Power Words Devotional

By Sean Childers

In today's world of fear, anxiety, stress, crisis, and chaos, it is easy to become overwhelmed and tempted to give in to societal pressures and

feelings of oppression. Through these daily devotionals, your Christ-centered authority is revealed that you may overcome the pressures of everyday life while living in the abundance of peace, joy,

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: May 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9781685561048

Sean Childers

Sean has a heart for Christ, and his true desire is to spread the gospel through daily devotionals that encourage the reader to live under the Grace of God's Word. Sean's calling is to provide insight into biblical truths that transform the readers' lives, giving them the knowledge to overcome the pressures of everyday circumstances. Within these daily devotionals, you will find foundational biblical principles that change people within their hearts, souls, and minds.

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Power Words Devotional

Sean Childers

Trilogy Christian Publishers

TUSTIN, CA

Trilogy Christian Publishers

A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Trinity Broadcasting Network

2442 Michelle Drive

Tustin, CA 92780

Power Words Devotional

Trilogy Christian Publishers A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Trinity Broadcasting Network

2442 Michelle Drive Tustin, CA 92780

Copyright © 2022 by Sean Childers

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP), Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org. Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked GNT are taken from the Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition). Copyright © 1982 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Cover design by: Jeff Summers

Cover photo by: Sherry Childers

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Trilogy Christian Publishing.

Trilogy Disclaimer: The views and content expressed in this book are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views and doctrine of Trilogy Christian Publishing or the Trinity Broadcasting Network.

Manufactured in the United States of America

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN: 978-1-68556-103-1

E-ISBN: 978-1-68556-104-8

Dedication

First and foremost, I give all glory and honor to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Because of Him, I have been given the knowledge and discernment to write these pages, and because of Him, I know God’s peace, Grace, and love. Second, I write this in dedication to my wife, Sherry. Without her support, encouragement, and love, I would never have been able to write this book. She has been there through it all, and her support and assistance have made it not only possible but purposeful. Thank you! I love you!

Preface

As you read these daily devotionals, my hope, my true desire is that your walk with God through Jesus Christ would be developed to the point that everyone around you would see Jesus through you. That your actions, words, and life would resemble Jesus. The same miracles, signs, and wonders that God did through Jesus would now be evident through you. I pray God would open up His abundance, and in the name of Jesus Christ, your life would be encouraged, strengthened, and filled with His peace, joy, and love!

Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Growth

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:14–21

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Colossians 1:9–14 (ESV)

Introduction

The year of 2020. We had the COVID-19 virus and everything that went with it. The nation and world shut down for a time; individuals were forced or encouraged to stay home, businesses, cities, governments closed. Who could have thought something like this would have even been possible in today’s time and even more shocking in America, a free country? Especially during 2020, but always my heart and prayers continue to go out to those who have lost loved ones, jobs, or businesses. People that continue to struggle to live struggle to pay their bills or raise their families. The worldwide pandemic has stretched all of us in one way or another. We find ourselves looking back and realizing for way too long, we have taken even the simple things of life for granted. I know times like these are not the first in history to disrupt and impact nations as it has. Over history, think about the wars that have devastated the United States, not only within our country but the people of our nation. The Revolutionary War, where we were not even a nation, but the country came together to fight for our freedom. The freedom we have and continue to take for granted. Freedom that our forefathers foresaw in the future when they wrote the Declaration of Independence. Whether certain individuals or groups agree with it or like it or not, this nation was founded on God and His principles as a Christian Nation. Just because you try to rewrite history does not mean it is not relevant and true. I encourage each of you to search out the truth, do not let others form your impression of what is right, go to God’s Word, search out the Truth about everything and pray for God to give you the wisdom, knowledge, and discernment to know right from wrong. In Psalm 1:151–152 (NLT), it states, But you are near, O Lord, and all your commands are true. I have known from my earliest days that your laws will last forever. God’s Word is true and everlasting, it was relevant during Old Testament and New Testament times, and it is relevant today and always. God’s Word is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). God’s Word is based on His Truths, not what the media or others try to justify or claim it is. If you desire to live God’s best for your life, I encourage you to study and live by God’s Word as found in His Holy Bible.

From the beginning our country, our nation has seen times that have been disruptive, and some people might say even more so than what we experienced throughout the COVID pandemic. We think this is the first time, and how could this be happening? Let’s look at the Great Depression. There were not any Government programs or funding, such as were available during the COVID pandemic. During the Great Depression, we had families stand in food lines, and some lost everything. We had families and family members passing away from starvation and disease in America, a land of abundance. How about World Wars I and II? During World War I, over 53,402 Americans died during the conflict, and over 45,000 of the deaths were related to the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918¹. The world has seen pandemics before, just to name a few, the Spanish Flu of 1918–20, the Asian Flu of 1957–58, AIDS pandemic that began in 1981, the Swine Flu of 2009–2010, Ebola in 2014–2016, and the Zika virus that began in 2015. Society has a way of forgetting past pandemics and believing the current situation is the first time or only time in history this has occurred.

Going back to history, let’s look at World War II. What a devastation and tragedy; the United States lost over 418,000 Americans during this conflict. What we need to look at during this time is that America came together as a Nation and rallied behind the cause to overcome, push through, and stay strong as the United States of America, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. If we divide our nation and fight between ourselves, we can never come out of a situation with any kind of resolve. Mark 3:24–25 (NLT) states, A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse. Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart. That is the situation we are in now. If we cannot band together as a nation, we will see a breakdown at the expense of the American people.

This world is in a spiritual battle, a battle between good and evil. Ephesians 6:12 (NLT): For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. In that battle, we have a responsibility as Christians to be obedient and follow through with what God is calling us to do. Some are called to be missionaries, some to work in homeless shelters or food banks, some to be an encouragement, others to stay in prayer as an intercessor, but we are all called to spread the gospel. I take this moment to encourage and strengthen you to be the person God created you to be. This is the time for Christians to stand strong, united in Jesus, loving each other, leaning into and upon Jesus Christ and His love and strength, and be the difference. Be the light, sharing the good news and bringing Hope to those around you. People, including Christians, have allowed fear and doubt to stifle who they are in Christ. Please note, I am not asking you to put yourself in harm’s way. God gives each of us a spirit of wisdom, knowledge, and discernment that we may live life safe and protected, in accordance with His will. Not everyone can get out and serve; there may be health or other reasons you should keep yourself and others around you protected, but we can pray, we can praise, we can be an encouragement through text or other social media. In tough times we are given an opportunity to show Christ and His love to those around us. So many people feel isolated and alone during times like this, and just a phone call or a note can bring the hope and encouragement of Christ to someone that needs it.

It has taken me a while to get this second book finished, but I do believe it will be impactful for His kingdom, and my hope is it gives you the strength, wisdom, and encouragement you need to be the light of Jesus. I write not to condemn or bring guilt upon anyone; please know God’s will for my life is to be an encouragement, not to condemn or bring anyone down. If there are verses or things written in this book that stir you up, I write these that your spirit would be strengthened, your soul encouraged, and that you would be the person God created you to be. A child of God able to carry out God’s purpose He created you for before you were knit together in your mother’s womb. I pray these pages strengthen you and that in your time of doubt, God’s Word illuminates your path. Be blessed, and may all of God’s goodness pour out upon you and those around you!

Contents

Dedication iii

Preface iv

Introduction vi

Transformation 1

Do Your Part 4

God is the Source 7

Sacrifice 10

Flee from Sin 13

Take It 16

Commandments and Obedience 19

Lord, to Whom Would We Go? 22

Misled 25

Head Held High 28

Inhibitors 31

Kingdom Wisdom 34

Glory to God 37

Advocate 39

Work for Peace 42

New Covenant 46

What is Your Sacrifice? 49

What is Your Vice? 52

Speak Life 55

Stay in God’s Word Continually 58

Keep the Door Shut 61

Wait 64

Are Your Free? 68

Scales 71

It’s About People 74

Set Apart 77

Inside Out 79

You Are the Difference 82

Live in Grace 85

Our Task to Reconcile 87

Stay on Track 90

Be Set Free 93

Be of Good Cheer 95

Wear Your Armor 98

Check Your Heart 101

Today 104

Enough 107

Guarantee a Blessing 110

He is Enough 113

Love vs. Law 116

Be a Servant 120

Grasshoppers 123

My Guilt is Gone 127

Ignorance Silenced 130

Seek God 133

The Gift of Eternal Life 136

Stay on Guard 140

Inside Out 144

Go in Peace 147

Purified Gold 151

Believe Without Seeing 154

Smell the Roses 157

Commit 160

Look Forward 164

Gift of Grace 167

Marvelous Workmanship 171

God is Greater 174

Be Kind 177

Our Bodies are the Temple 181

Christ in Me 185

Be Committed 188

Be Healthy 192

Press On 196

Gather Together 199

Accountable 203

God is the Source 207

Be a Farmer 210

Victory and Righteousness 213

Keep on Keeping on 217

Choose Life 219

Unmerited Favor 222

With God All Things are Possible 226

Waiting Patiently 230

Adopted 233

Change the Way You Think 236

Listen 239

Be Careful of the Apple 242

Don’t Be Selfish 245

Authority in His Name 247

The Light 250

Humble and Repentant Heart 253

Change 256

Come Close to God 259

Humility 262

Righteousness 265

Mud 269

Wisdom 272

Stand 275

The Secret 278

Gallows 281

Trust God 284

God’s Delight 288

World-Changers 291

Good Success 295

Created for Righteousness 298

Your Faith has Made You Well 301

Exalt the Name of Jesus 305

Distractions 308

Answer the Door 311

United 314

Honorable Use 317

You are Righteous 320

Marathon 323

Influence 236

You 329

Character 332

Self-Discipline 334

Disarmed 337

No Help from Us 340

Close the Door 344

Enjoy the Journey 348

Christ Holds All Things Together 352

Lampstand 355

Bended Knee 358

Enveloped 362

Be Yourself 365

Forgiven 368

Take the High Road 371

Humility 374

Jesus is the Center 377

Life Balance 381

Perfect Peace 384

God is at Work in You 387

True Self 390

Unwavering 393

Power in Jesus’ Name 396

Resilience 399

Blessed 402

Equipped 405

Conquerors 408

Overcome Unbelief 412

Fellow Sheep 416

The Difference 419

Intent 422

Seek Him 426

Take up Your Cross 429

Slow Down and Share 432

Godly Thoughts 436

Forgive 440

Walk in Authority 443

Your Designed Path 447

Log Jam 451

Gomer 454

Within the City 457

Entanglements 460

Do not Give Up 463

Purpose 467

Seek and You Shall Find 471

The Gift 475

Conclusion 479

Stay in Touch... 483

Transformation

Good morning, saved, victorious, blessed, anointed, gifted, talented, Holy Spirit-filled, armor bearing, encouraged, wise, knowledgeable, and discerning followers of Jesus Christ!

So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:27

Praise God that He would have enough love for each one of us that He would create us, not only create us but unconditionally love each one of us. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, He comes to live within us, and through our obedience to His will, our faith is strengthened within His righteousness. This is where the struggle between our flesh and our spirit connected to Jesus through the Holy Spirit comes into play. Our flesh determines to live its life based on feelings, sight, sounds, and touch, where our spirit connected with God through Christ determines to live in God’s will based on His Word. Our flesh desires to minimize God to our intellectual level of justification, interpretation, and thinking. Through our flesh, we seek instant self-gratification and, in some instances, expect God to be more of an ATM or Santa Claus than the awesome Creator He is. We must remember God’s ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). We do not always understand, nor do we always receive what we immediately desire. In God’s perfect plan for our lives and in His creation of us, He knows what is best and what is best for our eternal salvation. Just because, from our perspective, we did not receive what we prayed for does not mean we did not receive a blessing from God. Through our daily prayer time, studying of the word, and obedience to God’s will for our lives, our minds are transformed (Romans 12:2) and our hearts renewed (Deuteronomy 30:6) to His ways. We are created to transform to God’s righteousness through the Blood of Jesus Christ, not Him conform to our expectations of what our carnal bodies believe He should be. Once we begin walking in obedience to the will of Almighty God, His wisdom, knowledge, and discernment become a part of who we are, how we perceive situations, and what the Truth really is. In this day of instantaneous self-satisfaction, we must remove our focus from ourselves and what we do not have, to God and what He has given us. God willingly gave His only Son to die on the cross that each one of us may have eternal life and live this life and the life to come in His truth. Our salvation depends on our choice; God will not force anyone to do anything; however, He provides the option for us to have everything! Praise God and thank You, Jesus, for loving us so much. You willingly died that we may live in God’s righteousness.

Praise God and thank You, Jesus, that through Your obedience and love for each one of us, we have the option to choose life and not live in death. Through Your resurrection, we have been given the choice to live in victory and, as an overcomer, not allowing the things of this world to taint our views of the perfect character and essence of our God! We love, honor, and praise You. In Jesus’ mighty name, we pray. Amen.

Shalom!

Do Your Part

Good morning, healed, victorious, highly favored, blessed, anointed, Holy Spirt filled, strong, courageous, gifted, talented, wealthy, healthy, and wise heirs of the Most High!

Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper. When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you.

Deuteronomy 8:6–10 (NKJV)

To live in God’s abundance that He has for you, obey His commands by walking in His ways and fearing Him. We are not reverting back to the law, but we do have commands and instruction given to us through Christ. Forgive, love, honor, tithe, pray, speak life, follow the Ten Commandments and study the Word, to name a few. Fear the Lord, our God. This is not fear as we think of fear but have reverence and respect for the Almighty. Do not use His name in vain. Praise Him and give Him honor and live a life pleasing to Him. As you read verses 7–9, you will see He has brought you into the land of promise, but you must do your part. Everything mentioned in these verses requires you to work; it does not just happen or multiply without your efforts. As an example, out of whose hills you can dig copper. To move to the next level, He requires you to get busy and do your part in every area of your life to be successful. If you want to prosper, tithe and give. If you want to go to the next level at work, pray, show up early, work hard and go the extra mile. If you want to learn more about the Lord, pray, study, fast, attend Sunday school and church. For you to take hold of and live in the abundance that God has brought you into, do your part. As stated above, bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you.. When the Lord God has blessed and prospered you, do not forget Him. Praise Him, bless Him, tithe, and give Him His portion of the wealth He has given you. Your wealth could be time, servitude, finances, or whatever abundance He has blessed you with. Whatever it is, do not forget the One that provided and has elevated you to where you are.

Dear Lord, we give You all the honor and praise. We thank You for Your favor and blessings upon each one of us and our families to include but not be limited to good health, abundance in our finances, wisdom, knowledge, and discernment of Your Word, and strength and courage to follow Your will for our lives. We give You all the glory and praise. In Jesus’ mighty name, we pray. Amen.

Shalom!

God is the Source

Good morning, strong, mighty, anointed, wise, discerning, gracious, forgiving, praising, polite, thankful, blessed, and highly favored victors in every situation!

Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end—then you say in your heart, My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth. And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

Deuteronomy 8:11–18 (NKJV)

What a powerful few verses! God is reminding His chosen few that He will bless them, He will bring them through trials, and He will elevate them. What He is instructing is that we do not become prideful, and when elevated and blessed, we do not forget that our blessings come from the LORD. As you grow closer to God, you will become blessed and highly favored. It is God’s desire for you to live a full and abundant life, and as you begin to walk in His commandments and draw closer to Him, the blessings will begin to be poured out upon you, your family, friends, co-workers, etc. God’s blessings are living water, not a stagnant pool. Blessings will flow from God, through Jesus Christ, into the Holy Spirit within each one of us and through us to others! For water to be living, it must be flowing, it cannot become still, or it will be like the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is dead because the rivers flow into it, but nothing flows out, causing it to stagnate and be full of impurities. God cleanses the impurities from your life through trials, verses 14–16 above. During these times, verse 16 states, That He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end. God will bless you; it is His nature as you draw closer to Him. During times of trial, we must keep our focus on Him, serving Him and giving Him the glory. Trials are allowed that we may be tested like Job but do not lose heart as these times are meant to humble us that pride does not overtake our hearts, and our focus becomes on us and not the Source. Through God’s strength and anointing, we are able to pass these tests, being elevated to the next level and increasing in faith and God’s blessings. Through all of this, remember, For it is He who gives you power to get wealth. Wealth is not only monetary; it is all areas of your life. It could be blessings in your family, health, job, or relationships. Whatever it is, God will provide, and He will lift you up if you stay focused on Him and always remember, He is the One that provides and increases. Be blessed!

Dear Lord, thank You for all of the blessings in each of our lives. We give You all the glory, honor, and praise. We pray this morning for Your strength, courage, wisdom, knowledge, and discernment as we walk through this life and, through Your anointing and strength, succeed at any trials that may arise. We keep our focus on You, giving You the glory. Thank You! In Jesus’ mighty name, we pray. Amen.

Shalom!

Sacrifice

Good morning, highly favored, blessed, healed, prosperous, strengthened, whole, talented, gifted, wise, knowledgeable, peace-filled, confident and overcoming righteous children of the Most High God!

For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice.

Hebrews 9:24

Under the law and throughout the Old Testament, sacrifices had to be offered often and continually to cover the sins of mankind. In order to complete God’s perfect plan for mankind, Christ descended to this earth from heaven. He lived a sinless life, and He died on the cross as a Sacrifice for our sins, and through Him, we have been given eternal life. When we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we accepted His salvation, and our sins, past, present, and future, are covered by His Blood. Isaiah 1:18, Come now, let’s settle this, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. When Jesus offered Himself up as a sacrifice for mankind, He joined together the things of heaven and this Earth. Second Corinthians 3:16, But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. When we accept Jesus Christ into our hearts, the veil between ourselves and God has been removed, and we have access to all the things of heaven. Jesus completed God’s plan in joining Heaven and Earth together through His shed Blood covering our sins once and for all and sending the Holy Spirit to live within each one of us, being our Advocate to God and teaching us all things (John 4:26). Through our acceptance of Jesus Christ and receipt of the Holy Spirit living within us, we can be complete in all areas of our lives. Colossians 2:10, So you also are complete through your union with Christ. We can live in authority over the things of this world, having peace, joy, love, and strength through this union. As you walk through your days, walk in confidence that through Christ, because of what He did for you on the cross and your acceptance of Him, you are a saved, blessed, righteous, complete, and highly favored child of God!

Praise God and thank You, Jesus, for Your willingness to die on the cross that we may have direct access to the things of heaven. In You, we have peace, love, and fullness of joy. Thank You that we are made righteous, whole, and complete and for sending the Holy Spirit to help lead and guide us in everything we do and say. We lift You up and give You all the honor, glory, and praise. In Jesus’ mighty name, we pray. Amen.

Shalom!

Flee from Sin

Good morning, strong, victorious, wise, discerning, free, blood-covered, Grace-living, Jesus sharing, beacon’s of light in this dark world!

Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.

Romans 6:15–19

Sin is a slippery slope. As Christians born again, covered by the Blood of Christ, and living under God’s Grace, we must stay on guard constantly against the temptations and seductions of sin and this dark world. Sin is crouching at the door (Genesis 4:7), waiting, watching, and entering when the door is opened. Sin is like cancer; it starts with one cell and gradually and persistently spreads and eventually takes over and leads to death. Living in God’s Grace, He gives you the wisdom and discernment to see sin in your life, and through the Holy Spirit, He gives you the strength and courage to leave sin behind and follow the righteousness of God. We were sinners, but now we are saved by Grace (Jesus Christ), walking in God’s righteousness in this fallen world. Everywhere you look, people have fallen victim to be blinded by the sin in their life. Self-justification, selfishness, overindulgence, and pride are but a few of the sinful commonalities of these times. Everything we do should be pleasing to the Lord (Colossians 1:10), worthy of His honor and Grace, and representative of Him as His ambassadors of the kingdom (2 Corinthians 5:20). This world is fallen, and sin runs rampant; we have been sent by God to be the light and representation of a better life. Life in Jesus Christ is filled with peace, joy, and love. To be that light, we must center our lives on Jesus Christ, allowing Him to fill our hearts and souls with His peace, joy, and love and allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct our footsteps in the righteousness of God. We must be careful not to allow the bitterness, anger, and unforgiveness of this world to inhabit our hearts as these roots of darkness inhibit Christ from fully living within and working through us. As we walk in freedom from sin and remain focused on Christ, remember our strength does not come from our own abilities, our strength and overcoming authority are from our unification with Christ and in His name. When we walk in the authority of Jesus, overcoming the temptations of sin through His countenance upon our lives, we are making the difference He called us to be. What we sometimes forget is that people are watching, listening, and learning from our example. We should be a beacon of light and hope, our faith should shine through, and our joy should be undeniable. God created us and placed us on this earth at this time to show His glory as we walk in His righteousness. In the name of Jesus, we are able to overcome the negative influences of this world and be the example of a blessed life to those around us. There are times when we all need encouragement and need to be reminded of the awesome strength and authority we have been given in Jesus. Reminded that in Him, we can live in His peace, joy, and love, and in His name, we are able to walk in His strength, overcoming temptations. Be blessed, and always remember, God is in control, and Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price for you and me to walk in freedom!

Dear Lord, please strengthen each and every person reading this word from You. Fill their hearts with Your love, peace, and joy, encourage them and guide them as they fulfill Your purpose for their lives. Please surround them with Your angels of protection, and may they be obedient to the Holy Spirit as they follow You! In Jesus’ mighty name, we pray. Amen.

Shalom!

Take It