Tuesday, February 11, 2020

II Timothy 1:7; II Chronicles 20 - "See A Victory"


Yesterday when my schedule got changed I was disappointed but God turned the day into one of great blessings. I was able to get Valentine boxes mailed out to the grand babies; took down the winter decorations and put out the spring ones; picked strawberries with my sweetie; and used a gift card given to us to go out for dinner. The Lord knew we needed yesterday after having a busy weekend. He also knew I needed the surprise of finding a 'lost' Christmas ornament that I couldn't find where I had put it to be safe from being broken. He is so good at providing what I need sometimes before I even realize it. When I took a fall while I was out in our storage building but He protected me from being hurt other than some aches and pains. He encouraged me by conversations with Paul and Ben yesterday morning. What an awesome way to start off the week! Oh how I miss them. He encouraged me through messages sent by a couple people who continue to show their support for us. Right before going to bed He encouraged me with a song a friend shared called See A Victory. What a great reminder that the battle we are in belongs to the Lord. Doc mentioned in his sermon Sunday the victory was won through Jesus' death and resurrection! Woo hoo! In II Chronicles 20 King Jehoshaphat was given these words by the Lord when he was facing a great battle. Don’t be afraid; don’t pay any mind to this vandal horde. This is God’s war, not yours (MSG). God already knows the results of the appointment Friday with the surgeon. He already knows when Doc will be healed and how it will happen. He already knows how and when the church building will be completed. Plain and simple. He already knows. C is not something He has never dealt with before. It is not something too big for Him to heal. King Jehoshaphat did as God directed and was successful in the battle before him. All we have to do to win this battle over C is to stand on II Timothy 1:7. I read this verse this morning in different translations and loved how it reads in The Passion Translation. For God will never give you the spirit of fear, but the Holy Spirit who gives you mighty power, love, and self-control. The enemy is the one who puts fear upon us, not God. I read in one commentary that the fear Paul spoke of here was fear of men. "The fear of God prevents us from fearing others." Wow! When we fear God, the word fear is not used with the same meaning as fear is normally associated with. Instead it is that we respect Him. It has a positive instead of a negative tone to it. As we fear God, we will receive the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to love with His love and have His wisdom. The Aramaic translation for self-control is 'revelation-light' or 'instruction.' The more I fear Him, the more I will become Christ-like. I will have His thoughts, words, actions, and attitude as I live such a life. To me, there is no better life than one of walking in obedience to His will. But I know I have to get better at it. I know I miss opportunities He gives me and I do not like that. I also know I must continue to wait on Him for His timing. In my humanness, I desire Doc to be healed from C now. In my humanness, I desire the church building to be completed without all the hassles of not having enough volunteers or enough finances to complete. In my humanness, I desire my Momma's test results to come back negative. In my humanness, I would like to see all my family and friends come into relationship with Christ before He returns. But in my spirit I know God already has all these things worked out. I do not have to fear but instead need to continue to lean into Him and believe...

I'm gonna see a victory
I'm gonna see a victory
For the battle belongs to you Lord

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for going before me and having victory over my life! Thank You for the day yesterday where Doc and I were able to pick strawberries and go out to dinner with a gift card given to us by a dear friend! Thank You for the reminder through Scripture and this song that nothing we go through is our battle but Yours! Thank You for cleansing me this morning so You can fill me with Your Holy Spirit! Thank You for being my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts throughout the day that is ahead! Father, You woke me several times during the night to pray for Linda who will have surgery today to remove the brain tumor. May You be her peace. I also pray for: Linda; John with his medical testing; Mike with his battle with C; Terry as he regains strength; Carrington's with the flu in their home; Jim as he prepares for his move; Don and his family as they wait on Your timing for the sale of their house; Kim Young's knee replacement surgery today; Kim's situation with her schooling; Karen with the recent loss of her husband; Shirley Sgro; and many others who are going through 'tough' times. May each one feel Your peace in their situation. May they know Your strength and empowerment. Thank You Jesus for being My Victory! Amen.


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