Victory247

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit”  Psalm 147:3,5 (NIV)

We all go through times of ‘heartbreak’ and disappointment. Those are situations that can create loneliness, discouragement and hopelessness. Life has it’s way of hurting at times. There can be experiences that we run into that make our spirits feel like we’ve been punched right in the nose of our emotions. Other instances may not be as crushing, but still nag away at our being.

The challenge is to not try to escape pain. Instead, we need to confront it. Sure we may have those key people that we can go to for comfort or advice. But going to our all-powerful, yet intimate God is the key to true healing. True growing from any experience. True comfort. ‘His understanding has no limit’!

I recall a time I was hurt deeply by someone. Confused and empty, I decided to go for a car ride with God. That drive was a huge breakthrough for me. I talked a loud to Him, pouring out my heart. Then I listened. Over the years this type of communication with my all-understanding God grew my relationship with Him to another level. I even would have fantastic counseling sessions with Him over dinner at Pizza Hut (I didn’t talk a loud, Mr. Hut and the waitresses would think I flipped).

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, remind me to go to You first with my hurts. Thank You that You completely understand and completely care. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“Therefore we do not lose heart.Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day”  2 Corinthians 4:16-17 (NIV)

When I hit the age of 50, I physically felt really old. Though I am a lot slower when I try to play basketball with my children, my interpersonal interactions are still sharp. My mind forgets more stuff, but there’s more stuff up there to forget. I enjoy life, and I credit that to my close friendship with God. I think about Him everyday, talk to Him as much as possible, and depend on Him continually for advice, direction, and strength.

This close friendship with God is the key to the “inward renewing” in today’s verse. This also puts a different light on why we confess and avoid wrongful actions and words (sin). Confessing is a fast way of maintaining and reaping the benefits any close friendship, especially our relationship with God.

The late comedian George Burns made the following statement as a 90 year old; “You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old”.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, thank You that walking in Your presence renews my insides. When I stray, remind me to confess and rekindle our friendship. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body    1 Corinthians 12:15 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul is writing this to a group of people who had a tendency to compare themselves to each other. Imagine that ( I sarcastically state).

If we really look around, we can’t help but to notice that people have so many differences in likes, taste, personality, goals, philosophy, hobbies, strengths, occupations…but at the same time, with a lot of help from the media, we set each other up in a hierarchy of importance.

Is the president of some company a better human than the accountant because he makes more money? Maybe a guy decided to take a lessor job to spend more time with his family. Or the woman who stays home with her kids instead of  holding a position at a major firm.

Some are better at making money, so don’t scoff at them. Maybe certain others are more effective helping people by using their abilities to make more finances.

Anyway, the point is that we need each other to make our society work. God knew that, hence the differences. So, why compare? Enjoy how you were made! Just work on being the best “you”.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, thank You for making me like this. Help me to realize that nobody can be a better “me”. Forgive me for comparing. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

^” How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?”  Matthew 7:4 (NIV)

Many times we find comfort in complaining or criticizing others. It easy to do, especially when talking about someone that we feel threatened by, competing with, or someone we just don’t like. The challenge today is to draw closer to God when this feeling or temptation comes to us. At that moment “verbally stop in your tracks” and breathe a quick prayer, asking God to instead point out a flaw in ourselves. This challenge will bolster the personal character of any taker. It will amplify your communication with Him.

The famous Groucho Marx stated, “I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member”. Humorous, yet profound.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, help me to see the ‘planks’ in my life. Thank You that You love me anyway. Give me the strength to do the same for others (love them anyway). In Jesus’ Name. Amen

“In their pride the wicked do not seek Him; in all their thoughts there is no room for God”  Psalm 10:4 (NIV)

In today’s verse we shouldn’t assume that going a day without thinking about God puts us in the “wicked” category. This verse is just pointing out one characteristic of the “wicked”. The key to a fulfilled life ISN’T walking around trying not to be bad. INSTEAD, true fulfillment comes to those who allow God to invade their minds, mentality, thinking.

We need to ‘make room’ for God in our brains as we go throughout our day; asking Him to help us make decisions, bouncing ideas off Him, talking to Him about life direction, and pleading with Him to form our perspectives on Biblical teachings (and seeking out more and more of these teachings through daily devotionals, personal Bible reading, sermons, bible study groups, or discussions with other people walking in faith).

Many of us have formed a rut of a daily routine. I had a good friend once say, “I really enjoy my rut”. We can periodically check out of the “auto-drive” mode, and give some silent prayers to God which will escort Him into our “brain-room”.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, remind me to make room in my thoughts for You and Your insights. Thank You for the fulfillment and blessings that will follow. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy”   Matthew 6:20 (NIV)

When we make decisions, use our time, or even do something for others, we seem to have the mindset of  “what’s in it for me?”.  It’s a common practice for a businessman to give away football tickets to a client to keep them using their services. Or for a mother to offer to babysit for a neighbor because she knows that next week she will need a sitter for her kids.

There’s nothing wrong with these practices. But the challenge is to do something for someone and give to others, expecting nothing from them in return. Do it  “just because”. This is what Jesus is talking about with ‘storing treasures in heaven’. If this “just because” motivation becomes a common practice, not only will we get rewarded in heaven, He also will impact our lives abundantly so that we can continue to do even more ‘storing’.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, show me opportunities to store treasures. Help me to check the motives behind my actions. Continue to mold and change my self-centered heart. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God”  Matthew 5:8 (NIV)

When Jesus proclaims this statement, it kinda jumps out at you. ‘See God’? Now? In heaven? How? Where?!

We constantly do things and make decisions based on selfish motives. “What can I get out of this? What’s in it for me? I don’t have time for them because I’m way too busy with taking care of me“.

‘Pure in heart’ is a fantastic quality. Doing things just because God would want us to. Doing the right thing because it’s the right thing. Giving your time to those who need you, giving your money or possessions to someone who needs the help.

It seems like the more we take our eyes off ourselves, the more we can ‘see God’; understand who He is, how He thinks, what He is like.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, show me how to be pure in my motives. Help me to be more “others-oriented” so that I can see and experience You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy”  Matthew 5:7

The word “kindness” comes up in the bible several times as an attribute that can be only truly generated out of depending on God. Kindness is one of those things that seems easy, but very difficult to consistently live out. Sure, it’s easy to be kind to someone we are trying to impress, trying to get to like us, or even trying to manipulate for our own gain. But real kindness happens when there is no hidden motive.

One time I asked a lady how hard it would be to quit smoking. She said that she could quit smoking easily, she just doesn’t want to. I scratched my head and wondered if that really meant, in a round-about way, “it would be very difficult for me to quit”. Same thing with kindness. It would be easy to be kind, we just choose not to most of the time.

A pastor once stated, “Some people think kindness is weak—not something for ‘go-getters’ to be bothered with. Big mistake! If we want God, who has ultimate control of how things go in the universe, to be kind to us, we’d better be kind to others”.  Just like in today’s verse, mercy comes to the merciful. Kindness gives birth to more kindness if we are asking God to help us be others-sensitive. And that’s when our insides start to flourish.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, give me the eyes to see the needs of others. Then give me the strength to do the difficult thing; to be kind. I want my insides to flourish and my life to be fulfilled, so please don’t let me miss out on this window to Your power. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people”  Hebrews 9:27,28 (NIV)

The bad news is that we are all going to die. The good news is that through receiving Jesus Christ into our hearts by faith, we can inherit eternal life (see “start the victory” on victory247.org). It is good to have a healthy view of death. As we walk with God, knowing that heaven is in our future, remembering that our time here is limited will have a productive impact on how we choose to live.

I know I can get stuck in my daily routine and go months under the false facade that death isn’t really real. Or my brain will just refuse to accept the fact of death. Actor and comedian Woody Allen once stated; “I’m very proud of my gold pocket watch. My grandfather, on his deathbed, sold it to me”.

The mentality of ‘life is short so let’s party’ will corrode our insides. But living to help others and please God on our journey toward eternal bliss in heaven, will grow a fertile inner-fulfillment. Logically it seems upside down, but God loves to defy logic.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, give me a healthy view of dying. Bless me as I attempt to bless others. Thank You that through accepting Jesus’ work on the cross I can rest assured that heaven is in my future. In His Name. Amen.

“These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires… But you, dear friends, must build each other up”  Jude 1:16,20 (NLT)

I know of many who communicate using the “three C’s”; complaining, criticizing, correcting. This can be as contagious as a bad cold. The “three C’s” are symptoms of an infection in our spirit. As we go throughout our daily routine, we need to listen closely to what we are saying and thinking. If this infection isn’t treated, our relationships and our inner-peace will corrode.

The cure for this is in verse 20, “build each other up”. Prayer, encouragement, and looking for the good in others are our high powered vitamins.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, alert me when the bad symptoms and infections creep into my spirit. Give me the strength to be an encourager. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.