It is a great and powerful faithfulness, and it much larger than my mind can conceive.

If God did not love me, I would be consumed by His justice. Because I have sinned, and broken His law, He has every right to punish me. But He is passionate for me. He created me. His encompassing love is complete forgiveness. God so loved me, He gave His son out of love to save me. How can I not invite such a love into my life? How can I refuse to release all that I am....my sins.. my failures.... my judgments....my thoughts...my needs... to the healing of such a love? How can I not yearn for the hope of such a love more than my own failures? I can't say no to such a love as this.

His amazing love is a healing of body, mind, spirit, and soul born of a faith in what I cannot touch or feel. I have always had an unknown yearning in my heart .... a need for something more than myself. And now I know what is is. It is Him. I was created for His love. My heart can rejoice in it. He has come. He is with me. His compassion is forever with me. It never fails me. He is faithful, and His faithfulness to me is great. It is greater than I have ever known.

My faithfulness may fail at times, but His faithfulness to me is constant. It was sealed at Calvary....born of the greatest love I have ever known. Yes, great is His faithfulness to me. It is always new and fresh each morning when I awake to discover that He is with me. Because of His love....His constant and abiding love, I have the greatest hope .....Him.


 


Friday, January 17, 2014

He Hears My Heart's Cry


“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles” (Psalm 34:17).

God always hears our cries to Him. He misses nothing. Many pray fervently, but so few wait to hear Him speak in return. He has so much to impart. His love. His truth. His encouragement. His direction. His deliverance. He wishes to speak to us in response, but we are so battered or torn or desperate, that we do not hear His words. We have prayed the pain in our hearts, but have not known the release of His presence. We have not left our burdens with Him, and in our pain-filled lives, His Words in return to our pleas have fallen on our deafened ears (Philippians 4:6-7).

His words speak life. His words are life. If I give my burden to Him and believe He not only hears my heart's cry but takes the cry into Himself, I will know a trust that springs from a greater faith. In that moment of amazing grace, I am safe anticipating His response. If I wait believing and trusting that He will answer, I will receive. He will impart His will and His heart through a Scripture, or through a circumstance, or through a friend, or through something perhaps unexpected. If I wait expectantly, I will hear and will receive His healing for my heart's cry.

My life must honor Him. I must always honor His love on the cross so that I might come to Him with the cries of my heart. If I live the life He has shown me, then I will know the intimacy and fulfillment of such a heart relationship that waits, and believes, and trusts, and finally hears. 

He has heard my cry. I will persevere. I will lovingly and patiently wait in faith for His voice in my heart. He will show me and reveal His answer. My ears are open, and when He speaks, or directs, or reveals, it will be in power. My struggle will be as nothing. My mountain will be brought low. I will know that He is, and always will be my God.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

And Then Comes Joy

“You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy” (1 Peter 1:8).

I love my Savior, Jesus Christ, even though I have never seen Him face to face. I have known He is with me in each moment of pain, and I have felt His touch when my heart has been broken. He lives in my heart, and that makes my life safe from all that comes against me. I may not see Him with my eyes, but I trust Him with my whole being. I have sought His wisdom, and He has graciously imparted His Word and its message to me. He is my life.

This verse imparts the truth that if I love Him with all my being, and I trust Him even though I can't see Him, then I will rejoice with a glorious and inexpressible joy. I loved and trusted Him for years with all my being, but this joy once eluded me. At one time it was beyond what my mind and heart could conceive.

Many years ago I discovered in a book by Catherine Marshall that there was something more I needed in my life. It was more than just living a sanctified life, and seeking His wisdom. It was all about surrendering all of me, and asking the Lord of the universe to completely fill me with all of Himself. One evening in Vicksburg, Mississippi, I asked the Holy Spirit to become all that I was incapable of being. I asked Him to fill me with His power and His joy. At first it was a fearful thing because I knew I was asking an all-powerful God to live in me in a way I had never experienced, and I knew it called for surrender of every part of myself. I began to praise Him, and He came as a gentle wind that claimed all of me. He brought all that I needed to be real. He brought joy.

There is a joy that is so deep and so complete that it cannot even be explained. There are no words. There is just Him.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

A New Opportunity

Does the thought of a new day bring discouragement? Don't forget I died for your agony, for your tragedy, and for your heartbreak? I took more than your sins to the cross. When sin was crucified, so was the emotional pain that sin caused. My greatest desire is for that pain to be healed in your heart, but sometimes the time that is takes for my healing discourages you. Don't be discouraged. You will discover my freedom. Each day is my gift to you. It is not meant to discourage, but to inspire you to new opportunities. When your new day is given to me first thing each morning, it is able to give you a new perspective and new hope.

Whatever you face today, my love and power overcome discouragement and despair. Whatever the world tells you is only what the world tells you. It is not what I know and try to impart to your mind and heart. Rise up today, and rejoice in my gift of another opportunity. Trust me, and trust that this day can be the best when you allow me to carry you through it. Daily things faced and done in my strength are able to give you greater faith in my promises.

Today is a new day. Today is another opportunity. Today is another day in your heart's healing. Discover my power and purpose for your life. Place your faith in me today. Expect my peace. Expect my love, and expect my promise.

"This is the day which the Lord hath made; and we will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24).

 

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Making the Right Decision

When faced with a decision that you need to make, God has he answer. But sometimes you just are not absolutely clear what that decision should be. Sometimes you have to make a decision based on faith that He steers you in the right direction. I discovered a Scripture verse years ago that has helped time and time again. It has brought peace when I knew that I must make a decision. It has brought peace when I wasn't sure of that decision, but I knew that I had to make a choice. 

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans” (Proverbs 16:3, NIV). First, my heart must be right before the Lord. If I am seeking His will in  a matter, then I must have nothing blocking my relationship with Him.  If I love Him... if I am surrendered to His Lordship.....if my greatest desire is to follow His will, then I am committed to Him and my decision will be the right one. The NLT version of this verse says it will succeed. He will establish my plan. He will make my choice succeed. He honors my decision when I honor Him. But this is true only if my heart is right. That is where the right decision begins....in a pure and sacrificed heart.

Monday, January 13, 2014

Present Him My Request

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”(Philippians 4:6-7).

I am so thankful that I do not have to beg God to hear my prayers. I will present my requests to Him, believing and trusting that no matter what I lay before Him, He will answer. I know His answer is best. But I know more than that. He will take care of the concerns of my heart. Just knowing that makes my heart thankful and peaceful. I don't have to be anxious because He is God.
God has provision that He longs to supply. All I must do is ask in whatever faith I can supply, and He will supply beyond anything my limited mind can imagine. His supply takes my little mustard seed of faith, and brings a great harvest. He hears my prayer; He carries my burden, and He supplies my need. I can be confident in His never-changing love and provision for me.

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him" (1 John 5:14, 15).

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Free to be Free

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17).
Why do we as Christians sometimes allow a wall to grow in our lives? Why do we sometimes find ourselves unable to speak to those to whom we have previously shared our heart? The answer is simple. Something has happened. We might know what it is or we might not. Whatever the wall, we can't allow it to get bigger and stronger. The longer the time that passes, the more hardened it becomes and more difficult to pull down. We become paralyzed and unable to do anything. Where fear resides, the Holy Spirit is unable to move. The larger our wall, the harder it is to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, much less the freedom He wishes to impart.

Do you feel that you are in this kind of bondage to your wall and to fear? God is still with you. He is still your God. Maybe you have allowed the wall to be bigger than your God. The best way to face your wall is to make the decision that it must come down. Pray for the Lord to come into this situation and take control. Pray for His guidance and freedom to talk to that person. He understands more of it than you ever will. He is the healer, and He knows what must take place.

Pray for His Spirit to crucify any selfishness you have or any preconceived idea. Come with an open heart and spirit to listen. Realize that no one is perfect. Only the Lord. Be honest, and speak your heart in His love. Ask for a heart softened by the Holy Spirit and be ready to admit it if you are the problem. Ask for forgiveness, and also return that forgiveness freely. Ask for a heart to understand what the other person wishes to say, and remember that where the Holy Spirit is there is freedom. There is an openness that the Holy Spirit blesses. If there is a wall between you and someone else, you can't take down that other person's wall, you can only take down your own. You can share in honesty, and pray that the Holy Spirit will help the other person to realize that you are truly sorry for whatever caused the division, and that you desire Him to rebuild your relationship with His healing presence.

Now what happens after you have made yourself vulnerable? After you have risked all to take the wall down? The Lord God himself comes to you, and speaks His peace to your heart. The wall which imprisoned you can be laid to rest. Hopefully and prayerfully, the other one will experience the love and freedom and healing of the Holy Spirit, too. But it not your place to bring healing. It is only your place to love and be open with the Holy Spirit living through you. And to love continually and always.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

ALTAR GRACE

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 4:16, NLT).

There is a Savior. There is a throne of grace..... a grace which looks beyond my failure and my sin, and recognizes my need...... a grace so forgiving and so complete, that nothing can destroy its power to change my life. My soul cries out for His mercy when my life is broken. My spirit thirsts for His grace when my heart is strained. His mercy forgives, and His grace lifts me up when I have fallen down. I come to His altar.... to the all-powerful, infinite, and sovereign God who can move mountains and change circumstances and lives. There He waits for me to come to Him, this great God of the universe, who yearns to love me intimately and wants to call me His child. There, on my knees in complete surrender, I receive His mercy and His forgiveness. He lifts my head, and in that wonder, I am lost in the love of His sacrifice for me. I receive His grace to meet any need. At His altar I find Him.

In my distress I prayed to the LORD, and the LORD answered me and set me free:” (Psalm 188:5, NLT).

Friday, January 10, 2014

Dear Lord, Forgive

There is a hymn, An Evening Prayer, written many years ago by C.M. Battersby. As a child I remember singing it in our church in Woodstock, Georgia. Every time I have heard this song, it has reminded me how what I say or what I do can affect others.

If I have wounded any soul today,
If I have caused one foot to go astray,
If I have walked in my own willful way,
Dear Lord, forgive!

If I have uttered idle words or vain,
If I have turned aside from want or pain,
Lest I myself should suffer through the strain,
Dear Lord, forgive!

If I have been perverse, or hard, or cold,
If I have longed for shelter in the fold,
When thou hast given me some fort to hold,
Dear Lord, forgive!

Forgive the sins I have confessed to thee;
Forgive the secret sins I do not see;
O guide me, love me, and my keeper be.
Dear Lord, forgive!


Lord God, this should be my prayer at the end of each day. And each morning I should pray that my words and actions during the day would not hurt anyone else. I pray never to be hard or cold to anyone you bring into my life. I pray to always be the shelter you have called me to be. Lord God, I pray for this day to be yours only. I pray to be guided only by your voice and never my own will. I pray to see others you bring into my life as a gift to be cherished. May I always love with your love. May I always seek to understand who they really are, and recognize the need beyond their words. Help me to always see their potential in you, and yet not burden them before they can understand the wonder of it. Help me to always realize that your way is the best. If I follow you, and if I surrender myself to you everyday, I will understand the hope of your calling and the power of your resurrection. If I let go of my preconceived ideas about anyone, you can guide me, direct me, and teach me how you can use me in their life. So, Lord, I pray not to wound any soul today. Instead I pray to inspire with your hope, and share your Word with your power, and love completely with your love. In Your precious and Holy Name, Amen.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Giving

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood” (Isaiah 58:6-7, NIV)?

These verses in Isaiah instruct me to “fast” my own desires and to do whatever I can for those in pain and in despair: to help those chained up in poverty―to help those struggling to break the yoke of sin―to share with those accused unjustly―to provide respite for those with no place of rest. I am called to give myself away, but for my giving to be pleasing to God, my motive must be right. Both fasting and giving involve personal sacrifice. Fasting imparts spiritual vision to recognize need. Giving blesses not only the person who receives, but the one who gives.

“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:3-4, NIV).

If I need to make a public announcement following an act of kindness, I may appear to be altruistic, but I am really yearning for the recognition that such an act brings. In bringing attention to myself, I show that I give from a selfish heart instead of from a selfless one. There is pride instead of humility.

Why does a person need to declare he has given a gift? Why must he relate its value? He hungers for the recognition of man, and doesn’t consider that God wishes his hunger to be just for Him. Not only has this person missed the fact that giving in secret brings God’s reward, he misses another truth. When he quietly gives, he empties more than his pocketbook. He empties himself of the need for acceptance. Giving without recognition is not only an acquired trait. To be spiritually real and rewarded, it must always be spiritually fueled.

Do I give away my time and my money openly or secretly? Where does my acceptance lie? The Lord yearns for the lesson to take root in my heart. In selfless giving I spiritually receive a servant’s heart. Most importantly, I learn the greatest paradox of all―to die to self is to live unselfishly in Christ.

Now I can read the promise that follows in Isaiah 58:8-9. “Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. Then when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply” (NLT ).

“Here I am!” Isaiah cried in the temple (Isaiah 6). Isaiah gave all of who he was to God. If I give myself away unselfishly in His name, then I will hear God reply, “And here am I!” He will continually take care of me. Whether mental, emotional, or spiritual, my wounds will heal. If I live a surrendered life, He will lead and protect me. And when I call, He will always answer.


Wednesday, January 8, 2014

I WILL THIRST NO MORE

 
“Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14).

There has been I a time in my life when I didn't have joy. I have felt unfulfilled and longed to know my life had a purpose. I have known an emptiness inside me that no amount of activity or worldly pleasure could satisfy. Oh, I have been fulfilled for awhile with an activity or a possession that would bring happiness into my life. But the activity didn't bring fulfillment to a longing in my soul that was meant to be filled with only God. The possession didn't last long, and the newness of it finally dulled. My unfulfilled purpose eventually lost my interest, and my joy would fade. My purpose would pass. Even the pleasure of this world dull. At the moment when nothing brought satisfaction, Jesus Christ spoke to my thirsty heart that He had something that would give my life joy and a purpose that would never fade. He had something that would bring fulfillment to my life of constant searching and never finding.

“If you drink of the water that I provide,” He spoke to my emptiness, “You will never be thirsty again. My water not only soothes your shattered spirit, but it heals you completely because it is living water.” He promised that if I took Him into my heart I would never feel empty or thirsty again. I would have a purpose that was always fulfilled. I would have a joy that would never fade. I would have a meaning to my life that nothing in this world could match. I would know Him, and He would be enough. "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness," He whispered, "they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). My hunger and thirst would be filled if I thirsted for Him instead of the things that would never bring fulfillment.


"Oh Lord," I cried, "just as a deer pants for streams of water, my soul pants for you. My soul thirsts only for you." He came and satisfied my longing thirst. My life has purpose and meaning. My life has joy and a passion that is new and fresh each morning when I awake. My thirst has been satisfied with His living water. This is a thirst that shall always be filled. It shall always be satisfied. I will never let go of Christ who saved and rescued me from my own pursuits that had no meaning. He has brought not only fulfilling passion to my life. He brings His promise of never-ending unconditional love ......His joy that the world can't give..... His peace that is more than whatever the world can manufacture...... His patience is longer than any I might have. He brings the promise of kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control into my life. If I daily live in Him, He will live in me. And I will be complete.... thirsting no more for the things that only destroy who I was created to be.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

The Inside Becomes the Outside

“Baby, It's Cold Outside” might be a song title made famous by Bing Crosby decades ago (for younger ones it was sung in the movie “Elf”) but that song title perfectly describes what this morning feels like. Seven degrees! It is cold outside! And for Southerners it is REALLY a frozen morning. Thank heavens it is warm inside!

This kind of describes how we are sometimes. Except our description is backwards to this one. Our “outside” often is not the one that is frozen. Our facade....our smiles.... our gestures... our outward appearance might appear warm and friendly, but our “inside” sometimes claims a frozen and stony heart. We can appear to be filled with joy. We can appear to be forgiving. We can appear to be what our heart says we are not. We can “walk the walk and talk the talk”, but inside we can have a heart that needs to be melted by the Holy Spirit.

At sometime in your life you will face a stony heart about something. You will be living your life joyfully in Jesus Christ, and sharing your warm heart with others. And then suddenly something happens to you. It might be a circumstance that is hurtful or fearful. It might be someone of something that reminds you of a pain in your past. It might be a friend that misleads you or betrays you. It may be a loss. Whatever it is, your heart, which was once soft and moved by the Holy Spirit, becomes hard and as cold as ice.

It is what you do with that stony heart that speaks either life or death. If you hold on to it, it will kill Jesus' life in you. The minute your heart hardens is the moment you must fall on your face before the Lord. It is the moment that you must seek His heart to help you forgive. It is your moment of decision whether you let the Holy Spirit melt whatever gives you a stony heart or hold on to it as a monument in your life. 

“I will give you a new heart,” says the Lord, “and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26). He will give you a new heart and a new perspective and a new attitude and a new spirit....His Spirit. He will remove your hurt that makes your heart hard. But you decide to let it go. You pray for His love to invade your heart and set it free. You ask Him to come and bring you His freedom.

He is faithful to you. Just like this hard seven degree freeze will gradually dispel until it is completely gone, so will be the melting of your heart. It may come in steps as you release your pain to Him. When you seek, you shall find. When you let go, He will come and take away that coldness that has claimed your heart. And joy will come. When you smile, it will be genuine. When you listen to someone else, it will be with your new heart. When you praise Him, it will no longer be an act, it will be real as He is in you. 

If you have a yielded will, God always gives a new heart, and puts His forgiving and loving and joyful spirit in you. He gives it again and again as you live a surrendered life in Him. When you heart is soft, life is all about Him. It is peace and joy. Every moment is an expectation of wonder. And the beauty of your inside becomes the real beauty of your outside.

Monday, January 6, 2014

In Intimacy Receive

Do you know that I yearn for those times that you just wait for me? I long for the moments that you long only to be with me. I long for an intimacy with you that your mind cannot even comprehend. When you are quiet with me, and rest in my presence, my peace fills your heart. Far too often you sacrifice your peace because of your need for answers. Intimacy with me is lost so many times because of your needs. Seek me first, and take in the joy of my presence. Be content for awhile and wait expectantly for me. I promise to meet with you. In this time of quiet fellowship, receive my spiritual power which will strengthen you to conquer the strongholds in your life. 

I may be the God who parted the Red Sea, but I am almost your Savior who knows every hair on your head. I impart that which is my heart's desire to you. Know me as your life. Know me as your heartbeat. Know me as your next breath. Life in me is radiant and filled with abundant joy. I refresh your life over and over with my living water. There is only joyful expectation and promise in what I have prepared for you. If you live in me, I will live in you. Heart to heart, and spirit to spirit, you will know me. I am your God. Your greatest friend. Your creator. Your healer. In this intimacy, ask the desire I place in your heart, and you will receive. 

Psalm 46:10, Isaiah 26:3, Psalm 27:14, Psalm 139, Hebrews 10:35-36, Matthew 7:7.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

His Word Sent to Me


“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-12). “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” Timothy 3:16).

If I have Jesus Christ in my life, I am never alone. If I believe in Him, do I also believe Him? If I believe in Him, I must believe in His Truth.....God to us revealed through His Word. If I believe His Word is His Truth, then I must believe in what it says. I must never say I believe in Him, and not believe what He gives as Truth. God's Word existed before all creation (John 1:1). He speaks the Word through divine revelation in the Bible. His Word goes forth to accomplish His purposes. He states that it will accomplish what He desires and will achieve the purpose for which He sent it. This is straight from His Word and it is His promise of Truth.

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). His Word is alive. It is living and breathing right now. Its Truth holds me accountable for what I think, and reveals if I am living as He instructs. It uncovers the attitude of my heart...... if there are any selfish motives or anything that sets itself up against God's Truth or if I am His in every corner of my heart. It shows me what must be crucified in my life, and it gives what I need to accomplish it.

The Word's purpose is to teach me God's Truth. It disciplines me. It rebukes what is sinful in my life. It corrects wrong thinking, and transforms my mind. It teaches me that godliness is not just an action. Godliness is what I need to have in my heart. The Word exposes all that I must change. It reveals His call in my life. It give me His divine promises so that through them I may participate in His divine nature. His Word breathes in me, and as it does, I discover all of the promises for which He sent it to me.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Captivated by God's Truth

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). 

Do you have a stronghold in your life? You will most likely fight one at sometime. A stronghold is a lie that comes against God's truth. It is an argument which may at first appear as truth, but when it holds you tight, you are bound to its lie. You are unable to make your mind focus on God's truth, and His promises for your life. You yearn to experience freedom from that stronghold's strangling grip, but your mind is bound up in what the enemy wants you to perceive and ultimately believe. Instead of experiencing God's love and what He wishes to impart to your mind and heart, you are held fast by your stronghold. You are captive to its lie.

We are instructed in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 to take every thought captive. Your weapons to tear down your stronghold are found in God's Word. Your weapons have divine power. Their purpose is to take your thoughts captive by God's truth. If you don't want your mind to be held captive by your stronghold, then your mind needs to be captivated by the Word of God. You overcome a lie with truth. Whether your stronghold is an addiction or unforgiveness or feelings of rejection or despair over a loss or whatever stronghold binds you, freedom from its grasp is found in the God's truth. His truth is His Word, and praying His Word...praying His truth...will destroy strongholds in your life.

If you don't know what to even call your stronghold and where to find Scripture to battle it, I suggest Beth Moore's book, “Praying God's Word.” My daughter gave it to me years ago, and it has been invaluable. It can help you identify what holds your mind and heart in bondage. But it is not her book that sets you free. It is just a tool (and there are other tools like “The Battlefield of the Mind” by Joyce Meyer). None of these have any power to set you free from your bondage. Only God's Word has that power. Pray His Word. He gives you the power through its truth (which claims your mind) to destroy your stronghold. 

Be captivated by God's truth. Be captivated by its power. You are an over-comer because of it. Find freedom and experience His joy. Pray His Word.





Friday, January 3, 2014

HIs Power in Agreement

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew: 18:19-20),

This is a powerful promise that when two or more of His followers agree in prayer, He is there with them. He meets with them in prayer. He connects their spirits in prayer. He joins their hearts in prayer. Their desires become one. He binds them together to achieve this most powerful promise–that if two agree about what they ask for, it shall be done.


It is true that He is with you when you pray in your private closet. It is true that He is the lover of your soul. But when two of his lovers meet together to seek His face, He is with them in the greatest power. When He becomes their total focus....when they seek His desires.... when they agree together in prayer...when they reach to Him together in faith, He promises that whatever they ask for will be provided.


We limit God when we hesitate to believe. We limit the power of agreement when we do not come together believing and trusting, and applying faith. We may not exactly understand the why of His answer but He always answers in accordance with His will. If two are truly united in prayer in the bond of the spirit, their prayers will ask in accordance with God's will.


Always claim this promise of agreement. Never limit it. When two are together in His Name, united by one purpose in His Spirit, He is also there. He joins spirits and prayers in agreement. We become one in prayer with Him, and nothing can hinder the power with which God answers.

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Have Reasonable Goals

Many times we start a new year with a list of goals we want to achieve without considering that growth just doesn't happen. We need to consider the value of having reasonable expectations.

Are your expectations attainable? Or are they so high you get easily discouraged? Sometimes a goal is so high you need to take the steps to get there one by one. Just thinking of a high goal can be terribly discouraging, and makes it seem impossible. You might give up. But if you take a little step at a time, and just concentrate on that step, the next step becomes easier. Then the next, and the next. Suddenly you may discover you have met your high goal, and you can look back and see how God has strengthened you the whole way. Always consider that a high goal may only be found through the accomplishment of smaller reasonable goals.

Others are watching you. On the way to your goal you might slide back a step or two. “Now the Lord is the Spirit,” Paul writes, “and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (II Corinthians 3:17). Be humble enough to admit when you’re wrong or fail or don’t have an answer. Trying to be “perfect” only creates disappointment when you make mistakes...not only for you, but maybe for those who are learning from your journey. Let your mask down. A willingness to be vulnerable invites vulnerability in others. It inspires honesty, but, greater still, opens each person’s heart to the healing presence of the Holy Spirit. Be honest when you make a mistake. Ask for forgiveness and forgive yourself. Then try again.

Never hold on to your failure. Examine it. Realize the lesson; apply the lesson and then give it to God. Don’t dig it back up. It’s gone. Forgiveness for your own mistakes and for those of others is consciously rendered. We decide to move on, and trust the Lord for the strength with which to accomplish it.

All things are possible with God!

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

From Whispering Hope to Conquering Promise

He whispers hope to me when I am discouraged and defeated. He whispers hope of His abiding presence. He whispers hope through the lessons He teaches me. He whispers hope of strength that becomes mine as faith grows. He whispers hope of peace in any turmoil that arises. He whispers hope of joy that cannot be expressed in any words. He whispers hope of His conquering promise.
He will not fail me. I will not fail if I trust Him. I will receive His conquering heart and steadfast mind. My attitude must be that of a conqueror. I will stand, and having done everything, I will stand. I will conquer my foes, my fears, and my obstacles, because He is not just with me. He is in me, and He gives me the strength to rise to greater victories. I become more than a conqueror. I walk in newness of life and freedom from the past, from fears and circumstance. I walk above that which would destroy me. And in Him there is no failure. There is only victory.
His whispering hope has become my conquering promise.

Joshua 1:7; Ephesians 6:13; Romans 6:4; Romans 8:37-39
 

Christ My Hope of Glory

  .   And now, Lord, for what do I expectantly wait? My hope [my confident expectation] is in You. —Psalms 39:7 (AMP)   I wait [patiently] f...