I am sharing this devotional that was inspired to me for my friend who is in the process of a huge lifestyle change – in her case, she is making changes in her eating and exercise with the goal of losing 100+ pounds.  In the past, she has tried every diet and failed, but this time before she started implementing the actual changes, she spent time with the Lord, seeking His heart for her and letting Him give her the motivation to lose the weight for Him – to bring Him glory.  Many times, we will start a big change in our lives with the wrong motivations and we will fail because we are striving with our purposes instead of God’s.  I know she will have success this time as she continues to put God in the center of all she does.  This passage can be applied to any part of your life – whatever battle you face! 

   This is what I wrote to my friend, and now to you:  “ I stumbled onto a  beautiful passage today that really spoke to me years ago and it I think it fits with what you are doing right now! I read this in the context that with God’s help we can accomplish ANYTHING and have complete victory!   The enemies can surround us and try to make us fail (I always think of where my enemies are, like if I am trying to not get angry, I need to watch for the enemy to entice me to lose control, but with God’s help I will have success – sometimes after a long battle of fighting in my mind and even failing along the way before I do have victory!)   …..  I just feel God’s power as I read this Scripture and I think of what you are walking through right now in your life and how God is giving you success everyday (every moment!) --  and when a battle ensues such as discouragement, anger, hunger, tiredness, weariness, etc., God will make your ways perfect and He will be your shield and make your feet like a deer and even your ankle will not twist……  we can apply this in our lives both literally and spiritually!   I just get so excited reading this scripture again and thinking about how perfect God is!  He gives us strength in our spirits, souls and bodies when we turn to Him FIRST – when we give Him praise!    Walk forth in His victory today!  Pursue the enemy and CRUSH him!”

Now read the rest of this Scripture and take it personally into your heart and walk forth in God’s strength!

²⁸ You save the humble,
       but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low.

 ²⁹ You are my lamp, O LORD;
       the LORD turns my darkness into light.

 ³⁰ With your help I can advance against a troop;
       with my God I can scale a wall.

 ³¹ "As for God, his way is perfect;
       the word of the LORD is flawless.
       He is a shield
       for all who take refuge in him.

 ³² For who is God besides the LORD ?
       And who is the Rock except our God?

 ³³ It is God who arms me with strength
       and makes my way perfect.

 ³⁴ He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
       he enables me to stand on the heights.

 ³⁵ He trains my hands for battle;
       my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

 ³⁶ You give me your shield of victory;
       you stoop down to make me great.

 ³⁷ You broaden the path beneath me,
       so that my ankles do not turn.

 ³⁸ "I pursued my enemies and crushed them;
       I did not turn back till they were destroyed.

 ³⁹ I crushed them completely, and they could not rise;
       they fell beneath my feet.

 ⁴⁰ You armed me with strength for battle;
       you made my adversaries bow at my feet.

 ⁴¹ You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
       and I destroyed my foes.

 ⁴² They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—
       to the LORD, but he did not answer.

 ⁴³ I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth;
       I pounded and trampled them like mud in the streets.

 ⁴⁴ "You have delivered me from the attacks of my people;
       you have preserved me as the head of nations.
       People I did not know are subject to me,

 ⁴⁵ and foreigners come cringing to me;
       as soon as they hear me, they obey me.

 ⁴⁶ They all lose heart;
       they come trembling from their strongholds.

 ⁴⁷ "The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock!
       Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior!

 ⁴⁸ He is the God who avenges me,
       who puts the nations under me,

 ⁴⁹ who sets me free from my enemies.
       You exalted me above my foes;
       from violent men you rescued me.

 ⁵⁰ Therefore I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations;
       I will sing praises to your name.

 ⁵¹ He gives his king (you are His queen – we are all God’s *royalty because of the blood of Jesus!) great victories;
       he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,
       to David and his descendants forever."(we are David’s descendants in Christ)

Our prayer:

Heavenly Father; Please help each of us to come to You for our strength.  May we spend time in Your Word each day and learn to apply it to our life.  May we spend time in praise and worship and in prayer.  Thank you that we do walk in victory with Jesus as our Savior – help us to remember that victory every moment of our life today and walk in your strength, love and power!   Help us to take up Your armor and fight the battle and show us where our enemy is each day.  Your way is perfect Lord and I praise Your name forever!  In the blessed and beautiful name of Jesus, AMEN

                                                                 

 * 1 Peter 2:9 (New International Version)

* ⁹But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  New International Version (NIV)

                                                        

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