Victory247

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path”  Psalm 119:105 (NIV)

It’s always interesting to think about darkness. I think God invented night and day so that we would understand the importance of His guidance and truths.

The other day I looked down toward my feet and noticed that I had two different shades of socks on. It happened because I got dressed in the dark. I didn’t want to wake up my wife so I used my “instincts” to get dressed. More mistakes happened in the dark.

As a kid, my friends and I would ride our bikes around the neighborhood. One dark summer night we were cruising around late. I decided to turn off the road toward our favorite park. Before I knew it, my Huffy bike abruptly stopped on a dime. I still can recall the shocked and baffled feeling that I experienced as I catapulted over my handlebars into a face plant. I got up to see that some genius decided to put a large chain across the path entrance to discourage cars from driving on the park lawn. It was thick and brown, and nearly impossible to see at night. More casualties happen in the dark.

I have found that in life, the more I talk to God and think about His Words, the more light shines onto my path. Mistakes get avoided, casualties and obstacles get side stepped. Sure, there will be mistakes and unavoidable tragedies. But that’s when the light allows things to make more sense.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, draw me close to You through prayer and Your principles, so that I can have more and more light on my path. Direct my daily decisions and choices. 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. 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.

“Test me, LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind”   Psalm 26:2 (NIV)

As we move along in our daily routines, we can feel like we are doing just fine. In today’s verse David was probably doing okay, but he didn’t want to settle. He was considered a “man after God’s heart”. He was always seeking and searching to get more from God, be more like God, and be more understanding of God’s ways.

I have friends who recently had a refrigerator die. So they had to clean all the ruined items and restock a new one. This made me think that wouldn’t be a bad idea to restock my own fridge since I’m of the age of trying to eat healthier. So I looked at my fridge and forgot how much “stuff” accumulates, especially the door items; hot sauces, mayo, ketchup, salad dressings, jars of random items like diced garlic, a plastic lemon filled with juice… Then I looked deeper inside at all the items that just have become routine diet products. I know if I read the ingredients that I would change to more nutritious and healthier choices.

Like the refrigerator, our routine needs to be “examined”; what we say, what we watch, usage of time, relationships choices, how we talk to others, self serving vs others serving activities, exercise, eating and even occupation pursuits.

The good thing is that we aren’t left alone to make our own adjustments. We have a God that truly cares and is very willing to not only point out areas that need altered, but also give us the strength to make it happen.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, test me, try me and examine my heart and mind. Lead me into an even more fulfilling life. Don’t let me settle, give me a heart that seeks Yours. Thank You for the blessings that will follow. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.  But everything exposed by the light becomes visible”  Ephesians 5:11-13 (NIV)

It seems like we all have those secret sins that we keep in the dark closets of our lives. Those ugly private thoughts, actions or words that would disturb even our closest friends. I remember a famous preacher stating to the his audience, “If you knew everything that I thought, you wouldn’t be here to listen to me. And if I knew all your thoughts, I wouldn’t want to be here to speak to you”.

One day I saw a log in the green space behind my house. It had been on the ground for months, but I still figured it would be good for fire wood. When I rolled it over, I was taken back. Underneath was infested with pinching-like bugs, worms, and other creepy critters that lived in the darkness beneath the log. When the sunshine hit the area, all the critters hurried away to seek shelter from the exposing light.

Just like under the log, we can allow God to expose His light on those secret areas of our lives by confessing and handing it over to Him. Instead of ignoring our dark areas, we can invite Him to empower us to overcome and change. It all starts with turning over the log.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, I hand You the secret, most private thoughts and actions that are dark. Shine on them. I know it can take time, but keep changing me. Don’t let me fool myself that You don’t already know everything. Thank You that You still love me and know what will truly fulfill me. 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 family would go 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. He asks to renew a steadfast, steady, focused and unswerving spirit within him.

Like David, we do wrongs that make us feel dirty. That 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 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.

“Timothy, I thank God for you—the God I serve with a clear conscience, just as my ancestors did. Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers”  2 Timothy 1:3 NLT

The writer of this letter, Paul, prayed for his best friend Timothy, every day. I know Paul spent more time talking to God than most of us (which could be part of the reason he got more out of life than most of us). Certain things seem to happen each time we pray for others; 1) God hears us and answers in His time.  2) We become a little less self-consumed and ‘me-centered’. 3) Our inner joy grows.

Pick some people this week to consistently pray for. Then watch what happens to you and them. Take one from each of the F‘s; Friend, Family, Fellow worker, and Foe (someone we don’t like or get along with. Maybe someone we need to forgive).

TODAY’S PRAYER

Heavenly Father, help me talk to You more and more for other people’s needs and concerns. Thank You for the fulfillment and joy that will follow. 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 and make me feel good”. Believe me, I desire fun, but it’s like chasing my shadow. Let’s say our shadow represents fun and pleasure. Try to catch up to it and the shadow goes away from us. Walk away from it and the shadow pursues us!

In the same way, I have found that when I am constantly seeking pleasure, life isn’t as enjoyable or fulfilling. But when I’m making better efforts to have times of prayer, checking out scripture and serving others, seem to be the times that I’m experiencing more fun and enjoyment.

TODAY’S PRAYER

Heavenly Father, remind me to seek times with You and times of helping others. Then I can trust You for life’s fun, pleasures, enjoyment and fulfillment. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps”  Proverbs 14:15 (NIV)

At times it seems that we just go through our “day to day” and go along with the crowd, or float through our routines. God cares about our daily grind, and He wants to weave into it!

A basketball coach will go home after a game and watch the game again on video. This video session helps him focus on what his team did and didn’t do well. That way he can prepare a good practice for his team to correct specific flaws and build on strengths.

We need to daily have ‘video sessions’ with God. Quietly talking to to Him and reflecting on our day. The nice thing is that we don’t have to make the adjustments on our own. And it’s refreshing to gratefully focus on the good things about our relationships, possessions and events.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, help me to make time to sit down with You in prayer. Show me what to confess and give me the strength to change. Remind me of the things I can be thankful for. In Jesus’ Name. Amen

“To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace FROM God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord”  2 Timothy 1:2

Paul is writing to his very close friend, Timothy. He wishes him some pretty major stuff. Grace, mercy, and peace. It’s easy to read right over this verse to get to the rest of the letter and not notice the word ‘FROM’.

Grace (freedom to make mistakes and grow from them), mercy (knowing you are completely and undeservedly forgiven), and peace (inner calm and contentment) are all FROM God. We need to ask for these “big 3”, not try to just conjure them up on our own.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, in the midst of this hectic life, I am asking You to keep developing grace, mercy, and peace in me. Then help me show them to others. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously”   2Corinthians 9:6 (NIV)

It only makes sense that if we sprinkle just a few seeds (‘sow’), then we can only harvest (‘reap’) a small amount. On the other hand, if we throw out a bunch of seeds, we have the potential for a bumper crop! I’m not a farmer or gardener, but I always thought the term “bumper crop” sounded like a whole lot.

The context of this verse is the Apostle Paul writing to the believers in Corinth about a gift they are planning to give. “Giving” is the sowing in God’s economy. The more we give our money, time, helping hand, possessions, encouragement, advice,…, the more seeds we are sowing. This gives God a chance to produce a bumper crop of blessings and rewards in our lives.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, help me to look for opportunities to give of myself so that You can take care of all my needs and more. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.