Victory in Jesus

Its amazing isn't it how often we can read something and re-read it over and over again yet miss out on the point that it brings.

It was so for me when I read in 1 Corinthians 15:57 "But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

How many times have I read this verse, agreed with it wholeheartedly yet never really let it affect my life in a very real way?

Many many times I have sat under ministry that tells me that through Jesus I can have the VICTORY ~ that I can face any situation and be content.

Did it really settle in my heart? Did I really believe it? Did I let Jesus be my Victor or was I more than content to try it on my own?

No one, not one of us can earn our place in heaven and please God by our works alone! No one can be victorious over sin and self without the saving love and grace of Jesus. It is ONE fatal mistake if you think you can earn your way into heaven by the works that you do - That somehow you can accumulate 'brownie points' with God by mere works alone.

But more than works and relying on God by faith through His amazing grace ~ to me it's claiming VICTORY over what this old world dishes out to us daily often hourly

Many times I have relied on God to see me though the most difficult times in my life but claiming victory though Jesus and walking daily in this beautiful gift in every situation is really possible and can be given to us through what Jesus purchased for us at Calvary when He took upon Himself our sins ~ our failures ~ our burdens.

To be set free from sin is amazing and wonderful BUT to walk in VICTORY with Jesus and have our old sinful nature replaced with Jesus' nature is truly Miraculous!

Jesus gave us so much at His death and the importance of His resurrection, that we would, in a way, be letting Him down if we didn't live in complete VICTORY on a daily basis to the very glory of God.

At His death, Jesus removed every obstacle that would stop us claiming true VICTORY and knowing the many blessings given to us.  True VICTORY is only through Jesus and we can claim this victory by walking close to Him day by day.

God says that we can have continual TRIUMPH in Christ ~ check out 2 Corinthians 2:14. This verse tell us that God's plan for us is to ALWAYS walk in VICTORY with Him. Not just sometimes but always!

We CAN have victory in every circumstance that comes along in our lives. Ask Him to give us this VICTORY . Through Jesus we can conquer our failures ~ we can be VICTORS with Him in every possible situation.

We can claim this victory that God obviously wants us to have. Paul claimed this victory when he said "I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me". Paul walked in victory with Jesus and found Himself content in EVERY situation he found himself even in prison. Life can snatch our victory in Jesus if we let it ~ the thing is Jesus has already won this victory and by faith we can claim it as ours as well.

Paul also said that "we are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us" - catch that "MORE THAN".  There is nothing the world can throw at us that we can't conquer through Jesus.

So, God bless you this week as we claim the VICTORY IN JESUS and through His strength and grace alone, be content and worry free as we mingle and contend with the world out there.

God IS in the detail!

You know ~ our God is amazing! The older I get the more and more I see His hand in everything I do and all creation around me

For years and years now I have struggled on and off, trying to do the things and live the life that I figured was better for my family and me. Did it bring me satisfaction and fulfilling? In a way I can say that it has but in lots of ways sadly I can say that it hasn't.

Through all of my clever planning and thinking, my scheming and organising, things often went pear-shaped and out of all proportion.

Yes! things don't always pan out as we plan.

When I struggled with the little things in life ~ you know those little annoying things ~ those things that so easily ~ get under our skin, did I take them to God ~ did I hand them over to Him ~ Did I even trust Him to look after them and show me direction? NO! I didn't and why?

Because I figured that God had so much more to do in this crazy world that He really couldn't be bothered looking into the little often frustrating titbits of my puny life.

Let me tell you something that I found out ~ something really important and that is OUR GOD IS IN THE DETAILS of your life ~ he wants you to share EVERYTHING with Him. He is our Creator God ~ he knew you before you were conceived and he has a mighty plan for your life if you let Him.

When we are faced with gigantic problems ~ when our world turns upside down for no apparent reason ~ when a member of our family has cancer and is dying slowly and painfully ~ these things are huge and we pray BIG prayers and so we should ~ God has told us to bring them to Him and He in His mercy will see us through them. We may never be spared the pain ~ we may never see a miracle of wondrous healing as some have BUT He will give us the strength to see it through.

But, God isn't just a God of the BIG and GIGANTIC ~ I have learned that He is also the God of the little and of those insignificant things that beset us daily!

When you analyse it most of our lives are in the little things:- Where should we live? Which Doctor should I go to? I'm frustrated with sleeplessness ~ what should I do? Education for our kids ~ where do we go from here? When we get lost in the car.

All of these and heaps more are such LITTLE things when compared to what is happening in our world BUT God does care and He is here with us ~ even in the micro.

When you think about ~ when Jesus was on earth, he was interested in the peoples lives. He healed the sick, he touched the lepers, the ostracised, the unclean. He made a friend of those who were weak and looked down on.

Jesus was interested in people and their individual problems. he showed compassion in feeding the people ~ the little things that truly mattered!

Our whole lives are made up of 'little' things and God cares about us ~ and if He cares about US then he cares about the tiny, micro things that are in and make up our lives

I have learned a BIG lesson in the LITTLE things in my life.

Take EVERYTHING to God in prayer and trust Him to get you through it ~ I honestly am amazed by the way he has seen me though some of the THE most frustrating times of my life. He has shown me a way of escape, calmed my anxiety and helped me continue when I thought I had completely failed.

He will see you through ~ His promises never fail.

God bless you this week as you turn to Him in the BIG and LITTLE things in life