A long time ago, I came to the conclusion that defeat and not victory is the sad inscription which could be written over the life of many a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. I meet them every day and I am sure you do, too. They wear a long face and it is evident that there is no victory and no real spiritual vitality there. If you are in their presence too long, their attitude begins to 'rub off' on you and you almost become depressed yourself. There is nothing gloomier than a professing Christian who is living in defeat.
The Word of God declares, "As thy days, so shall thy strength be" (Deuter- onomy 33:25). He will not give you strength today for tomorrow's trials. Never. It is a day by day proposition. He will give you strength for today and for the difficulties that come to you to- day.
When I awaken in the morning, I have this confidence, I have this assurance, I have this security : that no matter what happens to me today, I know my Lord and my God will give me strength for what comes to me during those hours. Now, if I knew when I awaken in the morning everything that I would have to face in the next twenty-four hours, it would discourage me before I ever started out. I couldn't stand it. I couldn't take it. If I knew the disappointment
that would come to my doorstep, or all the work that I would have to do, I would be tired before I began the day. If I had a preview of everything that was in- volved in the next eighteen to twenty hours, I would be tempted to crawl back in bed again, pull the cover over my face and say, I cannot take it !
But, I do not know what I will be faced
with during those hours of that day. Yet, I go out secure. How? I leave with a trust and a confidence in my heart and in my mind that as that day, so will God supply the strength for that day. I have lived lo, these many years, without hav- ing a breakdown. People have nervous breakdowns when they try to see beyond that day. You cannot do it and be vic- torious. If right now I would stop and think of what my calendar looks like;
if I were to visualize all my commitments on that calendar, all the services I have scheduled, all the telecasts and radio
broadcasts I need to make, all the ser- mons I must preach .... If I would pic- ture the load of daily mail before me, and all the prayer requests that await my attention on my desk, I would be de- feated instantly and I might just as well say. Let somebody else take over for me ! But, I just don't do it. That is the rea-
son I have never had a nervous break- down. If you are on the verge of a break- down, it's because you are trying to live more than one day at a time, more than one moment at a time. To live a victo- rious Christian life, do not cross the bridge until you get to that bridge. Do not ford those deep waters until you get to the brink of the stream. Do not lie awake at night and worry about that thing that you are going to have to do the next day. If you do, you will be so tired and such a nervous wreck the next day that when you face that task, you will not have the refreshed mentality or the rested body to do a good job.
So, go to bed and sleep and commit that thing to God. That's perfect trust. That's perfect confidence. That's where your faith in Him comes in. You sleep. If anybody is going to do the worrying, let God stay up and worry. Commit it to Him. If anybody has to work during the night, let God work so that when you awaken in the morning and you have to face that task, you are refreshed mentally and spiritually.
- Kathryn Kuhlman ( Victory in Jesus )
- JESUS SAVES TV