Victory247

“Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay is the man who gains riches by unjust means. When his life is half gone, they will desert him, and in the end he will prove to be a fool”  Jeremiah 17:11 (NIV)

Throughout our lives we will experience unfair situations. People may get promoted or hired over us, even though we know they aren’t as qualified. Others may get honors that we should have gotten. Some get awards that we know we are much more deserving. Sometimes we are even unjustly criticized.

I personally have experienced these disappointing and frustrating unfair situations. From being overlooked for a job that I trained the person for, to being cut from a middle school baseball team. I look back over my life and realize that this is common. The key question isn’t, “how can I avoid this happening to me?”. Life happens, then the question becomes, “how do I handle this when it happens to me?”.

Anger, frustration, disappointment, feeling like a failure, are all natural responses. But recovering strong is supernatural. Living in anger or discouragement eats us up over time. I have found that quickly venting to God for advice and comfort has built my character and ability to work through unfair situations. My skin thickens and expectations of people being fair are lowered.

‘Unfair situations’ are like a rock. If we stay angry, stay discouraged, slander, gossip, hate, or get depressed, the rock will crush us. If we give our natural response and unfair situation over to several conversations with God, then the rock becomes a stepping stone to higher ground.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, thank You that You know I am unique and special even when I don’t get what I deserve. Help me to get past my natural responses “when”(not “if”) I experience unfair situations. I need You to raise me to higher ground. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Take note of the highway, the road that you take”  Jeremiah 31:21 (NIV)

American Heritage Dictionary defines guidepost, “a post with a sign giving directions for travelers, usually placed at a crossroad“. We are always looking for guidance and direction. There are small and major decisions that seem to be always pressing our way.

What should I do tonight? Who should I ask out? When should I leave? What occupation should I pursue? Should I change jobs, schools, girlfriends…? How we use our time is a continual issue. Our direction is based on what? Feelings, what most people expect, pleasure, ease…?

If we really think about it, this process can send us into a tailspin of frustration. Psychics make a lot of money from people who just want answers. We impatiently jump into decisions to avoid more stress. Alcohol and drugs are easy escapes from decisions that pound our brains and force our hand.

God wants to give us a healthy guidepost. “Good direction in life is obtained by the building blocks of  daily, Godly choices”. The WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) mentality of decision making can effect the ‘right now’, as well as where we end up.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, I want the most out of life. Give me a clear mind and conscience as I seek Your direction. I know You know what will truly fulfill me. Help me to be patient as I choose to do what’s right in Your eyes, so that I can relax in knowing that it makes it Your responsibility to get me to the best situation. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil” Psalm 37:8 (NIV)

“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me”  Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV)

Our past choices, feelings that question God’s existence, discouragement, being treated unfairly, all can play a part of those times we just don’t feel like doing what is right in God’s eyes. Maturity comes to those who “press on”, inspite of feelings, rationales, or emotions.

Faith isn’t a feeling. It’s a decision to walk with God regardless of emotions or circumstances. We need to remember that we aren’t ‘hung out to dry’ or left alone to gut it out like the Nike slogan, “Just do it”. Instead, we can breathe a prayer for strength, then “just do it” with His might. Making right choices that go against the grain of those shallow feelings are opportunities to strengthen our inner character and social aptitude.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, help me to recognize those “opportunities” for personal growth by taking steps of faith, especially when I don’t feel like it. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“He forgave us ALL our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross”  Colossians2:13-14 (NIV)

Ever want to just start over? Ever go through a day filled with poor choices, bad thinking, or missed opportunities?

Have you ever said some things that you regret? Like comedian Brian Regan talking about saying something he regrets, even as he is saying it, is like releasing a flock of doves that there is no way to corral and bring back. “Oh no, what did I just say?!”

We need to admit it to God, then realize that wrongful words, thoughts, and actions have been NAILED to the cross. Know that you are forgiven, and start over.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, I know You understand that I make mistakes and poor choices at times. Thank You that You allow me to keep starting over. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“We constantly pray for you that by His power He may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith”  2Thessalonians 1:11 (NIV)

We tend to separate our “spiritual life” and our regular life. But the key to ‘fulfilled’ living is to allow the two to collide. We can let God weave into our passions, work, sport, relationships, dreams, desires… by continually handing them over to Him. Our conversations with God need to be very personal and specific. Let Him hear our most intimate feelings and thoughts.

Too often, people will search for satisfaction in life through their work, sport, relationships… That will eventually disappoint and come up empty. But God wants to intertwine into all of those. Only then do we find lasting fulfillment.

My daughter was playing in a basketball event. She looked at me and said that basketball isn’t fun anymore. Now, understand that she loves and works extremely hard at the sport. I told her basketball is like a balloon. If the balloon is flat, basketball will grow stale. If you inflate it with God, it can be very fulfilling.

Every area of our lives can be filled up by allowing God to inflate them through our prayers asking for His ‘power’, and His perspective, and His purpose.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, invade every area of my life so that by Your power I can pursue what I enjoy while finding Your purpose and fulfillment. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves… without self-control… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”   2 Timothy 3:1-4 (NIV)

Our minds seem to always go to; “what can I do that will be fun?” Or, “what will make me feel good?” Believe me, I desire fun, but it’s like chasing a shadow. Try to catch up to it and the shadow goes away from us. Walk away from it, the shadow pursues us!

In the same way, when we are constantly seeking pleasure, life gets shallow. We seem to lose fulfillment and enjoyment. But when we are making better efforts to have times of prayer, checking out scripture, and serving others, then life’s enjoyment and fulfillment seems find us.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, remind me to seek times with You. Remind me to think of other people’s needs, not just my own. I know I can trust You for life’s fulfillment, pleasures, and enjoyment. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“Obey your earthly masters with respect. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does”  Ephesians 6:5-8

I feel like today’s verse can relate to how we deal with our bosses, coaches, parents, teachers, or anyone we work under. Many times we won’t put our heart into our tasks and labor because we don’t like the person over us. “He doesn’t deserve my best efforts”, is our rationale.

The truth is that we really aren’t playing or working for them, we are doing it for God. And God does deserve our best. I know basketball players who don’t want to win because of how poorly they are treated by the coach. There are others who find ways to slack off on their responsibilities because they don’t want their boss to look good.

Whatever the case, our real boss isn’t that person. Our ultimate boss is the Lord Himself. This focus can change our whole perspective. We actually can enjoy work in spite of the earthly boss or coach. A peace can fill our insides as we continue to forgive that person for being unfair, a jerk, power-hungry, or just because we don’t like being told what to do.

The clincher to this passage from the bible is that it promises that the Lord will reward us for our efforts. It is a battle worth entering.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, help me to forgive anyone over me. I want to work for You. Thank You that my efforts will be noticed and rewarded by You. Remind me to confess and start over when I fail in this struggle. In Jesus’ Name. Amen

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me”  Psalm 51:10 (NIV)

David is asking God to create or make something. He isn’t asking God to just help him to be pure (good, right, clean living and thinking). We can’t be pure on our own. He has to create that in us, because we can’t.

When I hear the word “pure”, my mind goes to a spring that my dad would drive our family to on occasion. It was the best water I have ever experienced. It was cold and completely “see-through”. Clean, pure and refreshing.

The second part of today’s verse is a very telling request by David. The word “renew” assumes that something good went bad. David asked God to renew a steadfast, steady, focused and unswerving spirit within him.

Like David, we do wrongs that make us feel dirty. Gives us an unclean spirit that muddies our insides. Joy leaves, and unrest takes up housing in our hearts. BUT we need to be encouraged that we can start over. We can ask God to create and re-construct a pure heart. Renewing can happen throughout each day.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, thank You that You can allow me to continually confess and start over, even from the ugliest of wrongfulness and sin. “Create in me a pure heart, and renew a steadfast spirit within me”. In Jesus Name. Amen.

“These are the ones I look on with FAVOR: those who are humble and contrite in spirit”  Isaiah 66:2 (NIV)

Today’s verse gives us a glimpse at what God enjoys. He likes to see a humble and contrite spirit.

“Humble”– not proud or egotistical. Having the ability to consider others needs, instead of figuring out ways to convince ourselves that we deserve only the best. Or, instead of putting others down to exalt ourselves. Acid test; how do we take criticism? Do we attack the critic or do we consider their opinion? I’m not saying we have to believe  every criticism, it just needs to be weighed.

“Humble”– another acid test; do we make our decisions solely based on our own best interest, or do we look at those around us that are affected?

“Contrite”– Feeling regret and sorrow for one’s sins or offenses. Acid test– do we blame others or circumstances when we mess up? Do we use the handy “everyone-else-is-doing-it”, or “it’s-not-as-bad-as-what-they-are-doing”. Or do we boldly admit our wrongs and start over in His strength?

We all have a lot to work on, but it’s worth getting our daily “inner-spirit adjustments”. When we notice we aren’t being humble or contrite, those are the times to ask for God to slowly do surgery. Then we can get the most out of our lives.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, I need You to develop in me a humble and contrite spirit because I can’t do it. I want the most out of the time I have. So please give me Your FAVOR. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.