Another YouTube devotional channel that has also been helpful and useful is titled "Ask Jesus." Like with "Grace For Purpose," "Ask Jesus" has also had encouraging devotional videos, and the below is one I would like to share with you now:
The battles of life existed before you were born. All of us were born into a system where from the very first day you make it into conception, you start fighting your fair share of battles. As it is in the physical, so it is in the spiritual. Many times, God will avert unnecessary fights in battles for your sake, but other times, He will take you through them to strengthen your faith, build your character, and equip you with the wisdom and resilience you need for future challenges.
No destiny has ever been shaped without the help of God.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.
I'll pause here. I came across this devotional a few months ago and only recently dug it out of my journal. The notes I took isn't the complete devotional, but it highlights the main points that spoke to me -- and which I hope will speak to you as well. I've spent much of my adult life reviewing and rehashing my own life story, with its triumphs and tragedies, and everything else in between. I have experienced God redeeming much of it, but I am also aware that there is still more yet to come. I've mentioned before my thoughts and feelings towards having to face battles, and having had to face them a very long time. In part because of how I responded to them (and a large part of that simply due to the fact that I didn't know what I didn't know) I also made what I now recognize as a conscious choice to lay down my armor, due to fatigue. But with the help of the Vineyard, and then my counseling center, and now with my current church and my walk with Christ where it currently is, I learned to pick the armor back up and be able to carry it longer.
One of the things I'm just now also starting to understand regarding facing battles can be summed up in the below:
God has promised that even when we go through different battles, we will have victory. The victory plan of God covers every area of our lives. So even when you were dealing with an addiction, going through financial difficulty, or struggling in your marriage or job, you have a word from God. He will be with you and and you will overcome all. When God enters the picture, your struggles are no longer just yours but His as well.
He has seen the beginning from the end. His perspective is perfect. Let Him lead the charge. As you step back and allow God to fight for you, you will realize that your battles were never yours to begin with.
The crown of life represents the blessings of victory. After every battle that you win, there is an appropriate blessing apportioned to that victory, and the victor keeps the spoil. Many times when victory is achieved, God allows the soldiers to keep the spoils of the land as their reward and blessing for the victory. In the same way, it is in the realm of spiritual battles and victories, the spoils of the battle become your reward. Victory comes with commensurate blessings from God.
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, James 1:2, NKJV
One of the things that my pastor has been really good about hitting home in many of his sermons is that part of having the kind of faith that pleases God is that we also have to trust that He will reward us for living righteously and living for Him.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6, NKJV
What the above section really brought into focus for me, that I want to also bring into focus for you, is that just like in battle, the victors get the plunder (unless of course God says to destroy it, which is a different matter entirely). Although I've read about this type of thing across numerous sources, including the Bible, other history books, fiction books, and even comic books, looking back this concept of plunder was foreign to me. Certainly in my life to date I experienced the trials I experienced, without any plunder to show for it. I had gone so long where every day constantly felt like a trial that that was all I knew, to the point that simply grasping the concept of receiving something good in exchange for it, let alone believing and expecting it, was completely over my head.
What began to change this trajectory was, upon first being introduced to the Vineyard church, I knew that I didn't want to return to a lifestyle of church-hopping and not having any faith at all. Over the next few years God brought other opportunities for healing and other tools for faith-building, and my life largely has been a continuation of that ever since. I have many blessings now that a decade ago I only could have imagined, and at the same time I still await other blessings that aren't in my life now.
David's journey from shepherd boy to king illustrates that victories big and small often paved the way for blessings and the fulfillment of divine plans.
for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’ Deuteronomy 20:4, NKJV
God cares deeply about your victory.
Believers, remember this one thing: you are an important part of God's plans. The hard times you face are not just random events, they're part of the big picture that God has in mind for your life. God knows everything about you, where you started, where you are now, and where you're going, and He is the best one to guide you towards victory. Sometimes the tough times are just steps on the way to winning. Let God handle your battles. Your win is part of His plan.
The last paragraph is huge. Your win is a big part of His plan. My win is a big part of His plan. So let's go win for the kingdom of God! Amen!