Monday, December 22, 2008

Overcoming and the New Year

The weather has been a challenge for many this week and I am one of those many. We have not been able to get out of our driveway the last couple days. Bill and Nicole had to hike to the store with backpacks and bring back supplies. It has been a challenge but has reminded me of how easy I have it. We were able to watch sappy Christmas movies, bake, play video games, follow facebook and the blogs, and be warm and comfy. I can't imagine what it was like to be a pioneer during brutal conditions. I have been meditating on being an overcomer. I have been reading Revelation and in John's letters to the churches he keeps giving promises to those who overcome and dire warnings to those who don't. I'm not the greatest overcomer. It reminds me of this verse, Eph. 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. It's war. But there are reassuring verses also, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.
Rev. 17:14 These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him {are the} called and chosen and faithful.
Rom. 8:37But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. It is Jesus who is the conqueror, not me. It is He who overcomes. I know that in my flesh I am not capable of being an overcomer, but in Him I am capable of everything. I have been thinking about the New Year coming and what personal goals I want to set. The most important of the goals I have thought about have to do with overcoming. Now, they may sound like ordinary goals, like losing weight and reading my Bible and praying more often, but this year I want to rephrase them. I want to eat as to please the Lord and not myself. I want to draw closer to God and know Him more intimately than I ever have. I want to go to war for the needs of my family, my church, my community, and the world. This is overcoming, this is what we are to push forward to , this is the high calling of God. I want to quit whining and put on my armor. Let's go out and do some conquering and overcoming in the New Year!

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