God’s help

Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said. Joshua 14:12

In order for a person to gain something new it often takes work on his part. He has to be willing to reach out and grab it, since it is rarely just handed freely to him. In the process of grabbing something, many will often need others to assist in making it happen.

Caleb asked for a hill country with Anakites living there that had been promised to him. He said that with God’s help he will be able to drive out the Anakites to possess the land.

Believers are given many different promises in and outside of the bible. Some of those promises, very few, are given without any assistance upon the believer himself. Those few are given only by God and His power.

God, in His infinite power and wisdom, gives believers the power, wisdom and direction to be able to gain many of those promises.

Although believers today very rarely have to physically take land, they do have to take other areas in life. Control of their thought life, emotions, and overcoming temptations are just a few areas that a believer must conquer.

Usually, God does not just give immediate victory over those areas, but gives direction, power and guidance to conquer those areas.

The believer has to step out in faith, doing God’s will, knowing that God is with him and will help him. It takes action upon his part with God’s Holy Spirit strengthening and helping him fulfill the promises. With God’s help, he will drive out sinful practices and sin in his life.

Looking at your own life, there are areas that God wants you to conquer and have victory over. While God may supernaturally give you victory over some of these areas, most of them will require some work on your part.

You have to be willing to step forward to take the promise of God knowing that God will help you. It may be driving something out of your life or strengthening something good in your life. God is with you and will help you, if you will step out in faith to do His will.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that God will reveal areas that need to be conquered in your life; that you will step out in faith to take what God has promised; and that you will see God’s victory over sin in your life.

Tournament victory

With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies. Psalm 60:12

All around the world there are physical battles occurring. People are fighting other people. There are enemies that are out to destroy and conquer other people or groups.

Each one has their own purpose for going into battle. Some are small individuals, completely on their own, while other battles are grand scale, whole nations or larger.

Those who are being attacked will often rise up to fight. They will seek help from others to raise enough power to stop the enemy.

However, there are also many who will just cower and not seek victory against the enemy. They have no one to help them and the enemy is too powerful or big. They just cower in fear.

David had been battling against the nation of Aram. This nation was a very powerful nation and made it difficult to win the battle. David looks to God for strength. He knew that just human power was not enough. With God, he knew that they would gain victory.

Believers no longer have to physically fight an enemy, as David did, but they do have enemies that they must battle on a daily basis. There is the enemy of temptation. This enemy takes on many different forms–lying, cheating, stealing, cursing, being drunk, hatred, violence and more.

These are just the inside battles. Then there are physical battles of sickness, poverty, food, and more in provision, or others physically battling.

In himself, the believer does not have the strength to win the battle. The enemy is too large, too smart, too powerful to win. But with God he can gain the victory. Jesus overcame the greatest power on this earth–death. If He can beat death, then nothing is impossible.

Just like David, you will have battles with the enemy on a regular basis. Some of these enemies will be small and easy to overcome. However, many will be large, formidable enemies with a lot of power.

You do not have to cower in fear, but can seek God for His strength and help. Do not look to man, but to God for your help. He will be there each and every time. He will provide a way out to defeat the enemy.

If you want victory, know that God is right there ready to provide it. You just have to accept His ways of gaining that victory over the enemy.

I pray today that you will know God’s power in your life; that you will seek God’s help first; that you will rely upon God’s power; and that you will see the victory God can give you.