Victory Over Guilt

Victory Over Guilt

John 3:16-17

At times, people are bound by guilt long after the feeling should have been resolved. Some rightly live with it because they refuse to give up the sin that brought it on. Meanwhile, others suffer the weight of false guilt because they harbor shame that doesn't belong to them. Whatever the root cause of your condemnation, the battle plan remains the same.

Victory over guilt begins with understanding that Jesus took our shame to the cross and paid our penalty. There is no way that we can pay for our own sin. But we do need to honestly identify the source of our guilt and confess before God. That means we agree with His perspective on what we've done. In other words, we admit when we're wrong. Repentance goes a step further: we turn away from the wrong and choose to do right.

Confronting guilt in this way replaces the weight of shame in our heart with peace and joy, which are far lighter and more freeing. And an amazing side effect is that we have wisdom to share. Openness about our past mistakes, resulting consequences, guilt burdens, and forgiveness can reveal the Lord to those in our sphere of influence. Through our witness, God may reach others who need their guilt chains broken.

The battle to overcome guilt is one that should not be delayed. The feeling won't just go away. Whether your condemnation is true or false, it needs to be dealt with quickly. Stop running, and face the source of your guilt. It's time to end your captivity and start walking in the joy of God's blessing.

 

Trustworthy..... Craig Denison

 

Trustworthy

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

Trust is something we are not created to give away lightly. We value trust like we value our own lives, constantly scrutinizing others to see if they're worthy of our trust. But still we are made to do life with help. We are made to place our trust in that which will provide us with more life, joy, and peace. I pray that this week you and I will discover how trustworthy our heavenly Father is. I pray that we will willingly hand over control of our lives to a capable, loving, and near God. And I pray we will experience the abundant life that can only come through placing our trust in a God who gives up everything for relationship with us.

Scripture:“In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.” Psalm 22:4-5

Devotional:

Trust is foundational to experiencing the incredible life God offers us in relationship with him. Trust is a commodity of the heart that is only truly given when someone or something proves itself trustworthy. I can only trust you to the measure that I believe you are trustworthy. I can only trust my vehicle to the extent that I believe it will get me somewhere safely.

Scripture makes powerful declarations about those who choose to place their trust in God over the world or themselves.  Psalm 22:4-5 says, “In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.” Isaiah 40:31 says,“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” And Jeremiah 17:7 says simply,“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.”

We serve a God who is perfectly trustworthy. We serve a God who “so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). God has already given us everything. He has done enough to earn our trust. But no matter how trustworthy God is, we still must make the decision to trust him. And no more important decision could be made.

To place our trust in God is to found our lives on the unshakable, powerful, loving, and resourceful character of our heavenly Father. He alone has the ability to provide for us, heal us, love us, empower us, and save us. He alone is one to trust. When we place our hope in him, we anchor our lives, emotions, finances, relationships, and future in a God who wholly cares for us, loves us, and promises to provide for us.

God promises you in Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” You do not have to go through life on your own. You do not have to carve out your own way. You do not have to work to be loved, liked, or provided for. When you place your trust in God, give him your heart, and follow him, you will discover a wealth of abundant life unseen by those living for the world. The Creator of all, the Author and Perfecter of your faith, is beckoning you to place your trust in him alone. He is beckoning you to stop looking to the world and yourself for that which only he can truly and consistently provide. Place your trust in him alone today and experience a peace and joy that comes from casting off the weight you were never made to carry.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the trustworthiness of your heavenly Father. Allow Scripture to stir up your faith to place your trust in God alone.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

2. Who or what are you placing your trust in? Who do you see as your provider, source of happiness, or foundation for your future?

3. Place your trust in God alone. Cast the cares of your life on his shoulders and receive his sustaining peace. Rest in his wonderful presence in faith that he will truly take care of you.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.” Jeremiah 17:7

“In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.” Psalm 22:4-5

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” Proverbs 3:5-8

May Matthew 11:28-30 lead you to a lifestyle of rest and peace through trust in your good Father:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Extended Reading: Psalm 107

When You Feel Like You’re Not Enough..... ERICA WIGGENHORN

 When You Feel Like You’re Not Enough

ERICA WIGGENHORN

“But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’ And God said, ‘I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.’” Exodus 3:11-12 (NIV)

When my kids were little, they loved to catch lizards. Living in Arizona, we’d come across a slithering “Lizzy” nearly every time we went outside.

One morning, my daughter rescued a 2-inch-long baby lizard in our backyard. She tenderly placed it into a large Tupperware container and set it on the edge of the patio table in the sunlight.

My 3-year-old son, Nathan, who moved only at the speed of light but without the same level of precision, accidentally knocked over the container. In a frantic attempt to grab the baby lizard, he stepped on it, crushing it instantly. Off he ran, sobbing, and he hid under the bed in his room, fearing the wrath of his big sister.

About a week later, I went into Nathan’s room to put his laundry away. When I opened his sock drawer, I immediately reeled from a horrific odor. What in the world was buried underneath those Superman socks? I spread them around and discovered a neatly folded paper towel with something inside: squashed Lizzy.

“I thought maybe if we could bury Lizzy, Sissy might not be so mad,” he explained. “I wanted her to know I’m really sorry.” But when you’re 3 years old, sometimes you forget your well-intentioned plans. And then Lizzy rots in your sock drawer.

Nathan initially responded to fear over his mistake by running away. Then he hid that fear in his sock drawer, intending to deal with it later. I have that same tendency. More than I’d like to admit. When I make mistakes, I fear rejection, so I withdraw and hide or try to bury my weaknesses, concealing them from everyone. I want people to see only the shiny, tidy parts of my life and not my messes and mistakes.

Moses did the same thing. He tried to deliver his people, the Israelites, from Egypt in his own strength and ended up murdering an Egyptian. He ran away to Midian out of fear, hoping to bury his mistake. But God did not leave Moses there. He appeared to Moses in the burning bush and invited him to believe in the God of grace. God offered Moses a do-over.

Moses insisted he had too many weaknesses for God to do anything with his life, as we see in our key verse:

“But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’ And God said, ‘I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain’” (Exodus 3:11-12).

God invited Moses to believe that the limitless power of His presence could overcome all that Moses lacked.

When I mess up as a mom, regret something I’ve said to my spouse, fail to be there for my friend in her moment of need or miss a deadline at work, my default is to run away and hide. I want to figure out how to bury that moment in my sock drawer so no one will see it, and I hope it will just go away.

But God’s plans for my kids, spouse, friends and coworkers do not depend on my performance. They rest on God’s promises. All of my weaknesses? They are actually invitations for the power of God to be on display. I don’t need to hide them; I need to release them into God’s almighty hands.

So when your weaknesses make you feel like you’re not enough, don’t hide them in your sock drawer. Offer them to God … and then let God be enough.

God, please forgive me when I get so busy citing all of my limitations that I forget Your limitless power. Help me take great comfort in Your presence that is always with me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

5 Lessons from Joshua to Help You Overcome Discouragement..... By Kristi Woods

 5 Lessons from Joshua to Help You Overcome Discouragement

By Kristi Woods

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: "Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

5 Lessons from Joshua to Help You Overcome Discouragement
By Kristi Woods

Joshua was a man who faced many battles. The term “leader” was pinned on his lapel. But I often wonder if discouragement tried to become chums with Joshua. After all, one of the first things God spoke to him after he became Israel’s leader was to not be dismayed or discouraged. Let’s take a look at our friend, Joshua, in order to gain fuel for our journey in overcoming discouragement.

1. Remember the Commander

Joshua’s battle with Jericho is widely known. There was a victory. But there was also a beginning, when the victory wasn’t known. Hop back to the beginning of the book of Joshua:

"Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

God reassured Joshua that He was with him – even before the battle began. When we walk where we’re led and hear fear roaring, remember God and His words: Be strong. Be courageous. Haven’t I commanded you?

2. Ask for Help

Oftentimes we need others to stand alongside us in the battle. Joshua experienced this with Moses.

"So Joshua did as Moses had told him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed. When he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side. His hands were steady until sunset." Exodus 17:10-12

Whether prayer warriors, mentors, pastors, counselors, or even a simple set of listening ears or a truthful tongue come alongside us, asking for help is often necessary.

3. Follow God’s Counsel

Yahweh said to Joshua, “Behold, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the mighty men of valor. All of your men of war shall march around the city, going around the city once. You shall do this six days. Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day, you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall go up, every man straight in front of him.” Joshua 6:2-5 WEB

I don’t know about you, but I might have questioned a seven-day march. But that’s what it took to overthrow Jericho. Joshua was wise. His counselor – God, was even wiser. The end result of Joshua’s obedience to God was an overthrow and victory.

4. It’s About More than Us

“Be strong and courageous; for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them." Joshua 1:6

When loser status hits, think big. The situation is likely about more than simply us. Darkness loves nothing better than to single us out, reminding us that it’s only about us. That’s not true. Our lives intersect with others’ – that’s God-ordained for His purposes. This battle and its outcome are about more than just us. 

5. God is with Us

As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not fail you nor forsake you.  Joshua 1:5

Joshua had just taken over the leadership role. Mighty and humble Moses was gone. Joshua had big shoes to fill, and with God’s help, he did.

Sometimes we have big shoes – or even little ones - to fill as well. There may be bumps along the way, but let’s promise each other to keep this verse solidly before us, okay? God isn’t in the business of failures. He’s not an absent Father, either. No, when we feel like a loser, it’s okay to tell those feelings to take a hike, to set them in prayer at the throne of the Almighty. After all, God is with us.

Are You Listening?.... by Ryan Duncan

 Are You Listening?

by Ryan Duncan

The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice. – Proverbs 12:15

It’s common to hear Christians say, "Speak the truth with love," but what about listening? I once read the story of a young man who was struggling with a number of problems. He was depressed, his faith was waning, and his parents eventually convinced him to sit down with their Church's pastor. The day of the appointment, the pastor walked in and, before the young man could even open his mouth, began to speak about "How the grace of God was sufficient for all things."

"By the end of the meeting I knew a lot about him and what he believed, but he knew absolutely nothing about me," the young man would later recall. Sadly, one of the most overlooked commands in the Bible is that we are to listen to others. Too often, in our zeal to share the word of Christ with others, we end up trampling them in platitudes and redundant scriptures. But listening can be a powerful tool. Listening builds understanding, diminishes fear, and can be comforting in a time of sorrow.

Look at this passage from the book of James,

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does. – James 1:19-25

Listening is the first step in acting out the scriptures, not speaking. The Church has the potential to do so much good in the world, to share the love of Christ with so many people. However, in order to do this we must first stop talking, sit quietly, and get to know them. We need to hear their stories, understand their hurts, empathize with their anger, and then, when they have nothing else to say, that is when we speak our truth. It's time to start using our ears before we use our words.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Have you been listening to others? Take a moment and consider how you are reflecting Christ.

Further Reading

Proverbs 17:28

A Prayer to Remember: God Fights for You Today..... By Debbie McDaniel

 A Prayer to Remember: God Fights for You Today

By Debbie McDaniel

“Do not be afraid of them; the LORD your God himself will fight for you.” - Deut. 3:22

One thing is sure - if you're a believer who is living like salt and light in a dark world, you won't go for long without encountering obstacles and attacks the enemy will hurl your direction. God's words are true, this battle is real, and intense.

If you find yourself facing hard struggles today, please know you're not alone. Neither are you left to fight on your own. Many of us are in the battle with you, and God is the One who fights on behalf of His children, constantly shielding, protecting, strengthening, even when we're unaware.

And He's given us His words that are powerful and true, so we'll have the wisdom to stand against the enemy. We do not have to walk in fear. For when we belong to Christ, the enemy never has the final word. We are secure in God's hands and He reminds us over and over in His word to keep standing firm.

You never fight alone.

Let God do, on your behalf, what you could never do on your own.

He's with us.

Always.

And He is Mighty.

Dear God,

We thank you that you hold the victory over sin and death in this world. We thank you that you came to set the captives free.  We thank you for the redemptive work you’ve done in our lives.  We thank you for the freedom and the hope you bring.

Your word says to “stand our ground,” and that’s what we will do, in the power of your Name. The enemy has no control over us, and we bring your words of truth as a weapon against his schemes. We know that we’re never alone, for you are constantly at work on behalf of your children, shielding, protecting, strengthening, exposing deeds of darkness, bringing to light what needs to be known, covering us from the cruel attacks we face even when we’re unaware.

 We ask that you would give us wisdom and discernment to recognize the schemes of the enemy and to stand strong against his work.

We ask that you would remind us to pray, constantly, for all believers.

We ask that you would help us to stay alert in a dark world.

We ask that you would help us to be salt and light, that we would be loving and gracious, yet unyielding to sin.

We ask that you help us to remember to put on your armor daily, for you give us all that we need to stand firm in this day.

We thank you that you are far greater than anything we face here in this life, and we have overcome, because you have set us free.

We thank you for your truth, “no weapon formed that is formed against you will prosper.”

Lord, we ask for your peace, we ask for your protection, we trust you for your constant work on our behalf. We ask you to bring justice. We ask that you would bring light, knowing that you expose the deeds of darkness.

Standing together in your great and powerful Name, believing you are with us.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

Gratitude Changes Everything..... Sharon Jaynes

 Gratitude Changes Everything

Sharon Jaynes

Today’s Truth

“Give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV).

Friend to Friend

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and so I’ve been thinking about gratitude a lot lately. What is it? When should we show it? What does God say about it?

Paul wrote the Thessalonians, “Give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Most read that verse and think it rather nice. So we slap a sloppy coat of thanksgiving on life and go about our day. In reality, most of us are thankful for very little.

Notice the Bible doesn’t command us to feel thankful in all circumstances. Instead it commands us to “give thanks in all circumstances.” When I begin to praise God in a difficult situation, even if I don’t feel like it, many times the scales fall from my eyes and I begin to see glimpses of His glory sprinkled on the black backdrop of the situation like diamonds on black velvet.

Sometimes I don’t see glory in tragedy, but I still can praise God because I know He is there.

Gratitude changes the lens through which we see the circumstances in our little slice of time. Thanksgiving changes our perspective despite broken dreams, broken relationships, tumultuous circumstances, and unfulfilled longings.

As you praise God for who He is and thank Him for what He’s done, your perspective of Him grows larger and your problems grow smaller. As a result, you will experience a deeper sense of intimacy with God as the emotional gap between what you know to be true and how you feel at the moment closes.

On many occasions in the Psalms, David complained about his circumstances (Psalms 42; 57; 62). But more often than not, about midway through David’s laments, he begins praising God for who He is and thanking God for what He’s done. And you know what happens? All of a sudden David starts feeling better! Life isn’t so bad after all! His problems grow smaller as his perspective of God grows larger, and he begins to see God’s glory shining through the situation.

Why is that? In the writing of one little Psalm, David shifted from depression to rejoicing. He didn’t wait until God changed his situation, solved his problem, or made him feel better before he began thanking Him.

Oh friend, when we stop complaining and grumbling and begin speaking God’s love language of gratitude, our perspective will change as well. We will begin seeing moments of sudden glory through the lens of praise and thanksgiving—glory moments that were there all along, but hidden from the grumbling eye.

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, I praise Your Name. I exalt Your Name forever. Even though I may not understand what is going on in my life, I trust that You are good and Your plans are good.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.