Romans 15:13
I pray that God, who gives hope, will
bless you with complete happiness and peace because of your faith. And
may the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I was reading some Beth Moore devotionals today, and she talked about living successfully versus living victoriously.
Moore pointed out that many people manage to skate through life
relatively unscathed…to be what most consider “successful”. They appear
to have a great life…do well in business, live comfortably, and have
and do all of the things we associate with “success”. Often, these
folks have managed somehow to avoid very much conflict or struggle in
their lives. But just because these people have glided along pretty
smoothly does not mean that they have lived victoriously.
What’s
the difference? A victorious person is one who has grabbed hold of the
promises of God and held them tightly, even when “the chips were down”.
This person trusts that God is in control, no matter what. He/she
believes God when He says in His word that we are important to
Him…precious treasures for whom He wants only the best. Regardless of
what is happening in the lives of people who live victoriously, they are
filled with complete happiness and peace through Jesus Christ.
Does
this mean that victorious people are never sad…that they never have
bills to pay – or get into debt…lose a job…get sick…grieve…or have
struggles or tragedies in their lives? Absolutely not! But because
they are filled with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit,
victorious people know that they can handle whatever comes their way.
God understands grief and suffering. He knows that when we are sick or
injured, we are not necessarily at our best. He knows that people lose
jobs and struggle to pay bills. He feels our pain when relationships
sour and people frustrate or dishearten us. But He also offers us the
hope of a better day…and those who trust Him to deliver this are never
disappointed.
Not all successful people are victorious…but
those who are filled with hope in Jesus are both! Where are you in
this picture? Where would you like to be? Anyone who puts his/her hope
and trust in the LORD…and truly internalizes the power of the Holy
Spirit to accomplish all things in and through them…will enjoy the
complete happiness, peace and rest of a victorious life. And this is
the ultimate example of success…don’t you agree?
©2014 Debbie Robus
No comments:
Post a Comment