Momentum for a Victorious Day

In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. - Ephesians 3:12

As written about in the post “Way to Freedom and Confidence”, victory in life is about taking that first step toward Jesus. Like the song One Step Away by Casting Crowns, it only takes one step so just go for it!

Take the opportunity to gain momentum with one step that leads to other steps. Before long you are gaining momentum for a victorious life; you are living with passion, loving completely, learning humbly, and living boldly.

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Great Value in Starting New

But Christ has shown me that what I once thought was valuable is worthless. Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. - Philippians 3:7-8

Grace received because of Christ and the Holy Spirit in you adds great value to your life. It is worth more than anything in the world because you then start new with freedom, peace, and the courage needed to face any challenge as you step ahead.

This day will be amazing because with God, we can sincerely believe that each obstacle will be overcome and enthusiastically act upon each task until completion; celebrating progress throughout each day by praising Him.

As the song Holy Spirit by Francesca Battistelli recommends, welcome God’s Spirit inside. Be aware of God’s presence and experience the glory of His goodness.

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Prevail with Detail

My son, pay attention to my wisdom; lend your ear to my understanding, that you may preserve discretion, and your lips may keep knowledge. - Proverbs 5:1-2

There was great detail given as to how the tabernacle would be furnished as pointed out in the post “Specific Details”. The need to attend to great detail is also needed in life because sometimes the margin for error is so minuet. One little thing can get us off track.

Working with computer systems, one wrong code entry or data tag can throw things off and it’s hard to find what the issue is. With so many updates and changes that take place within a computer system, it’s easy to bring a system down and many times hard to find the solution to get it going again.

The good thing about Christianity is that God’s principles never change. A daily devotional time internalizes His guiding principles so they become an instrument which pushes us to focus on Him in every activity throughout our day.

The Tabernacle as mentioned in the post “Specific Details” would be the dwelling place of God. Because of Christ, our bodies are the dwelling place or Temple of God and as in the song Christ In Me by Jeremy Camp, Christ in us lights up the Temple.

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Ideas for Gaining Daily Victories

I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. – Philippians 4:13

The lesson as laid out in the post “The ONE Who Won” was that the Lord fights for you. With Him, you can do so much more. He prepares a path for you by driving out obstacles in your way so love the Lord your God and step ahead.  

Sometimes the greatest competition we face is within our own mind. We may have a major deadline at work or a major payment due. Our mind may keep telling us, “It’s too difficult … I can’t do this” but because of God we can have confidence to tell our mind, “Yes I can”.

One idea is to memorize scripture like the one at the top of this post when faced with pressure situations in life. Another idea may be to listen to music for inspiration. God has fought over the years for His people and He fights for you today.

The greatest historical victory ever was His Son Jesus Christ who died for all. Grace wins all the time to allow you to rise up to victory on a daily basis. Take a few minutes to be inspired by this song Grace Wins by Matthew West  because the victory is for all who belong to Christ Jesus.

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Perfect Clarity

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. - 1 Corinthians 13:12

God is involved in the movement of history just as was shared in the post “Obedient and Persistent”. Keeping track of history gives us insight into what could happen in the future and in turn, help us to make informed decisions for today.

Historical data helps us predict the weather. Of course, being able to predict the weather in Texas is not that easy. Our county fair in Waco is in October and some years it can be freezing and other years, it can be sunny and in the low nineties with everyone wearing shorts.

Even though the future can be hard to predict, the Good News for us is that God knows what we need and like the song Good, Good Father – Chris Tomlin, He is perfect in all His ways to us.

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Jump into Life with Enthusiasm

Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.” – Joshua 10:25

As shared in the post “Victory Builds Momentum for Future Victories”, the Ammonites were the people of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. The kings of each joined together to attack Gibeon. But Joshua and his army came to their rescue and God was with them as He produced hail stones to kill the enemy. He even stopped the sun so that Joshua and his army had the extra daylight to pursue the five kings.

The kings could not get away so they hid in a cave at Makkedah (vv. 16-17) but they were found and Joshua told his officers to put their feet on the king’s necks to engender trust in God for future victories (v. 24).

Joshua’s army always returned to Gilgal (v. 43) for rest, encouragement, inspiration, and to develop a strategy. My friend, let us daily return to God for study, prayer, and encouragement. He inspires us to jump into life with enthusiasm. We can pray, listen for instructions, and get things done now. Opportunities to do great things are right in front of us so let’s give God our best.

When we believe God is for us and if we see God at work in our life; confidence grows, victories come our way, and these victories can be used to build momentum to face future challenges just like in the song  Live with Abandon by Newsboys.

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Impossible Becomes Possible

Jesus replied, ‘What is impossible with men is possible with God. – Luke 18:27

If we are worried so much about what we need to do and not aware of what God can do, our true potential will not be realized. Just as shared in the post “Winning Battles”, God provides the power to make what seems impossible possible.

Worry only gives us stress and keeps us from being at our best. It takes away our freedom but confidence in God gives a lift as if on the wings of an eagle.

In sports, many times it is one missed opportunity that makes all the difference between victory and defeat; a dropped pass in football; a fielding error in baseball; a missed free throw in basketball. It’s the same in the game of life but if we take the opportunity to accept God’s plan for us, there is only victory.

Even though there are defeats in life, we have grace that provides the ultimate victory. Be lifted up today by this video Only Grace – Matthew West and know that God gives you the upper hand so that what seems impossible becomes possible.

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Trust in the Name of the Lord

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. – Psalm 20:7

The Israelites had been through difficult times but as shared in the post, “Steadily Heading Towards the Victory”, God leads them through all of it. They came to the point when the battle at Jericho was in the near future and before the battle, God told Joshua how to prepare for battle.

It was a time of renewal. We need times of renewal in our lives today to win our battles. With God on our side, there is nothing we can’t do. We are ready to take on the challenges life brings our way just like in the song Through All of It by Colton Dixon.

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Approach God With Freedom and Confidence

In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. - Ephesians 3:12

As shared in the post “Ascending the Mountain of the Lord”, it’s never too late to make a climb higher towards the mountain of the Lord. By accepting Christ as Savior, we become His hands and feet to make significant moments happen not only in our own lives but in the lives of others.

One small step at a time, we can reach a very high point this day. Receive inspiration from today’s video: Lifesong – Casting Crowns and when you reach the highest point of this day, approach God with freedom and confidence and let Him sign off on your day.

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Lifted up on Wings to Handle What Life Brings

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

            My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,

            My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. – Ps 18:2

In sharing the post “Delivered from Enemies”, noted was how David faced difficulty but spread his wings in faith to be lifted to a new level as God fashioned a bright future for David.

We all face difficulties in life. I once read about actor Sylvester Stallone who not only was the lead actor but also wrote the script for all the “Rocky” and “Rambo” movies. Before hitting it big with the movie “Rocky”, Sylvester Stallone went through homelessness as he struggled to make ends meet as a writer and actor.

If going through a trial in your life or just having a down day, take inspiration from this video: Lift Me Up by The Afters.

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Perfect in all of Your Ways

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. - Proverbs 3:5-6

A moving target makes success very unlikely. What if the bases where never in the same place in baseball and we didn’t know where first base was or where second base was?  There wouldn’t be a chance to get to home base and not many runs would be scored would they?

Unfortunately, we constantly receive conflicting information in this game of life. 

Just as it is important to know where the bases are in a baseball game to win, it’s even more important to know the rules in life. Fortunately, we have God’s Word as our rule book.

So this day, work together with fellow believers and build up the kingdom. Know the most important rule is that you are loved by God because of accepting His Son as Savior. Receive inspiration from today’s video: Good, Good Father – Chris Tomlin.

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Grace Wins Every Time

Many people, organizations, and nations have great potential but one issue can get them off track. In the post “Step Ahead with Confidence”, written were some thoughts from the study of Hosea 10 and how Israel got off track with negative reactions to certain challenges. It is the same with us in our life today as we react to issues. What we have to do is keep working to stay on track.

With good habits, we can step ahead and maximize the potential God has given us. The Bible gives us great advice and we can have confidence because victory is assured through Jesus Christ. We can let the past go and know the future is bright because grace wins every time. Take inspiration from today’s video: Grace Wins – Matthew West.

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Trust is a Must

The testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. - James 1:3-4

As written about in the post “Faith in His Guidance”, every doubt or fear will be replaced with a deep abiding trust in God. Paul had faith in God during the storm at sea and the shipwreck. Paul’s faith began to influence the others aboard the ship and this resulted in good judgment, confidence, and composure as they reached land to safety.

We face storms in our journey through life. There are difficulties we face daily … a family member is sick, a rough day at work, trying to balance work, home, and school. When we face these difficult days and turn them over to God, that’s when His great power begins.

Faith gained today will pull us through for the rest of today. Then this gained faith of yesterday will push us through tomorrow and help us step ahead into the future. To start gaining faith today, here is an inspiring song: Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) – Hillsong United.

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Victory Assured

For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. - 1 John 5:4

The world constantly tries to keep us in a state of turmoil and unrest. To step ahead, take in God's Word to fortify. Remain optimistic because God is big enough to provide the poise we need to think through each situation. As explained in the post “Step Ahead with Poise”, God is working behind the scenes to set things up for our benefit because we are highly favored by our Creator.

The world has a way of making us feel like we are lacking. I'm not skilled at that or I'm too slow. I just don't catch on to that new concept like others do. If thoughts like this come to mind, remember that with God there is no need to get stressed out. He's big enough to make up the difference and provide that extra push to finish in victory.

In the scripture at the beginning of this post, we are told of God’s plan for us. This is a plan for victory that is carried out by going to Him in prayer, accepting Christ as Savior, and being washed of sin. Our new birth is the victory assured and is also highlighted in this video: The River – Jordan Felizhttps://youtu.be/6dM0ZNoa6kU.

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Take Courage for He is For Us

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? – Romans 8:31

In the post “Take Courage” written about was one of the difficult experiences Paul had to go through as he testified about God’s Way. While he was in prison, God stood near Paul and told him to take courage. At that point, it seems as though there was a peace within Paul because he knew that God was with him and would continue to be with him in his time of need.

It is the same for us today. We can have an attitude of confidence and peace of mind because we can trust that God will also be with us in our time of need. Take courage my friends and inspiration from today’s video: I Am Not Alone – Kari Jobe.

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Meet Resistance Head On with Patience and Persistence

Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. - James 1:2-4

During the missionary journeys of Paul, he went through physical and mental strain yet carried out God’s will. Paul spoke all night at one stop along the way as explained in the post “Joy Even in Trials”.

There were plots out to kill Paul, yet he had confidence that God would protect him. He took every opportunity to share about the Lord even when it caused personal inconvenience.

As the scripture above states, let us take this inspiration and count it all joy when we fall into various trials; knowing that God is making us into the person He wants us to be. Enjoy today’s inspirational video Keep Making Me – Sidewalk Prophets.

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No Fear - He is Near

The post “Strength for the Journey” is about Paul sharing with the people that our God is an Awesome God. He is our strength and our greatest asset is not in being like everyone else but in being who we are; a precious child of God.

We are never alone because He goes before us, He is with us, and His Spirit lives in us. Because of these facts, we have unlimited potential because of His unlimited potential. It is up to us to realize how God can use us to spread the Good News.

Today’s inspirational video is about this help God gives to pull us through anything. He takes our burdens and puts them on His shoulders. There is no fear - He is near: Shoulders - For King and Country.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. - Psalm 46:1

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No Need to Cower For We Have a Great Power

In the post, The Courage to Walk against the Enemy, the photo I used was of this small cat walking in front of a line of dogs. It made me remember when a small kitten showed up at our house a couple of years ago. We have a big dog but the cat was not afraid of anything.

Later, we found out that our neighbors had gotten a new kitten and it was their kitten. After thinking about this experience, it hit me that the kitten was not afraid because it had a home. It had a home with food, shelter, and love just like we should not be afraid because Jesus has provided a home for each of us.

We can face our fears with boldness because the power of the Holy Spirit is with us. We can walk down a dark and painful road because of this power and the security of God’s promise of a home in paradise for each of us. Join in the praise today with today’s video: Same Power – Jeremy Camp.

The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid? - Psalm 27:1

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Son Beam to Every Hope and Dream

Shared in the post He Clears the Path to Safety, the lesson was to examine our hopes and dreams and strive to accomplish them in order to give glory to God just as Moses did by creating a path through the sea to the other side.

Keep in mind that God can create a path for us to victory.  So this day with God, remember there is no more fear because the path is made clear with His Son beam to our every hope and dream.

Since God always delivers on His promises, let us do like Moses and the Israelites by praising Him with a song. Enjoy today’s video: Hope in Front of Me – Danny Gokey.

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. - Romans 15:4

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The Humble Never Crumble When God Is With Them

As shared in the post He Answers Man’s Despairing Pleas with Plans, Moses knew his limits and was humble but Pharaoh would not take to heart the greatness of God. His stubbornness resulted in Egypt being cursed with plagues.

Even though Moses lacked confidence, there were aspects of his personality that God could use for a tremendous purpose. He humbly listened to God’s instructions and carried them out.

God can use you too and thinks you’re awesome! Just use the strengths He has given you, listen to His direction, be happy with who you are, and He will do the amazing part through you. Take encouragement from today’s video: Word of God Speak – MercyMe.

He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. – Proverbs 12:20

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