Flint is very durable and resists weathering better than almost any other natural stone. From early days flint was used to make weapons and tools because of its resistance to wear. When we set our faith like flint we will not fail!
23And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!
Matthew 8:23-27
In this passage of scripture the disciples ran to get Jesus when the storm arose. Jesus was asleep in the back. Obviously, He wasn’t upset by the storm! He had already spoken to them and said we are going to the other side. God has given us His Word. Instead of looking to the arm of the flesh for solutions during our storm we should seek God. We should go to His Word and declare what He has declared to be true for our lives. He has already made provision for our success through Jesus.
Victory Decision
When in the midst of a storm in my life I will turn to Jesus for the answer.
8If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
James 2:8
30And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Mark 12:30-31
Eagerly pursue and seek to acquire [this] love [make it your aim, your great quest];
1 Corinthians 14:1 (AMPC)
First John 4:8 tells us that God is love. As His children, we should be an example of that love to everyone we come in contact with. It isn’t always easy! But we will be blessed if we do.
Victory Decision
I will walk in love with my family, friends, neighbors and enemies. I bless those that do me wrong knowing that God will bless me when I do.
5Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6
4Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
Psalms 37:4-5
God is our father and always wants us to have His best. But if we lean to our own understanding we could fall short of God’s best. His way is ALWAYS the best way! He knows so much more than we do. Trust God!
Victory Decision
I will trust God to lead me in the best way possible – His Way.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8Charity never faileth:
We don’t always understand a person based solely on what we see on the surface. Sometimes we must “dig a little deeper” to determine what makes a person who they are. We all have been through things that have shaped who we are today. We aren’t perfect. We need love and understanding. We need people to be patient with us. We need to be patient with others as well. When we choose to be kind even when others are not kind to us, we are practicing the Word of God. God is love. He wants us to walk in His love with others.
Victory Action
I will see people through God’s agape love, which is my key to building effective relationships.
Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.
1 Peter 3:8-9Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
1 John 3:11 (MSG) For this is the original message we heard: We should love each other.
You can’t please everyone, but you can walk in love. To walk in love is a choice. It gives precedence to God and His Word regardless of the circumstance. In the face of the most brutal assault from the people around Him, Jesus choose to go to the cross and redeem us back to God. That was truly walking in love and not in the flesh.
Victory Confession
I believe that when I sow love I will reap love. In all situations, I will respond with love. I will not be moved by the actions or words of people. I trust you God that as I am obedient to your Word and walk in love I will reap a harvest of victory.
“On my way to becoming perfect, He sees me as perfect through the finished work of Calvary.”
10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
Philippians 3:10-15
22For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Romans 7:22-25
1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans 8:1-4
We are all a work in progress when it comes to our flesh. Thankfully God has a plan for that and has made a way for us to grow in Him. Becoming a mature Christian isn’t related to our natural age. It is the process we go through to grow up in Christ. To grow spiritually we do things like attending church regularly. We read the Word of God daily. We spend time in the presence of God and in prayer daily. These will all contribute to our spiritual growth. In the realm of the Spirit, God sees us through His eyes of love and sees us perfected through the blood of Jesus. That is why we can always approach Him without condemnation. We are not going to be any more righteous than we are when we receive Jesus into our heart. That is where we stand spiritually. A joint heir with Jesus. But we still need to renew our mind! We still need to discipline our flesh so that we receive the full benefit of Jesus has done for us. It is a process. Don’t quit when you blow it! Go to God and received forgiveness and restoration. It is time to grow up!
Victory Confession
Growing up spiritually is a process that takes time. I will be patient with myself as I press on toward the mark. I will yield daily to the work of God in my life. I will do what I need to grow and change!
