Fast Track to Victory

“Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus..” Ephesians 2:5,6

Life often proceeds at break-neck paces. We don’t have time for so many things we want to do. Although we know we need to take time with God, day after day may pass by.
There may be obstacles: Extra hours at work, lock of a quiet house, sheer exhaustion. But making time for God is like … choosing to spend time in heaven.
Yeah, Bible study lacks the allure of heaven. So does prayer. Yet we truly come to the throne of grace — a throne more recognizable when we praise him, either in word or song.
Making that commitment to spend time with God is what’s important. It may not be an hour every single day. There may be obstacles. Yet we can trust God to make opportunities for us and relax in what he allows for us.
When we make a commitment to seek God daily, and begin spending regular time with him, WE are the ones who really benefit.
Our spirits can refresh themselves in God’s presence; our minds can be renewed by the Word. We give God an opportunity to teach us, so many things WE need to know.
Then as we go about our routines, we’re more in tune with God. We’re more likely to enlist his aid, more likely to set our burdens down immediately and let him act on our behalf.
No matter we’re going through, we’re more likely to remember God. We’re more likely to sense our spirits are home in heaven, no matter what hell hole we’re in on Earth.

We can delude ourselves into thinking the rules are not meant for us. We can believe the devil’s lies that we won’t be punished, or that God isn’t watching after all.
But the Word of God sets us straight.

“he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.” Colossians 3:25

Father, help us to choose the good today and everyday, so we can reap good for our lives, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Every day we are bombarded by all kinds of evil. We may want to crawl in a hole somewhere, wall ourselves off from life, or cave in.

We may tell ourselves we’re not vulnerable. We may tell ourselves we are immune to evil’s influence. We may walk in a false, self confidence.

But we need to be humble and keep our priorities straight. We need to honor God and acknowledge it is him who is protecting us. And we need to make good choices, every day. We need to guard our hearts, even if it’s not popular.

While we cannot choose for our neighbor, and invariably we’ll be exposed to evil because of his choices, we need not choose it ourselves. We need not wallow in the evil.

When we do our best to keep God first, when we remember what is important to him, we can trust he will protect us.

The Bible tells us: “The LORD preserveth all them that love him,” Psalms 145:20

“thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57

We may wonder how God can judge those who haven’t heard the good news about Jesus Christ. We may wonder how he can judge when people don’t have Bibles, or pastors, or churches — when they may not even have people setting good examples around them…
But the Bible tells us in 1 John 4:8 that God is love and, when we reflect on that, it is easier to understand. The questions become: Do we choose to love, or hate? Do we chose to forgive in mercy, or condemn? Do we spent our lives in self indulgence, or do we choose to help others?
Those who have been taught the good news have more reason to choose these good things, yes. But we all are made good and given opportunities to choose good.
“…choose you this day whom ye will serve,” Joshua 24:15

Get help relating the Bible to your life with Cheryl’s new devotions book, Fast Track to Victory, A Christian Guidebook. Download the preview at http://www.songsfromtheword.com/Textfiles/FastTracktoVictorypreview.pdf

Have you ever looked back on your life and wished you had used it more profitably? Have you ever regretted not doing more … for God?

After I came to know the Lord as an adult, it seemed I’d wasted so many years of my life on unimportant things. I knew God had prepared me for today with all he’d allowed me to experience. Yet deep inside, I knew I’d been foolish — that I’d spent my time on things that ultimately did not matter.

So I dedicated myself to using my time well. I dedicated myself to making up for lost time. I have tried to use these later years of my life well.

And then I realized even with him in our lives, leading us, enabling us, we cannot really do those things which profit. God gives them to us.

John 15:5: “without me ye can do nothing.”

“by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
“Not of works, lest any man should boast.
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10