A ship that remains tied to the dock will eventually be overrun with barnacles and dry rot, a plane that sits idle in the hangar will grow brittle, moldy and its engine will cease to function, and a person without a purpose greater than themselves will weaken in resolve and retire in heart. We must not shrink from the opportunities before us!
There is a deep peace in knowing that your past is cleansed, forgiven, and redeemed; and an even greater peace knowing your future is secure. Then there’s a third peace in the promise of His presence in our daily lives. Jesus said He would send the Holy Spirit to be with us. This is the many-faceted peace that is only found in Him!
Whatever needs you face today, you’re not facing them alone! Jesus said He will be with you always. The two of you together are an inseparable, supernatural team with unseen resources that the world does not have!
God knows exactly what we need to live an abundant, fulfilled life. He knows the dangers along the way, and has promised to provide for every situation we will face. He’s not hiding this information from us, but it’s OUR responsibility to keep His Word in front of us. That’s where we find the map to navigate around danger and stay on course!
This is the Church’s finest hour! If Jesus is alive as we proclaim, then He has the power to change men and answer prayer. He has the power to establish nations and create peace. He has the power to produce wealth and heal the sick. Where is that power? IT IS IN US!
There is a heaven to gain and a hell to avoid in our future. No one will be sitting anything out on a mythical fence. Our bodies are temporal, but our spirits are eternal and will live forever in one of those two places and you make that choice!
We are soldiers—we have the belt of truth, the shield of righteousness and shoes of peace (Ephesians 6). We know that God will answer our prayers (1 John 5:14-15). We will not be afraid; we know that God will not leave us (Deuteronomy 31:8). He will take care of us, because He said in His Word, “By His wounds you are healed …” (Isaiah 53:5). In other words, we have been given everything we need to live in victory!
If you’re a born again believer, the devil can’t kill you but he can keep you a spiritual baby, allowing him to rob you of what belongs to you in Christ. How does he do this? By keeping you continually distracted and preoccupied with nonessential things, thoughts, and entertainment, to name just a few. Prioritizing time with God and His Word is the only way you will experience the victorious life and relationship with God that Jesus died to make available to you!
The disturbances and confusion of the world is not a call to a monastic life, but rather a call to a higher thought life. Our victory is not found in fleeing the pressures of a secular world, but in keeping our thoughts in line with God’s thoughts in the midst of Satan’s bombardment.
What will you do with the gifts of God you have been given? Dedication to the Lord is that step where we devote ourselves to both the will and the way of God. Remember, talent is cheap but dedication is costly!
