August 14 Devotion - OUR GREATEST VICTORIES

 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,                          

Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are My ways higher than your ways,

And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

8 لأَنَّ أَفْكَارِي لَيْسَتْ مُمَاثِلَةً لأَفْكَارِكُمْ، وَلاَ طُرُقَكُمْ مِثْلُ طُرُقِي، يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ.

 9 فَكَمَا ارْتَفَعَتِ السَّمَاوَاتُ عَنِ الأَرْضِ، كَذَلِكَ ارْتَفَعَتْ طُرُقِي عَنْ طُرُقِكُمْ، وَأَفْكَارِي عَنْ أَفْكَارِكُمْ.

Isaiah 55:8–9

How do you normally respond when the world seems to turn against you? The wrong way to respond, sadly, is what we most often experience.

This is marked by bitterness, doubt, depression, and hopelessness. These feelings mount up, causing the pressure of adversity to increase.

This pressure is usually released in one of several common ways:

·      we look for someone to blame,

·      develop a deep desire to escape,

·      deny the problem, or

·      fall into depression.

These are certainly not the results God wants to see in our lives!

In contrast to these wrong responses, there are a few things we can do to make the best of hardships in our lives:

•     First, we must strive to view everything from God’s perspective. His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8), and He wants us to examine the issue from beyond our normal human point of view.

•     Second, we must pray, “Father, what is Your goal for my life in this adversity?” God can turn any time into a teaching moment.

•     Third, we must surrender to the will of God and then rest in His faithfulness to see us through the ordeal.

Sometimes, our lives require a major disruption in order to realign our thoughts with the Lord’s. Though sometimes painful, these times can become our most life-altering moments and lead to our greatest victories, depending on how we respond.

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, in difficult times, help me to turn from bitterness, blame, and depression and seek to discover and surrender to Your perspective. Lord, help me realize You are at work in my problems. I surrender to Your care. I trust You for the outcome, knowing You will never disappoint me. Father God please renew my mind in Jesus. Let all that proceeds from me be laced in love, patience, joy, hope, and kindness. Lord, forgive me of anything I have said to others in thoughtless haste. Draw me close to You so that even in difficult times the words I say will reflect an inner peace that comes from Jesus our Saviour. Now to Him who is able to carry out His purpose and do infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Ephesians 3:20-21 Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein