January 20

Romans 6:14

Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.  

Sin is a small word with big consequences.  There is no little sin!  We can reduce the impact of sin in our lives by dealing with it early.  Deal with sin quickly in life, so it does not have dominion because we are under the law of grace.  Grace will cover the sin as we confess the sin and turn away from it.  Keep the guard up and the sin tolerance low, and the devil will be no match for us.

January 19

Psalm 119:165

Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.

The love of the Lord and following His word is what will help us conquer in all circumstances.  When we finally become fully convinced in our hearts that what God says we can do according to if the world is real, we will not stumble.  When we get to the point that we believe and not doubt, we will see the power of God on this earth. 

January 18

Hebrews 8:12

I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.  

God is serious when He said when we are born again; He will no longer remember our sins.  God does not hold our past up to us and say what a horrible person we were.  His plan would not work for our lives if He did.  We should not keep feeling sorrow and regret over our past mistakes. God’s plan for us counts on us believing in His mercy and love. 

January 15

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.  

One of the devil’s best weapons he uses to keep us down is to keep bringing up the past.  He will use thoughts, family, or even our friends to remind us of what we were.  We do not have to listen or let those images talk us out of our new identities in Christ.  We are new, and the old self does not have any power over the new.  We have a better life now with better choices to make.  

January 14

Philippians 4:12,13

I know how to be abased, and I know how to be abound.  Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  

There are days when the Lord cannot send help to us fast enough.  When we realize that our strength is not enough and our prayers are the only thing keeping us up from complete defeat, as we start to mature as Christians, we will learn the path is not always straight, but God will lead us and strengthen us as we travel.

January 13

1 Peter 4:12,13

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

Jesus is the first among many brethren.  Jesus endured trials and had tribulation, but He always overcame the obstacles and finished His path.  As believers, we realize that we will have opposition because of who we are in Christ.  We partake in the suffering of Christ and carry on His mission here on earth.  

January 12

Deuteronomy 31:6

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you.  He will not leave you nor forsake you.

Sometimes we underestimate the power of God and what He can do on our behalf.  Since we can only see what goes on in this realm, we cannot see God working on our behalf.  We also cannot see God walking with us as we go. If we pictured that every day our confidence would skyrocket in the word and its promises.  We would see our prayers going out and the answers coming back, and we would not doubt.

January 11

1 Samuel 12:22

The Lord will not forsake his people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people.

God is in control and has not forgotten His people.  His love, mercy, and kindness are always available for us day and night.  God will comfort us when we need comfort and guide us in our decisions.  We can stand on that promise that God will never leave us or forsake us.  

January 8

Hebrews 4:3,9

For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,'” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. There remains, therefore a rest for the people of God.

We enter into rest when we believe, pray, and know with the word that God is working on our behalf.  We do not try to fix the problem ourselves but rest as God goes to work for us.  God finished the work at the foundation of the earth.  Our job is to trust in Him and remain in faith.

January 7

Philippians 4:6,7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplications, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

We are not to fear or be anxious about anything, and God means anything.  To do this, we have to keep in prayer, supplication, thanksgiving, and making a request to God.  We cannot let up, give in, or be distracted, or we will lose ground.  Is it easy? Not always.  However, the peace and understanding we gain to stand confident against the enemy are well worth it.