A Word of Encouragement: victory in Jesus

Showing posts with label victory in Jesus. Show all posts

Thursday, December 24, 2015

When God Met Me At Wal-Mart

We’ve all had frustrating days where nothing seems to go right. And then it gets worse.

Last Friday was one of those days. I’ll spare you the details, but it involved two trips to Wal-Mart eight hours apart and more time wasted on the phone in between dealing with them. Finally, around 7:00 that night, I went back to the store to pick up my package. (I’m still waiting to see if the credit on my bank account comes through.)

As I struggled to keep my sanctification while fuming, I crossed the dark parking lot, weary and at the end of my rope. This might be a good place to add I do a lot of praying when I’m in this frame of mind. After all, this wasn’t the worst thing that happened to someone on the earth on Friday, I’m sure. Perspective is everything. J

I crossed the road in front of the store, and I realized the Salvation Army bell ringer wasn’t ringing his bell. Instead, he was playing an acoustic guitar. Strains of “Victory in Jesus” flowed from his fingertips and out of his instrument.

O victory in Jesus,

My Savior, forever.

He sought me and bought me

With His redeeming blood;

He loved me ere I knew Him

And all my love is due Him,

He plunged me to victory,

Beneath the cleansing flood.

Peace flowed through me—as did the realization that God had allowed the whole day to unfold as it did. Perhaps even orchestrated it. After all, Christmas is not found in the hustle and bustle but in the quiet moments God brings you to in the midst of your storm.

Our lives are filled with one simple struggle after another until we feel overwhelmed. Then often a big struggle hits. How do we choose to face this adversity? We can either face it with God’s help—allowing Him to walk alongside us—or we can go it alone. If you’re doing that, how’s that working for you? I can honestly say it’s never worked for me.

Instead, by abiding in Christ, I’ve often experienced a great blessing at the end of a trial. Kind of like the exclamation point at the end of a sentence.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2

As my Christmas gift to you during this stressful time of year, go to Amazon and download my devotional "While I'm Waiting" for FREE today only. I hope you’ll find comfort in my words and stories as I share about waiting on answers to prayer. The devotional will encourage you to go from despair to hope while praising God and choosing contentment during trials. It’s based on my personal experiences.

“Faith begins where man's power ends.” ~ George Mueller

Do you have a favorite go-to Bible verse when you’re struggling with everyday stressors? Or maybe you have a story similar to mine of when God met you some place. I’d love to hear it. And if you need prayer, please share that, as well. If your request is confidential, feel free to email me.

Have a Merry Christmas celebrating the birth of our Savior!

God bless,

Laura

©Laura Hodges Poole

“Christmas Shopping Cart” image courtesy of Feelart/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

“Advent Wreath” image courtesy of Gualberto107/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

"Silent Stars of Bethlehem" is available on Amazon for 99 Cents!

From the time she was a child, Carly Shepherd has gazed at the silent stars in the night sky of her home in Bethlehem, North Carolina. With her childhood overshadowed by her father’s abandonment and mother’s alcoholism, she wonders how anyone can believe in an equally silent God. After all, she’s not felt his presence any more than her earthly father. Though she remembers Christmas pageants and attending church as a child, she no longer has any use for what she considers fairy tales.

Drew Middleton is seeking shelter from a rain storm when he walks into Carly’s vendor tent at a fall festival, but he’s quickly taken with the talented artist and her creations. Feeling an instant connection, Carly is confused by her feelings, especially when she discovers his spiritual commitment.

Carly’s past and their chance of future together collide when she’s snared into refurbishing sets for a Christmas pageant with Drew’s help. Will their shared experience bring about a spiritual awakening in Carly this Christmas? Or will time run out as the stars continue to shine silently over Bethlehem?

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Are You Living Like A Prisoner?

View through a cell
pass-through window
from Vietnam War

Prisoner of war. The phrase instantly conjures up a universal mental image of a soldier’s imprisonment riddled with physical and mental torture, starvation, and sometimes death.

Last week, during our travels, Josh and I stopped in Andersonville, home of the infamous Civil War POW camp in south Georgia. Also ensconced there are a military cemetery and the National POW Museum, which houses memorabilia from all wars Americans fought in. We were pleasantly surprised by the incredible care taken to preserve history and by the size of the state park. In a town so small, it could easily be overlooked by tourists. In fact, I would imagine an accidental encounter with Andersonville would be unlikely.

After driving through thirty miles of farmland, Josh and I crossed a bridge a mile or so before entering the complex. We looked down at old railroad tracks below and wondered whether trains carrying prisoners ever passed over those tracks. We were astonished to learn they did, and then the prisoners were marched to the camp.

Sweat poured off us in the 98^o weather as we walked through the 26-acre mostly treeless camp with the afternoon sun beating down on us. We both agreed conditions must have been deplorable in the 1860s. It’s unfathomable to imagine the ways humans devise to mistreat fellow humans, no matter their differences. Still, the camp intrigued us, as did the museum.

Josh and I were impressed with displays from each war and particularly the creative ways POWs found to endure such horrid conditions and pass the time. From inventing codes to communicate with each other to carving artwork in rocks or pieces of wood, the POWs seemed to have one thing in common—their ability to survive.

As I thought of this in the context of a Christian’s life, it seemed shocking that I was able to find any similarities. After all, we aren’t prisoners, nor are we mere survivors. We are victors! The war against our enemy has already been won! Yet, I marvel that Christians sometime allow themselves to be led into spiritual captivity by Satan and then spend valuable time in bondage to his lies.

We all know folks who profess to be Christians, maybe ourselves included, who live in bondage. We allow Satan to affect our moods, circumstances, choices, relationships, work, and countless other aspects of our lives when he’s already been defeated. (Colossians 1:13).

Christians should never be spiritual prisoners of war. Satan only takes prisoners when we let him. We’re often guilty of laying our troubles at the altar, then picking them up and walking away with them. We rail against difficult circumstances that could grow us spiritually. But the worst is when we yield to the lies the enemy tells us about our ability to function in God’s Kingdom.

I'm not as smart or creative as the leaders of a church committee or mission group.
I'm not popular, so maybe no one would listen to my ideas.
The obstacles are too high or other such nonsense we succumb to when we live in the human realm with the enemy undermining what we’re called to do.

The saddest part of this is—in listening to Satan’s lies, we’ve allowed him to build spiritual walls around us, cutting us off from God’s promises.

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. Colossians 1:21-23

Even though trials and heartaches can make a Christian’s life feel like we’re merely surviving at times, we must strive to live like victors. We are soldiers in God’s army, fighting for the unsaved and against an enemy who doesn’t want to relinquish his hold on them. (1 Peter 5:8) But we can never lose sight of the fact that Christ’s blood has already defeated Satan! When he tries to slither up to you and tell you otherwise, quote the verses below. He’s well aware of his future demise. As Christians, we can’t allow ourselves to forget it. (Ephesians 6:10)

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17

If you have a prayer need or would like to share a word of encouragement for others walking through trials, please share in the comments below. Feel free to e-mail me confidential prayer requests. I’d love to pray for you!

God bless,

Laura

Check out the renovated Bible Gateway website! In addition to several Bible translations, they have devotions, articles, and books available for purchase. Bible Gateway is an invaluable resource I use for daily Bible study and writing research. Below are additional photos I took in Andersonville. Click on any of the photos in this post to see a larger image. Thanks!