Victory Rests with the Lord

There is not wisdom, no insight, 
no plan that can succeed against the Lord. 
The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but victory rests with the Lord.

-Proverbs 21:30-31 (NIV)

When we read the Bible cover to cover we see that life is full of humanly impossible, insurmountable situations. Even for God's people, life is sometimes very complicated. Over and over again God's people were outnumbered in battle. They were out of food. They faced dilemmas with no answers. Then they turned to God with empty hands and expectant hearts.

Over and over again we read of God giving them unusual answers and solutions. In all their circumstances (just like us) they had choices. Should they trust their natural instincts, or should they trust the Lord? Some, like King Saul, repeatedly refused to leave the final decisions in God's hands. Stubbornly they used their own carnal weapons and natural wisdom. Short term, it looked good. Long term, it was a disaster. But others, like David facing Goliath, Joshua crossing the Jordon, Peter leaving his fishing business to follow Jesus, or Daniel refusing to eat the king's delicacies, saw that God's ways are much higher than our ways.

As Oswald Chambers said, "The golden rule for understanding in spiritual matters is not intellect but obedience."

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5, NIV), because ultimately "victory rests with the Lord."

Live it Out!
Do you feel overwhelmed, outnumbered, and defeated by the problems of life? In times like this we sometimes think the Lord has deserted us, But be aware: He has never been closer. Troubles can press us into the promises of God, because it is then that we need them so desperately. Our problems may be bigger than we are, but they are never bigger than God. Remember, true victory is internal, not just external.

"Thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless" (1 Corinthians 15:57-58).

-The One Year Wisdom for Women Devotional; by Debbi Bryson; August 24; p. 247

I have faced difficult things in my life that have overwhelmed me. And each time, I have had to make
a choice - to do things based on my own wisdom and feelings or to seek the Lord and His will. With each struggle, I have learned that the Lord's way is best. It has not always been the easier way or the less painful way, but in the end, all things worked for my good and His glory.

Each painful trial has helped prepare me for the next. As I have found the Lord faithful, it becomes more natural to turn to Him right away and to seek His aid. When the enemy attacks, filling my mind with discouragement, I have learned to tune him out and replace those thoughts with God's word. Living by faith is the only way to experience true victory. When this becomes your way of life, then all decisions are much easier to make because you will turn to the One who has all the answers.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

5 Benefits of Being a Child of God

Image
In her book "Breaking Free", Beth Moore writes about five benefits God intends "to be the daily experience of every child of God." (p. 23) The first benefit is to know God and believe Him . Beth Moore writes that "one of your chief purposes on this planet is to know God intimately and with reverent familiarity. That intimate relationship begins, but was never intended to end, with what we call the 'salvation experience.' So the first question to ask yourself is, Have you received Christ as your personal Savior?" "One of the most beautiful elements of salvation is its simplicity. Christ has already done all the work on the cross. Your response includes four elements: 1) Acknowledge that you are a sinner and that you cannot save yourself. 2) Acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and only He can save you. 3) Believe that His Crucifixion was for your personal sins and that His death was on your behalf. 4) Give Him your life and
Read more

Fuel Up with the Holy Spirit

Image
 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” John 14:26 Once we decide to get on the road with Jesus, we discover that the Bible is like a road map for our journey; helping us to live in a way that pleases God. If we spend time in the Word everyday, we will grow to be more like Jesus. A car needs gasoline in order to work. In order for you to keep going, you have to fill the tank up. Well, just like our physical bodies need food for energy, and cars need gasoline in order to go, our spiritual bodies need a kind of fuel too. This "fuel" is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom and energy for life. We know that God created us. We know that Jesus saved us. But you might wonder who the Holy Spirit is. In John 14:16-17 we see that before Jesus was going to die on the cross, He told the disciples that God would send another Helper to help them. This w
Read more

A Clamorous Woman

Image
Photo Credit A foolish woman is clamorous; She is simple, and knows nothing. For she sits at the door of her house. . . To call to those who pass by. . . "Whoever is simple, let him turn it here"; And as for him who lacks understanding, She says to him, "Stolen water is sweet, And bread eaten in secret is pleasant." But he does not know that the dead are there, That her guests are in the depths of hell. -Proverbs 9:13-18 (NKJV) A foolish woman is clamorous. To be clamorous is to murmur, growl, roar, rage, to be troubled, in an uproar, in a stir, a commotion, boisterous, turbulent, raging. Here is a big clue for us. Every one of these definitions describes anything but a meek and quiet spirit. Usually if we women make an uproar on the outside, it's because there's an uproar on the inside. A clamorous woman lures other people into her whirlpool - or maybe a better word is cesspool. I know that the first level of application of
Read more