Daily Devotional for Tuesday May 2, 2006

If Addiction is Your Foe, Jesus is Going to Set You Free

(Psalm 44:4-8)

"You are my King and my God, who decrees victories for Jacob. Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes. I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame. In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever." - (Psalm 44:4-8 NIV)

"Through your name we trample our foes." I have a special message for each person reading these words today. It doesn't matter how old you are, where you live, how much you have or don't have, or what you may be facing in your life today, JESUS IS GOING TO LEAD YOU TO VICTORY OVER YOUR FOES! If your foe is sickness, Jesus is going to heal you! If your foe is divorce, Jesus is going to restore your marriage! If your foe is a lack of finances, Jesus is going to open the windows of Heaven and pour out an abundance of resources!

If your foe is alcohol, drugs, gambling, food, smoking, sex, shopping, or any other addiction, Jesus is going to set you free! If your foe is not having a job, Jesus is going to get you working. If your foe is your schoolwork, Jesus is going to help you with your studies. If your foe is losing weight, Jesus is going to give you the discipline to lose those extra pounds. If your foe is at your job, Jesus is going to give you favor and bless you in the work you do. If your foe is transportation, Jesus is going to get you new transportation.

If your foe is fear, Jesus is going to give you courage. If your foe is despair, Jesus is going to give you hope. If your foe is anger, Jesus is going to give you peace. If your foe is depression, Jesus is going to give you joy. If your foe is hatred, Jesus is going to give you love. If your foe is unforgiveness, Jesus is going to give you a forgiving heart. If your foe is worry, Jesus is going to give you that calm assurance. If your foe is death, Jesus has come to give you life everlasting. My friend, whatever your foe may be, JESUS IS GOING TO LEAD YOU TO VICTORY OVER YOUR FOES!

I want to give you a word of encouragement today. You can either let the problems of life defeat you, or you can let the giver of life defeat your problems. I know too many of you missed that one so one more time. You can either let the problems of life defeat you, or you can let the giver of life defeat your problems. You see my friend, God's Word tells us that the "Battle is the Lord's." God's Word promises us that at the name of Jesus our enemies will be defeated. It is time for you to quit going through life like you have are defeated when the Bible proclaims that because of Jesus you are the victor!

The problem for many of you, however, especially those who by the world's standards are "successful," is that you put too much trust in yourself and not enough trust in the Lord. I am going to give you a glimpse into my past life for a minute. One of the things that led to my rebellion against God during the '80s was the fact He blessed me abundantly at a very young age and I used the wonderful gifts and talents God gave me to build my own kingdom instead of building His Kingdom. You see, I became dependent on MY wisdom and abilities to get things done and left God out of the picture. When you are successful in this world, it is easy to get to a place where you think you don't have to depend on God or anyone else but yourself. It is only a matter of time before your world begins to crumble when you are on the throne.

That is why God's Word tells us over and over to not trust in our own understanding, to not trust in man, but to trust in the Lord. Joshua was a mighty military man. He understood the art of war. I have no doubt that he had a great plan for taking down the walls of Jericho. But when it came time to take that city, it was NOT the wisdom of Joshua that took down the walls of Jericho, it was the plan of God! It is not your bow or your sword that is going to give you victory over your enemies, it is the name of the LORD!

I love you and care about you so much. I pray today that you will be encouraged by this message and realize that Jesus has already defeated your foes, whoever and whatever they may be. The reality is, today, this very moment, you are in the middle of whatever battles you are fighting in your life. You are probably weary of fighting, wondering where God is, and can't see how you will ever get victory. THAT IS WHY GOD IS SENDING THIS MESSAGE TO YOU TODAY! It is like the cavalry coming over the hill with their trumpets blasting!

God wants you to know that He has not forsaken you and that if you will simply trust in the name of the Lord, it is the name of JESUS that is going to give you victory over your enemies and put your adversaries to shame!!!