“Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened.” – Billy Graham
“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” – Joseph Campbell
“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” – Christopher Reeve
To you all, the courageously brave with unrelenting service and sacrifice, we say “Thank you.”
“Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end,” John 13:1
Eventually, the love of friends fades. As years go by we grow up and move on with our lives. Even some familial relationships can wane with the passing of time. But, there is one love that never quits on you. His promise was to never leave you nor forsake you, Heb. 13:5. He showed His devotion to His disciple right up to the end. And daily, He shows His devotion to each and every one of us by continually being there for us, loving us, interceding for us and hearing us when we call.
I am personally amazed at His undying devotion to us. Through all of our faults, shortcomings, and mess, He still stays committed to us even “to the end.” This is a source of comfort and reassurance for them that are His. Despite the tragedies of life or how much we feel like we are not measuring up, we have a Savior, nay a friend that sticks closer than a brother, Pro. 18:24.
The times and tides of life may ebb and flow, come and go, but Jesus is a solid source never to be moved. Somebody said, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over!” And, since we are here today alive and with breath in our bodies, guess what, it’s not the end. Bolster your faith today in this great truth that no matter what it may look like right now, Jesus loves you to the end! God bless you!
Dealing with defeat is more than just being discouraged. Defeat has a way of getting deep down within the spirit of man and making them feel crushed beyond measure. It’s more than a heavy load. It’s carrying the weight of disappointment, hopelessness, and pain without seeing any real way of being able to experience the least bit of victory in the end. Therefore, the shoulders slump forward without the strength to be lifted up.
How does one go on when they think they have no more power for the press of this life? There is nothing you and I can do to overcome on our own. A humanistic way of thinking will formulate plans over and over again but they come to naught. Or, any measure of peace we think to feel becomes fleeting and never lasting.
In Jesus Christ, we have our ultimate source of victory. He said, “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” HE IS THE DEFEATER OF DEFEAT. He is the power that stands aright with no competition to put Him down. He is our way when there seems to be no way. Our comfort when the love of people is few and far between.
There is NOBODY like my JESUS! Ain’t that the truth! He’s my comfort when I am comfortless. He’s my fortress when I am surrounded by enemies. He’s my strength when everything within me feels weak. He has overcome anything and everything this world has thrown at Him and He stands ready to overcome for you, too.
We are far from defeated. We are more than conquerors. Everything that tries to convince us otherwise is a bald-faced lie from the enemy. We are secured in Christ. Christ has already won all the competitions of this life. He has already overwhelmed the enemy. He has taken this world by storm and we rest in the realm of His power, strength, and love.
To say that Christ has won is an understatement. He has literally crushed, obliterated, and stands on the head of every adversary we may face today. The world may think they have won but Jesus will flip the script on them every time and show who He really is. He has “disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross,” (Col. 2:15; NIV). His enemies are being made a footstool at His feet (Hebrews 10:13; NIV). He is the King of all kings and Lord of all lords and will conquer everything and everybody that tries to war against Him (Revelation 17:14).
In case you haven’t figured it out yet, WE ARE ON THE WINNING SIDE! There is no defeat for a child of God. We have too much victory available to us through the name and the blood of Jesus Christ, our Savior, our Redeemer, and our Victor.
He has already overcome and we will overcome with Him! Be of good cheer.
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“For those who honor Me I will honor,” 1 Samuel 2:30
One day, some years ago, I remember when my son accompanied me to the grocery store to do some shopping. He was wearing his military uniform at that time and when people saw him they kept stopping him to shake his hand, to talk to him, or to tell him to keep up the good work. They were proud of him. They honored him for his service.
You know, as a mom, how I felt. I really thought it was something special for people to recognize him and his service to our country in that way. As much as I love the many fields in which one can be honored (military, teachers, firefighters, police officers, and many, many others), no one deserves our respect and adoration more than God. It is customary to stand to our feet when a judge enters a courtroom and there is a hush in the crowd when they bang that gavel. What about God?
Too many go through their day without ever considering the fact that hey, He is God, and He should be before all others. With that realization in hand, I want my life to reflect that great truth. I want every word, every action and every thought to magnify the greatness of who He is and all of His glory. When I go about my day I want people to see Him in me. Do I make mistakes? Oh, yeah! But, I have a goal. I aspire to do better and to be better every day. God has been so good and wonderful to me, and I feel that as His child the least I can do is showing Him the honor due Him.
“Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,” (Ps. 29:1-2). These two verses have been among favorites of mine for many years now. When you think of “giving to the Lord” one realizes just how futile our efforts can be because of His vast greatness. But, something that each of us can give is honor. Not only can we gift it to Him, but it is a gift that He in turns honors.
“For those who honor Me I will honor.” Our God is an appreciative God and He believes in rewarding them that diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6). If you don’t like the returns you have been getting in life examine what you have given. And let me make myself really clear at this point. I DO NOT want you to see the above statement as to how you can get something from God. These things will happen because it’s what the Bible promises. It’s a residual effect of obedience. Instead, I want you to just focus on God because He is God and not what you can get from Him. Just honor God because He is WORTHY!
You could’ve taken off like a rocket ship with tanks of fuel lighting your tail, sending you fast to reach the stars. Yet, God chose a different journey; one with a paced climb, step by step, your path ascending a little higher each day.
Sometimes it seems slow. Painfully so. But, have you ever considered it just means the potential on the inside is powerful. Therefore, great care has to be taken in developing, caring, and raising your growth inch by inch.
Shooting high and shooting fast – the world has enough of that. Superstars with no substance are all they are. But, God made you to be a champion.
So what’s the big deal?
Champions create change. Champions endure – they tough it out. They fight the cause with the very last breath, staking their all to see victory come to its best. They are a peculiar creature not willing to forgo the promise or give up too quickly on the process. There’s a hope and a knowing that if they just stay on the wheel a little while longer the Master will develop a treasure from this little lump of clay.
Your value is too precious to be rushed. Let those who will zoom if they please. But you, my friend, take joy in knowing there is great care being taken in making you who He wants you to be. So, let Him have His way and perfect the precious in you.
Spotlight creepers. Thrill seekers. This course is not for you. Only champions, whose heart will bend to His molding; who will ride the wheel to impact lives will understand this can’t be rushed. They are created for more and with that, embrace the process of being shaped, knowing dear champion, that’s who God wants you to be.
“. . . Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand . . .” Jeremiah 18:6
“Snuggle in God’s arms. When you are hurting, when you feel lonely, left out. Let Him cradle you, comfort you, reassure you of His all-sufficient power and love.”
– Kay Arthur
Self-sufficiency is a statement of pride. It’s the belief that whatever is going on and whatever we are facing or are trying to do is going to happen because of us. It says that I am more than enough by myself and, “I’ve got this.”
While self-sufficiency is a mark of pride, I see it also as a teller of fear. The fear to let go. The fear to give up control. The fear to not let another in your world to help you along the way because nobody can do it like you can and it’s hard to invest the word “trust” into someone else.
But, as a child of God, all that we have in our relationship with Him, is based on trust. That’s why it’s considered a walk of faith. Faith doesn’t know all the answers for today, better yet tomorrow. Faith can’t really grasp exactly how this is all going to turn out, but faith just presses on. Even though it doesn’t know all the ins and outs of everything, faith just continues to believe.
It believes in the One in whom the trust is deposited more than anything else. It is sure that somehow, someway, God is going to turn this thing around and make “all things work together for good,” (Romans 8:28). This faith is so confident that it knows that we can prepare for and learn about how to win in the day of battle; we can go through all the steps and check off the lists to each one that will secure our victory – but, ultimately it all means nothing because our “deliverance is of the LORD,” (Proverbs 21:31, NKJV).
It’s good to be proactive in life and want to get things done, for God has never been a promoter of the lazy and lackadaisical. But in our pursuit to “do,” we have to make sure we “don’t.” Don’t give pride a foothold and don’t believe more in self, than God. For only in Him and with Him can our true deliverance be found.
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