Victory247

“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. He 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.

“The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways”  Proverbs 14:8 (NIV)

Many times we just go through our day making the same choices and even the same mistakes. We can get into a rut and justify our decisions with; “that’s how everyone else does it”.

I remember driving down a country road with a witty friend. He pointed out an old burned down house with the chimney, as usual, being the only thing left standing. He said, with a smirk, “Why do people always build chimney’s right in the middle of burned down houses?”.

Obviously, this isn’t the case. But it’s almost as silly as some of our thinking. The challenge today is to give thought to our routine choices. To question and re-evaluate our own motives and words. Then put them on a grid of God’s principles and perspective.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, teach me how to truly evaluate my ways. Thank You for the blessings and fulfillment You have in store for me when I make the efforts to “give my thinking” to You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God”  Genesis 6:9 (NIV)

When I was first married I tried to think of creative dates to take my new bride on. If I couldn’t think of anything, there was always going to a good movie. I remember her telling me that a great date for her would be to just go on a walk with me. Not only was that inexpensive, it made sense. She wanted to walk and talk, so we could get to know each other better.

Walking together is a very good time to get to know and learn from another. Going to a movie is merely watching other people on a screen. There is no real communication going on.

Walking with God is a way to say that we are acknowledging His presence as we stroll through our daily routine, while chatting with Him intermittently.

Also, there are times when we can actually get away and take a walk. Those can be great times to pour out our hearts, share concerns, ask for guidance, and talk to Him about others. Those walks are especially great times to listen to what He has to say to us.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, teach me how to truly walk with You. Teach me how to listen to You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good”  Proverbs 15:3 (NIV)

Back in the ol’ college days, my roommate and I had a little prank-thing going. One time I had a feeling that he was up to something, probably because I “got him good” the day before. So I hid in our dorm room closet with a container of water. I could see him creep into our room through the slightly opened closet door. I’ll never forget hearing his little chuckles as he quietly was rigging up my bed with clothes hangers and weights (I never did know where he was going with that). When he least expected it, I loudly jumped out of the closet while hitting him with water. I’m not sure if he was wet from my water or from the loss of a bodily function.

The point is that we act differently if we know we are being watched. We would probably not do those “secret sins” that tear up our relationships, mess up our inner peace, and cause us to battle through life with a bound up conscience. He does forgive us continually, but the damage control is tougher for Him if we aren’t striving to put more and more distance between our wrongful actions.

On the up-side, knowing that He is watching helps us to know that He understands exactly what we are going through. He is right there to comfort, strengthen and direct us.

Comedian Brian Regan said,“ I would have been a lot better off if I’d studied more when I was growing up. But you know where it all went wrong was the day they started the spelling bee. Because up until that day I was an idiot, but nobody else knew.”

God knows us and watches us. And still He truly loves us right through our idiot choices we tend to make.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, I know You long to be involved in my life. Thank You that You are patiently watching and waiting for me to confess wrongs, and to call on You more and more for strength, direction and comfort. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe”  Philippians 2:14-15 (NIV)

I was taking a basketball coaching class on-line. There was a statement made that jumped out at me. It said,”Just like dealing with the weather, smart players don’t complain, they adjust”. It made me wonder about how I handle my daily routine. If I encounter a problem or delay, do I complain or do I adjust? If I am mistreated, do I complain or adjust?

When things don’t play out as we plan on, our expectations are rattled. We usually respond with a harsh complaint. The “I-just-need-to-vent” mentality is accepted in our culture, in our ‘generation’. But, two things happen when we choose to adjust instead of complain. First, our inner peace and joy stays in tact. Stress and inner turmoil can tear us up, impact who we are, and will “eat our lunch”. Secondly, not complaining will make you stick out like a sore thumb(in a good way). It is rare to witness someone have their expectations not met, and see them respond with grace and control. You will ‘shine like a star’ in the vast nighttime sky.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, when my expectation of how things should go is not met, please remind me to call out for Your strength and composure. Thank You that you will develop my insides, and meet my outside needs. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.”  Matthew 17:6-7 (NIV)

Three of the disciples, Peter, James and John, heard God’s booming voice. That’s why they fell to the ground in great fear. Sometimes we get really scared and fall into a paralyzed state. We just want to lay there in hopes that whatever we fear will just go away.

I find it interesting that Jesus didn’t commend the three disciples for taking the time to worship God. He knew why they went down and told them to “get up, don’t be afraid”. Maybe they couldn’t face God because of guilt from past sins, or their lack of unbelief.

Whatever the reason; fear of failure, afraid of the future, starting a new job or school, getting married, moving to a new town, scared of God’s punishment for a bad choice…, Jesus is saying to us, “get up, don’t be afraid”. That is saying to me that He will be by my side to give me the ability to get through my fears.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, help me to get up and not be afraid. Remind me to tap into Your strength to overcome. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“God loves a cheerful giver. And He is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” 2 Corinthians 9:8-9 (NIV)

There once was an old cobbler (shoe maker) that was so busy fixing shoes that he didn’t have time for his own shoes. A thoughtful lady noticed his tattered footwear, so she got a pair of her husband’s shoes that he no longer wore. She placed them at the cobbler’s door as a gift. The next day the lady saw those shoes on her doorstep, completely cleaned and repaired with a note that said, “no charge, thank you for the thoughtfulness”.

She was surprised not only to see the renewed shoes, but also the fact that he knew where they came from. The lady told others in the small town. One man was so touched that he dropped off an old horse and buggy for the cobbler to use for his deliveries. The next week that man looked out his front window to see a young horse with a cleaned, greased and reupholstered buggy. The note attached said, “no charge, thank you for the thoughtfulness”.

The town folk were so impressed that their curiosity moved them to look into the cobbler’s history. They found out that he once was a wealthy and mighty king from a far off land, and choose to move to this town to live amongst the commoners.

We have a Heavenly Father that made that move with His Son, Jesus. From royalty to living amongst the common people. And to this day, like the cobbler, He takes our giving/helping of others and returns it to us so that we can give of ourselves even more. If we give to others, it’s as if we are giving to Him.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, make me a giver. Thank You that all my needs, inner and outer, will be met. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“…that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God”   Ephesians 3:19 (NASB)

I was noticing some really nice cars as I was driving to work. The thought hit me that even the best cars won’t work without fuel. An older vehicle that is filled with gas is much more useful than the 2012 Saab that is empty. The owner may have the manual memorized and can even rebuild the engine himself. But without gas, he is stuck.

God wants to fill our tanks every day. He longs for us to depend on Him so that He can be our fuel. Many times we try to just work it out with our own resources. That would be like pushing the new car from the rear bumper. It is easier if we get others to help push, but still not better than the gas powered motor.

We merely need to ask God to empower and direct us daily, hourly, and better yet, moment by moment. He wants to honor that prayer. As a matter of fact, that is the foundation to what the bible explains as trust and faith. That is why He left us with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 says, “… be filled with the Spirit”.

A benefit of using this “divine fuel” is that it will turn an old jalopy into a high powered driving machine. The more we “fuel up” with God, the more He can refurbish our whole being. Inside and out.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, fill me with Your Spirit. Empower me to live my life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.