Day 33: The Victory of Faith
Scripture to meditate on: 1 John 5:4 Our Faith Overcomes the World
… for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
Devotional:
The 5:00 a.m. alarm wakes me up every morning. The first awareness is that of my tired body and inadequate sleep. The first waking thoughts are that of the day ahead with so much to do and the pace of the day, just a little too fast, just a little too much. The hot brew and the Bible app, a blessing of modern times, draw my consciousness to God’s word. As the words of life speak into my ‘trying to wake up’ brain, things start to shift. As I turn my heart and mind to Jesus, the warm embrace of His presence infuses me with life and a fresh realization of joy and energy. As I continue to linger in His presence, my tired body and sleepy brain start to look forward to what the day has in store for me. By the time I wake up my kids, I am ready to share love and joy and send them out into the day with blessings.
As I look at the clock, I realize I don’t have enough time to get my morning chores done to make it to work on time. Oh what am I going to do? Panic sets in. Then this nudge deep in my spirit – “walk with me, rest in me.” I let go of the adrenaline pumping tempo and start to experience His rest as I carry on with my tasks. This is such a mundane picture of my day but don’t we all walk the path of the ordinary in midst of the extraordinary things God accomplishes through us in our walk in life? Daily, there is the battle with anxiety, worry and fear and daily there are victories that cause us to experience miracles!
Eight hours of the physical exertion of work, the mental exertion of the team challenges and meeting deadlines and more chores awaiting at home. Why am I still filled with joy and peace and positivity? Why am I not worried about the big bills that need to get paid? The world tried its best to get me down. But, FAITH! A faith that gives me wings every day. A faith in a person that died for me. A faith that makes me want to follow Him. A faith that transcends the limitations of me, my time, my resources and plans. A faith that hooks me to the infinite being and word of Almighty God through His son Jesus Christ. “In this world we will have trouble” (John 16:33, NIV). But Jesus says “take heart, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, NIV). Our faith in Him is all we need for Him to work in us and through us. Are we willing to open ourselves to His overcoming spirit so we can become partners with Him to cause the SHIFT the world needs?
Questions to ponder:
- What does this passage say about God?
- What does this passage say about me or my relationships?
- What should I do in light of this passage?
