The Joy of Overcoming

by David Kee
(Electra, Texas)

The Joy
Of
Overcoming
Isaiah 35: 1-10
Psalm 20, 21
1John 2: 12-14
If you have been redeemed you can have joy even when things seem impossible.
We need to get excited about the Lord and what he is doing in our lives.
He will not put more on us than we can handle he will not leave us alone in our struggles.
But if you do not know him you do not have this assurance only the redeemed do.
You might be asking where is this joy and how do I find it?
In one way it is easy but in another it is not. It is easy because all you have to do is believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

But it is also hard because human nature say if I cannot see it or touch it is not real.
This is where faith comes in it is not always easy but it can be done if we will give it a try. When we trust in the Lord we can have joy in the Lord. How great it is to be in the presence of the Lord and it is even sweeter when you truly know him. Most people will say they know him, but do they truly know him?

It is time too take joy in who you are and show him how much we LOVE HIM. We are the children of God and full of the Holy Spirit. Let the Spirit lose and let go of your fears, your pride and your inhibitions. We are called to praise and worship the Lord and this is the time to get up and get going. It is time to go on a Jericho march and take what God has given us. We have marched around quietly long enough it is time to shout loudly unto the Lord. And cause the gates of hell to shake and fall from our community and so we can take back our city.

Take joy in where God has brought you from but take greater joy in where he is taking you to. It’s time for God’s army to go on the march. Take joy for the army of the Lord will be victorious. Take joy in what the Lord has made you for he has made you first a child of God his beloved. Second he has made you victorious over all things no matter what it is or how big it is. No matter how big we think it is it is not too big for our Lord.

All through history people have said we can’t do that or this because it is too big or too much. The problem is too great the task can’t be done it is just too hard. Take joy for the word of the Lord say that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Can't never could do anything! This is the biggest problem we have to over come is our own doubts. This is where Satan works his best in our fears and doubts. We can take joy in the fact that the bible tells us “he who dwells in you is greater than he who dwells in the world.

We can take joy in knowing that if we will do the things that we are suppose to be doing. Then God well be able to do the things in our lives that he wants to do. And this will give God great joy because he wants to bless his children. Just like with your children when they are being bad you did not stop loving them. But at the same time you did not give them a reward. The same thing goes for God he will not bless us when we do wrong.

By overcoming temptations we become stronger and therefore we begin to grow and grow closer to God. When we do not overcome temptations or willfully disobey God’s rules that he has set for us then we cannot grow. And this displeases our Father in Heaven. The Lord only wants the best for his children and what he wants is to bless us. It is not always easy to overcome things sometimes it is down right hard.

Just because it is hard does not make it impossible the Bible tells me that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. This doesn’t say I can do some things it doesn’t say I can do it on my own. What does it say? Through Christ who strengthens me are all things possible. And this doesn’t say that he will help us to sin either.

What we have to do is trust in our Lord. We may not always understand everything that is going on and most certainly don’t like some of the things that happen. But we can overcome them if we will trust in the Lord. It says in Revelation 2: that if we overcome the evil one he will give us the right to eat from the tree of life.
In Luke 10:18-24

18 He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 however, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.

22 "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

23 Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."
NIV

The Lord is revealing himself too us to help us overcome the traps and snares of the devil. So pray that the Holy Spirit will open your spiritual eyes, ears and mind so that we will be victorious in the Lord.