Victory | Thankful Thursday

November sure has been moving steadily along. The end of the year seems to go quicker and quicker. I want to take time to thank God for victory today. Have you ever thought about that? God has given us victory through the work of Jesus on the cross. We are victorious in Him. What does that mean? What is victory?

According to Merriam Webster, victory is a noun. It has two meanings: the overcoming of an enemy or antagonist and achievement of mastery or success in a struggle or endeavor against odds or difficulties. Our adversary is the devil and because Jesus took the keys to death, hell, and the grave, we are able to walk in victory over our enemy!

Revelation 1:17b-18 Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

What a beautiful comfort to read that!! Because Jesus was victorious in overcoming His enemies, He has passed that same victory on to His children. We can achieve success in every struggle and endeavor we come across, against all odds and difficulties, because Jesus has already won the battle!

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

The precious words of Jesus: the words in red, bring such peace and comfort to me. I know I am not alone. My Heavenly Father has sent Jesus to win the war in my life and I have victory through Him. I am not on my own and the battle is not mine!!

1 Corinthians 15:52-58 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

What a wonderful reason to be celebrate! I give thanks to God my Father through the Lord Jesus Christ because He gives me the victory! We must take that victory and run with it. Let's be steady, unable to be moved from our post serving the Lord, always providing a plentiful supply of work to God knowing we are not working for nothing! Let's run in that victory today!!

What are you thankful for on this Thankful Thursday? Be sure to give thanks to God who always makes us triumph! 2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Psalm 18 | Bible Study Wednesday

We are 18 weeks in to the study of Psalms. Today we have a long chapter to cover! Have you read it yet? There are 50 verses and we are going to divide it up into six sections. If you have not read it, please do so and be in prayer to ask Holy Spirit to lead and guide you. I know it is a long text today but it is so important that we dive in deep to glean everything we can from today's passage. Let's get started.

Verses 1-5

David is celebrating the victory. This is a psalm he sang the day the LORD delivered him from the hand of Saul. He says in verse three, "I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies." What has God delivered you from? I can feel the jubilation David is singing this psalm. He is elated that God spared his life.

Verses 6-19

David remembers that he called upon God to deliver him and God answered his prayer. He says God swiftly went to David's side to rescue him from danger. In verse 19 he says, "He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because He delighted in me." Can we say the same thing? Can we say God is delighted in us?

Verses 20-29

David shares about his lifestyle, his character, and his walk with God. He says, in verse 23, "I was also upright before Him, and I kept myself from iniquity." He stayed away from sin. He lived a life to honor and please God. He obeyed His laws and statues because David loves God. Are we doing the harder right or the easier wrong? David did not wait for trouble to come before he got his heart right with God. He did not wait for danger to surround him before he chose to obey God. In David's obedience and disciplined lifestyle, he was ready for God's protection and provision to be granted. He was in fellowship with God.

Verses 30-39

This section of scripture is David bragging on God. He is giving God the credit and the glory for strengthening him and teaching him what to do to be successful in battle. He says in verse 32, "It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect." He wants everyone to know that this victory was nothing David did. He glorifies and honors God with this incredible answer to prayer.

Verses 40-45

David recounts the victory. He says in verse 40, "Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me." We have the full armor of God according to Ephesians chapter 6 to battle our enemies. Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. We claim the victory over enemies today, too. Our victory was won by Jesus!

Verses 46-50

In verse 47 David says, "It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me." It is God. That is the key to the whole thing. It is only God that can bring us the victory. In Zechariah 4:6, the Word of the LORD came saying, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts." It is not anything we can do in our own ability. Our victory is comes from the God!

Whatever we face in our lives; the struggles, the challenges, and difficulties, God is able to conquer it all. He gives us the victory and like David we can sing His praises and be glad that He has delivered us from the hand of our enemies.

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

7 Biblical Reasons To Be Thankful | Thankful Thursday

Has life been beating you up lately? Do you feel like you can't really catch a break? I understand how that feels. I get it! Life is hard sometimes. Sometimes it may feel like there are more problems than solutions and more hardships than good times. In these dry seasons it can be hard to count your blessings. After all, we have to really search for the good sometimes. When we lose a loved one, our job ends, the loan does not go through, or our spouse walks out on us, it can be really difficult to find something to be thankful for.

Research has shown that feeling thankful has positive effects on our health: both mental and physical. It can also improve our spiritual health. Choosing to focus on the positive things is not just about looking at the good in our life. When my dad died I did not immediately feel grateful that he was no longer with me. I did look back on the last couple of years of my dad's life and see God's hands all over it. I remembered the miracles and the relief, the breakthroughs that seemed to indicate Dad would not die. I thought about how I was grateful I had those days and months and two full years to spend with him and cherish those last moments together. My sister's birth father was tragically ripped from her life when a drunk driver hit and killed him. It was not easier to watch our dad slip away but there is a big blessing in the gift of that process.

When financial hard times come, it is not the first thing on our minds to write a list of things we are grateful for. We often begin to brainstorm ideas for how to find the ends in an effort to make them meet. We want solutions and when we are faced with a pile of bills and unmet needs, it can be so discouraging and painful. It is in those times that gratitude is so important. Holding on to God's faithfulness in the past, and any glimpses of God's goodness in the here and now only serve to strengthen our faith and reignite our hope that this too shall pass and we will be stronger for it.

Abandonment and rejection leave us feeling vulnerable and scared. Instead of choosing to see the bright side, it is far easier to see the negative effects. Divorce is unfortunately all too common, but the stigma is still there. The brokenness is still there. The unanswered questions of why this happened and how it could have been prevented leave us feeling isolated and alone. If we can somehow choose to see past that to what good there is left, it can help us not sink into despair and depression. There is hope!

How do we know an attitude of gratitude is powerful enough to plunge us out of the darkness back into a few rays of sunshine? We can look at research of course. We can read the studies of thousands of people who were observed and we can see how things changed in their lives. But, is that really helpful to us in the throws of life's lowest valleys? I don't know about you, but when it felt like I was in the pits I did not really care to read about how someone else turned things around by being thankful. I wanted to know what could help me?

The Bible has always been the one source of hope and strength for me. When others shared the Gospel with me it always encouraged me. It never failed to lift me up, if even for a moment. The more I would read the Word of God, the more I would begin to trust God. I learned of His character and His way of thinking. I saw Him as a source of strength and a refuge to hide in. I realized His love would carry me through the darkest of midnights. I did not have to feel forsaken. So, what does the Bible say about being thankful?

1. It is God's Will for us to be thankful. We read in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." That does not mean to thank God for the divorce, or the death, or the financial hardship, but thank Him that He never abandoned you, He is victorious over death, and He will supply all your needs. This is His will for you because when you look for the good you will find it. When you choose to focus on the reasons you are blessed, you will find more reasons. What you continue to dwell on will get down on the inside of you and it will begin to flourish and grow and it will elevate you out of the dungeon.

2. It is to remember God's holiness. We read in Psalm 30:4 "Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness." When we start shifting our eyes from our problems onto the Solution, Christ Jesus, we start remembering His holiness. We remember His goodness. We remember He has never failed us. We remember He has always done nothing but good for us. It shifts the mindset to stop dwelling on the problem and the negative parts of the puzzle. We begin to get our courage back. We stop feeling fear. We begin to believe again. Our hearts start to mend.

3. It is a good thing. We read in Psalm 92:1-3 "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High: To shew forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness every night, Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound." The Bible tells us it is a good thing to give thanks. When we begin to sing praises to God we stop feeling sadness. We no longer feel anxiety, worry, fear, doubt, or defeat. We begin to sing praises to God and something good starts to spring forth on the inside of us. We begin to feel that wellspring of life bubbling over. We feel joy take over and nothing can take it away when we have our mind completely on the goodness of God, day or night.

4. It gives us something to share with others. We read in Psalm 105:1 "O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon His name: make known His deeds among the people." The great things God has done for us is not just for our pleasure. It is not just for our enjoyment; but rather to be shared with others who are hurting. We may see others who are mourning, or discouraged, or feeling abandoned, and when we begin to share what God has done for us it edifies us both. We both gain strength from that. We both increase in faith when we hear an actual account of what God has done in times of great distress and pain. When we see His hand upon others and they tell us what God has done in their lives, it gives us hope that He will do the same thing for us.

5. It enables us to live in His presence. We read in Psalm 140:13 "Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto Thy name: the upright shall dwell in Thy presence." When we meditate on the things God has done for us, it causes us to temporarily leave our current situation and we are fully in His presence. When we recall the times God fed us when we had no money and no food, we begin to feel the oil of gladness fill our souls. As we remember the times the money came out of nowhere just before we lost everything, it will spark hope in our hearts that He will come through again. And as we begin to bask in the love of God and all the many times He came through for us, it changes the chemicals in our bodies. Endorphins, a feel-good hormone, begins to be released throughout our bodies. We begin to feel more joy than stress, more peace than chaos, more love than rejection and our whole countenance lights up. Friends, we can choose to live that way.

6. It brings us victory. We read in 1 Corinthians 15:57 "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." We get our hopes up when we remember the times He came through before and when we are filled with faith and not doubt, God begins to work on our behalf. He begins to rearrange some things. He begins to change our circumstances. We begin to have victory over what once held us bound. That is worth praising God for. That is worth thanking Him for. We are victorious when we keep our eye on the prize and not get distracted by the tricks of the enemy.

7. It is what we will do in eternity. We read in Revelation 11:16-17 "And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give Thee thanks, O LORD GOD Almighty, Which art, and was, and art to come; because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy great power, and hast reigned." When we come to eternity we will thank Him for what He did for us. We will be so thankful to have overcome every trial, every tribulation, every hardship, every battle that we faced. We will praise Him because He reigns. We will bow before Him like the 24 elders and we will proclaim that He is King and He is LORD and He is God. We will worship Him. He deserves it. He is worthy. It is His! Praise and thankfulness belong to God. We owe it to Him to tell Him how much we appreciate Him; how wonderful He is to us; and how much He means to us.

Friends, we have more than seven reasons to be thankful to God. Count your blessings today and every single day. Do not worry about the worries of this life, the problems and health concerns that arise. We have hope in Jesus Christ who promises us eternal life. We may not have it easy in this life, and bad things will continue to happen to us from time to time, but we have to remember Jesus Christ is King. He is worth every word of praise and adoration; every thankful and grateful sentiment; every appreciative statement we can think of to let Him know how much He means to us.

I am so thankful for Jesus loving me and never giving up on me. I have so much to praise God for. May you be found today with praise on your lips to King Jesus for all that He has done and is doing and will do in your life! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

 

Racing | Fuel For The Weekend

 

Racing?

My husband was a race car driver when we met. He drove a bomber on dirt tracks here in southern Indiana. I spent a lot of time at Brownstown Speedway and Bloomington Speedway while we were dating. As Paul has been hanging out in the bedroom, we have been watching racing videos. As I am typing this blog post, the excited announcer is giving play by play details of every turn. And I think how much this is like our lives going through this world.

I imagine an announcer looking down on David and Goliath, and the excited monologue may have gone something like this:

Goliath, the great Philistine warrior is in the center of the valley smack talking the army of Israel. They are shaking in their armor! Who is brave enough to face this 9 foot giant? No one is making a move on the side of Israel, but wait --- Who is this kid on the field? There is a young boy approaching the giant. There is some verbal exchange and what is that? The boy just accepted the challenge! This is crazy! He has no armor on. Has he even seen a battle before? What is he thinking? Look at the young boy. The giant is laughing! What is that in the boy's hand? Is that a sling? It is! It is a sling! He has a sling in his hand, waving it in the air as he runs toward Goliath. What is he doing? Oh wow! He launched a stone. What? Oh my gosh! I cannot believe it! The giant has fallen. He is down! What an upset! If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it! They say his name is David and he is a shepherd, visiting his brothers in the Israeli army. Wow! What an upset. The Israeli army chases down the Philistines. What a victory!

Sometimes we are in the heat of the battle, just like the Israeli army. None of the men of war had the courage to face the Philistine giant. Goliath was known for slaughtering his opponents. None of the men were willing to go down and fight him. David did not plan to kill a giant when he set out to give his brothers some food from their father. He was checking in on them so he could report back to his father. David was a young boy. He was not in the army. So why did he get involved?

David heard the Philistine slandering God. David was not going to sit by and let that continue. He had been a good shepherd to the sheep he was given. He fought a bear and a lion and he knew God had delivered these dangerous, wild beasts into his hands. So he knew God would protect him from a loud-mouth giant.

Have we got to that point yet? Have we decided that God has seen us through these trials and hardships before and He is not going to fail us now? We need to get our hope back. We need to get our courage up and tell the enemy we are not going to be backed into a corner. We are children of the Most High God and He is our buckler and shield. He is our protector. He is our triumphant champion and He will win every battle for us.

1 SAMUEL 17:45-46 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, Whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air; and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

Some of the talk of the talented race car drivers are how at a young age they showed real potential and ability. Each race hones their skills and enhances their performance. They have to beat and bang their way to the front but the ones who want it most will be hyper-focused on getting the lead and keeping it. Sometimes it seems like we go around and around the same situations and the same problems. Each time we go around we learn something new and if we hold tight to faith, we will eventually get the victory. The stakes will get higher and the payout more but the battles do not get easier. The victors will be those who keep showing up when they get their cars torn up, make mistakes and learn from them, and never lose focus of getting the checkered flag.

What battles are you facing? When it rained, what made it pour? Do you feel beaten and battered by the enemy? Do not lose focus. Do not give up. Do not let the times you spin out or run off the top of the track sideline you. Get back in the race! Keep going! Stay strong and finish well.

I know this illustration is a little silly to some, but if you think about it, it makes sense. What is the announcer saying about the race of your life? Are they saying, "Coming from the rear is (insert your name here). What an upset! No one saw them coming! They are headed to the top spot! Look at them go. God is with them and they are getting the checkered flag. We will catch them in Victory Lane!"

I encourage you to read 1 Samuel chapter 17. It is an awesome account of what happened the day that the giant fell! What giants do you need to slay in your life? Let this chapter be some fuel for your weekend. I hope it is a great one. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Siblings Pray Together Stay Together | Thankful Thursday

I walked into the kitchen as I was getting ready for work. I wanted to make sure my son got on the school bus with no issues. My daughter was just leaving for work. When I stepped in the kitchen I saw my children holding hands and Kadesia was praying for Javan. She was blessing him and praying for protection and a good first day and so many wonderful things. Javan was just receiving it and this momma's heart was elated!

The Bible says, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6) I taught both of my children how to pray when they were very small. This verse is so true because when someone is hurt or something doesn't go the way we expected it to, one of my kids will suggest for us to pray. They both know the power in prayer and they both pray out loud very well. It is an honor to raise them to love and respect God. I am so thankful they know they can call on His name anytime.

We read in 1 Timothy 2:8, "I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting." No matter where we are we should be in a position to pray and speak to God in faith. Kadesia shared a post yesterday about the situation she was in and today God took care of the entire problem. It was awesome to see Him working out every detail.

We are reminded in Psalm 34:1 "I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall be continually in my mouth." There are times that it feels so bad or hopeless and it seems impossible to praise God, but that is when we must push past our feelings and just do it anyway. If we can get past how we feel, and praise God for who He is and for how worthy He is to be praised, our whole situation will turn around. Praise breaks barriers. 

The walls came down when Joshua and the company with him shouted at Jericho.

Joshua 6:15, 16, 20, 27 (15)And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times. (16)And it to came to pass on the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city. (20)So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. (27)So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.

Gideon and three companies of men shouted a praise and they won the victory without fighting!

Judges 7:19-21 (19)So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew their trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands. (20)And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. (21)And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.

Paul and Silas praised their way out of the prison cell and shackles!

Acts 16:24-26 (24)Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in their stocks. (25)And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. (26)And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.

I don't know what situation you may find yourself in today. You could be looking for a victory and all you feel is defeated. You may look around and feel outnumbered and helpless, but God in heaven is capable to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. (Ephesians 3:20). God is on our side. He always wins! He is giving victory to every one of His children. If you are born again, that means you are victorious through Christ Jesus. His blood paid it all!

If you are not born again, you can ask Jesus to save you. Confess you are a sinner and in need of a Savior. Confess that you believe Jesus is the Son of God and died to save you. Ask Him to be the Lord of your life and watch Him do the impossible for you! He is a loving God and He wants you to be His son or daughter. Choose life! Choose Jesus.

This Thankful Thursday I am very thankful for the victory we win in Jesus. I am thankful for the gift of prayer. I am thankful God hears and answers prayer. I am thankful my children do not have to be told to pray, but they see an opportunity and they take it! God is so good! I am thankful that my children choose to honor God. We do not always know if what we are teaching them sinks in, but it's moments like this that make me smile and I know it is all glory to God. He takes the credit for this!

I hope something I shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you.

~Bridgett Owens