God is Greater!

This evening, I began my devotional time with the song, "Not for a Moment," by Meredith Andrews.

"Not for a moment did You forsake me. After all, You are constant. After all, You are only good. After all, You are sovereign. Not for a moment will You forsake me."

"And every step, every breath, You are there; every tear, every cry, every prayer; in my hurt, at my worst; when my world falls down, not for a moment will You forsake me. Even in the dark, even when it's hard, You will never leave me."

We must never forget this truth: God is right beside us! "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31:6, NIV)

The introductory verse that Maxwell presents is Nehemiah 6:16: "When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God." (NIV) We serve a big God!

Maxwell notes, "Commitment comes before anything else in a leader's life." He gives the following four characteristics that should stem from this.

A compelling purpose: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28, NIV), "For it is God Who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose." (Philippians 2:13, NIV)
A clear perspective: "'I tell you the truth, whoever hears My Word and believes Him Who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." (John 5:24, NIV), "Jesus said, 'If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'" (John 8:31-32, NIV), "'So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.'" (John 8:36, NIV)
Continual prayer: "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." (Romans 12:12, NIV), "Pray without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5:17, KJV)
Courageous persistence: "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10, NIV), "To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life." (Romans 2:7, NIV)

Leaders need to possess these characteristics to succeed when faced with challenges. These qualities go right alongside faith in God.

I'm not sure if there is a specific person to whom I should give credit for this, but I have seen it multiple times: "Don't tell God how big your problem is. Tell your problem how big your God is!"

MercyMe's song, "Greater," depicts this wonderfully. "Greater is the One living inside of me than he who is living in the world...There'll be days I lose the battle. Grace says that it doesn't matter, 'cause the cross already won the war. He's greater! He's greater! I am learning to run freely, understanding just how He sees me, and it makes me love Him more and more." God is greater!

The reflection question for today asks: "How can you cultivate these characteristics in your life right now?" Each person may have a different set of circumstances. However, everyone can begin in the same position. Place your faith and trust in God!

God bless you!