More Than Conquerors
Good morning. It is Thursday, October 21, 2021. Jeanette Stark here.
It is still dark but such a beautiful morning. As I exited my car to head in to work, I took a moment and looked around. There was the big, bright, full moon backlighting thin, fast-moving clouds in the western sky. I turned to the east and saw a jet trail, also lit by the moon. I heard a loan train whistle in the distance and felt a bit of breeze on my face and I just thanked God.
Colossians 3:15 NKJV “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.”
What were the last two words? Be thankful!
It is so important to find gratitude in your life. It can be in the big things, sure, but the little things, the things you might overlook, are so very important too.
I may have written this before, but Wendell used to say, “any day you can get up and dress yourself, is going to be a good day.”
I would add to that. Even those who cannot dress themselves can find things to be thankful for. 😊
Did you wake up this morning? Be grateful. Be thankful. Do you have heat? Be grateful. Running water for a bath and coffee and brushing your teeth? Be grateful. We have so much to be thankful for I think we get used to it. We take it for granted.
I found an article written by David Peach titled “7 Blessings from God You Might Take for Granted”. I want to summarize what he said here.
1) His Love toward us
2) Life
3) Forgiveness of sins
4) The Holy Spirit
5) Spiritual understanding
6) Spiritual gifts
7) We are Ambassadors of God
To be frank, I have never considered what a blessing, and frankly honor, that is, to be an ambassador for God.
“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” - 2 Corinthians 5:20-21 NKJV
What an honor! What a privilege!
I do try my best to show the love of God and His Son Jesus Christ. I do my best to tell of the Holy Spirit’s power in my life. I do my best…but you know what? Sometimes my best is not enough. In fact, MY best is never enough.
The Bible tells us that apart from Him, we can do nothing.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” - John 15:5 NKJV
I love this visual.
Think of an apple tree for example. Jesus is the tree. We are the branches of that tree. If someone comes along and hangs on us or removes us from the trunk, we die. Without the nourishment of that tree, the branches cannot survive. In the same way, you can take a branch and graft it to another branch, and it will take hold and begin to flourish and bear fruit.
If we are trying to live in our own strength, we are fighting a loosing battle. However, if we give our life daily to Jesus, the battle becomes His and we will be victorious. We will be conquerors.
God loves us so much that He risked everything important to Him to save us. We now have access to that mighty power.
The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, can dwell in you. The very same! Think about that for a few minutes. What power we have at our fingertips. It is there for asking!
I love the book of Romans. It is rich with promise and instruction. I will leave you with this:
“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 8:37-39 NKJV