God's Overcoming Power
“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration, but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]” John 16:33 Amplified Bible
These words were spoken by Jesus thousands of years ago when He walked the earth. They could be words He would speak to us today, if He were here in a physical body walking in the earth. His Word is eternal and everlasting, always true. This scripture verse is as vibrant and life-giving for us as it was for His disciples who heard it for the first time.
These words are God’s assurance to you and me. Jesus says: In Me you may have perfect peace and confidence. So, the opposite would be true. When you are not in Me, you do not have perfect peace and confidence. That is an obvious conclusion. Here is our first instruction for difficult times----IN ME! You and I must focus on Jesus and what He has already done for us. We must focus on our Heavenly Father’s care for us. We must focus on the Holy Spirit’s ability to take care of us, whether times are difficult or easy. Either way, He is taking care of us.
I have heard a number of people lately say that the Word does not work for them. They don’t want to know anymore because it has brought them so much trouble. My dear reader, trouble comes, because you live here on this earth. The moment you accepted Jesus as your Savior, you were a target of satan’s efforts to convince you that you were not born again, that you had it better before you got saved. Well, I don’t think I would want the consequences of not being saved. But if we are going to have the logic of being better without the Word, then our logic would need to go in the same direction as far as salvation is concerned. You were saved because of the Word and prayer on someone’s part.
Hear the words of the Lord. IN ME YOU MAY HAVE PERFECT PEACE AND CONFIDENCE. Be confident of your Lord’s care for you, regardless of what it looks like to you in the natural. You don’t know what is going on behind the scenes in the spirit realm. Every time you back off and say it doesn’t work, you stop God’s operations for you.
Let’s read on: In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration. Look at this. These are Jesus’ words. In the world (Are you in this world?), you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration. This world is full of these things. Yes, it is. Yes, you are surrounded by these challenges, every day, all your life. BUT, here is the other side of that coin. But be of good cheer. Take courage. Be confident and certain and undaunted. Why? FOR I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD.
What is Jesus saying to you and me here in this verse? You’re surrounded by challenges in this world, but be unmoved by them because I have already overcome all these problems for you. I have overcome the world. I have deprived it of its power to harm you. I have conquered it for you.
Remember the verse that says that we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ. More than conquerors! That is someone who feeds on the spoils obtained by the conquering one. Jesus is the conquering One. Not us! This is where most of us have our difficulties. We try to do things ourselves, and then when it doesn’t seem to work, we blame God. God is such a convenient One to blame. If there is any blame, it lies with us. But our pride will not let us admit that we may not know enough or didn’t know how to operate in what we know.
My lightning fast brain has discovered something. If it didn’t work, it was not God’s fault. I missed it. But here’s the good news. If you have missed it, ask the Holy Spirit to show you how you missed it and what you can do to correct it for the next time. He is so good to us. He is our Teacher. He is our Guide. He will direct us. Lately, I have seen so many times that I have had to be willing to say: “You know what, Kialeen, you need more instruction and more intimacy time with the Lord. He will show you the way.”
He never fails me. He is always there. Whatever you may be encountering this very day, it is not too big for God. Your anger and frustration toward Him never phase Him. He understands your very being. After all, He did create you. You have not because you ask not or you ask and receive not because you ask amiss. Keep on pressing in until you have the answer. God delights in those of us who will not quit or give up and stick in there, even when it looks like we are a complete failure and complete idiot to everybody else. You are never a failure when you depend on the Lord. He is your only hope in this world. Why? Because He has overcome its power to harm you and has conquered it for you. PRESS! DON’T LET GO! BELIEVE! NEVER BACK DOWN!
These words were spoken by Jesus thousands of years ago when He walked the earth. They could be words He would speak to us today, if He were here in a physical body walking in the earth. His Word is eternal and everlasting, always true. This scripture verse is as vibrant and life-giving for us as it was for His disciples who heard it for the first time.
These words are God’s assurance to you and me. Jesus says: In Me you may have perfect peace and confidence. So, the opposite would be true. When you are not in Me, you do not have perfect peace and confidence. That is an obvious conclusion. Here is our first instruction for difficult times----IN ME! You and I must focus on Jesus and what He has already done for us. We must focus on our Heavenly Father’s care for us. We must focus on the Holy Spirit’s ability to take care of us, whether times are difficult or easy. Either way, He is taking care of us.
I have heard a number of people lately say that the Word does not work for them. They don’t want to know anymore because it has brought them so much trouble. My dear reader, trouble comes, because you live here on this earth. The moment you accepted Jesus as your Savior, you were a target of satan’s efforts to convince you that you were not born again, that you had it better before you got saved. Well, I don’t think I would want the consequences of not being saved. But if we are going to have the logic of being better without the Word, then our logic would need to go in the same direction as far as salvation is concerned. You were saved because of the Word and prayer on someone’s part.
Hear the words of the Lord. IN ME YOU MAY HAVE PERFECT PEACE AND CONFIDENCE. Be confident of your Lord’s care for you, regardless of what it looks like to you in the natural. You don’t know what is going on behind the scenes in the spirit realm. Every time you back off and say it doesn’t work, you stop God’s operations for you.
Let’s read on: In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration. Look at this. These are Jesus’ words. In the world (Are you in this world?), you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration. This world is full of these things. Yes, it is. Yes, you are surrounded by these challenges, every day, all your life. BUT, here is the other side of that coin. But be of good cheer. Take courage. Be confident and certain and undaunted. Why? FOR I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD.
What is Jesus saying to you and me here in this verse? You’re surrounded by challenges in this world, but be unmoved by them because I have already overcome all these problems for you. I have overcome the world. I have deprived it of its power to harm you. I have conquered it for you.
Remember the verse that says that we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ. More than conquerors! That is someone who feeds on the spoils obtained by the conquering one. Jesus is the conquering One. Not us! This is where most of us have our difficulties. We try to do things ourselves, and then when it doesn’t seem to work, we blame God. God is such a convenient One to blame. If there is any blame, it lies with us. But our pride will not let us admit that we may not know enough or didn’t know how to operate in what we know.
My lightning fast brain has discovered something. If it didn’t work, it was not God’s fault. I missed it. But here’s the good news. If you have missed it, ask the Holy Spirit to show you how you missed it and what you can do to correct it for the next time. He is so good to us. He is our Teacher. He is our Guide. He will direct us. Lately, I have seen so many times that I have had to be willing to say: “You know what, Kialeen, you need more instruction and more intimacy time with the Lord. He will show you the way.”
He never fails me. He is always there. Whatever you may be encountering this very day, it is not too big for God. Your anger and frustration toward Him never phase Him. He understands your very being. After all, He did create you. You have not because you ask not or you ask and receive not because you ask amiss. Keep on pressing in until you have the answer. God delights in those of us who will not quit or give up and stick in there, even when it looks like we are a complete failure and complete idiot to everybody else. You are never a failure when you depend on the Lord. He is your only hope in this world. Why? Because He has overcome its power to harm you and has conquered it for you. PRESS! DON’T LET GO! BELIEVE! NEVER BACK DOWN!
posted by Rev. Kialeen Potterton @ 7:54 AM
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