Victory - a habit.

My heart is heavy today – full of despair.  A beautiful woman, I love and thank God for, with an abuse problem, is in ICU.    While high on heroin, she drove her car into a parked semi.

What???????????!!!!  Let’s just sit on that for a while. 

My despair is NOTHING compared to her despair – her children’s despair.  Her parents’ despair.  This abuse problem has been around for years.  That’s who she is . . . “an addict” (her words).

Really?  I have never been addicted to drugs so I don’t understand this addiction, but I have known other “addictions” – I have felt helpless – I have labeled myself  “defeated”.  Hopeless. 

I am so sick and tired of Satan and his destruction.  I have had it.   Why do we give him so much power?  He delights in this . . . . this darkness.  No more.

I claim in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ – LEAVE THIS WOMAN ALONE!

I found a great quote from Charles Gore (British theologian):

We are conscious of our own weakness and of the strength of evil, but not of the third force, stronger than either ourselves or the power of evil, which is at our disposal if we will draw upon it.  What is needed is a deliberate and whole-hearted realization that we are IN CHRIST and Christ is IN US by His Spirit; an unconditional surrender of faith to Him; a practice, which grows more natural by exercise; or remembering and deliberately drawing by faith upon His strength in the moments of temptation and not merely upon our own resources, "In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I will do thus and thus".  So we too may form, like Paul, the habit of victory.

A “habit of victory” – really?  Can one attain that?  Let’s figure this out together, shall we?

 

First, do we REALLY know WHO Christ is?  The Book of John tells us:

“Through Him all things were made, without Him, nothing was made that has been made.  In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”

He (John) says later:

“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book.  But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.”

It is not natural for us to know Who Christ is – really.  And by natural, I mean in your flesh – humanly for our mind to comprehend it.  However, I know and believe what the Bible says about Him – EVERY SINGLE SOLITARY WORD. 

My unconditional surrender of faith is putting all my trust in God cause He knows better.  I don’t.  That may sound too simplistic, but it’s the truth.  No matter what, He will handle His way – and that’s the best way.  “For we know that in ALL THINGS . . .“ (you know the verse).

This habit I want to form – this habit of victory comes in knowing WHO Christ is and trusting in Him.  Every day.  Over and over.  One step at a time. 

I’m not going to pretend I understand my friend’s addiction, but I do understand darkness.  I have been there.  It ain’t pretty.  And its so full of nothing – there isn’t HOPE there – there isn’t LIGHT there.  There’s nothing but despair.  And you know what God says about that?

2 Samuel 22 says:  You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord turns my darkness into light.

Sweet friend, my  prayer for you is this:

Close your eyes and see God’s glory; close your lips and speak with your heart.  Bring your soul, quiet and open.  This is where God’s work will start.

In your darkness, God still can see you.  In your silence, God can hear.*  One step at a time. 

 

*lyrics by Pepper Choplin, “Close Your Eyes and See”.