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Have you ever wondered why Romans 8 says that we are not only conquerors, but we are more than conquerors? I heard the very best explanation to that one time that I have never forgotten. The conqueror is the aspiring boxer who has been in strict training for years. He eats only what is beneficial for his body, he works out for hours each day, and has sacrificed much to be able to challenge the world champion in a match that is beyond compare. The day of the fight arrives, and confidently he steps in the ring. Is he really a match for the champ? He will soon find out. He fights his heart out. Round one. Round two. Then round three. He goes for the knock out, and thud, the former ruler falls to the mat, knocked out by the new champion who has proved his value in the ring. His arm is held high in victory by the referee and he goes home with the champions robe and belt. The strict training paid off. He was bruised up, from the battle, but he was the Champ. He not only gets the title, he gets the big payoff. The amount of the check is bigger than he has ever seen before. He goes home, kisses his wife at the door, and hands her the check. He is the conqueror, and she is more than a conqueror. He did all the work, and she gets all the benefit. I’m sure you see the analogy. Jesus fought the biggest boxing match of all time against the worst enemy of all time, and not only did He win, He knocked the devil out. Jesus then said, what I have done, I did for you, my bride, the church. You are my prize, and I give you the check. We are more than conquerors in this life……Praise the Lord.

I have strength for all things in Christ, who empowers me, I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses inner strength into me. I am self sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency. I just quoted Phil 4:13 from the amplified version, and I feel empowered and encouraged just saying those words outloud. Isn’t it amazing to think that the Spirit of God lives on the inside of us? We are in Christ, and He infuses inner strength into you and me. I know there have been lots of times when I felt weak and powerless. Whether situations were overwhelming, or there seemed to be no end to the storm I was facing, it would have been easy to just go where my emotions wanted to take me. We have to manage our emotions, or they will take us places we never wanted to go! When I quoted Phil 4:13, or began to meditate on those wonderful words, that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, any “I can’t” that I was feeling, became “I can” because of the cross. No thing was going to take me out. No evil force, no circumstance, no unmet expectation, no lack in any area, no sickness or pain would have the ability to keep me from being the conqueror that Jesus made me through the cross. When I let Christ empower me, I really am ready for anything and equal to anything that might come my way. God really is way bigger than any problem, or adversity, and the strength we receive from Christ makes us more than conquerors in this life. Now that’s encouraging.

Have you found it easy to live a contented life, in a world that is full of yearning for more and trying to find satisfaction in things? It really is easy to get caught up in wanting more stuff and thinking that stuff will fill any emptiness inside of us. Before we met Christ, there was a God shaped vacuum in our life, that could only be filled by God. Jesus came to fill us to overflowing, and His desire is for us to be totally satisfied in Him. An “unearthly” longing we as Christians have is for our home in heaven. As wonderful as earth can be, and as much as we can experience of heaven on earth in our Christian walk, nothing compares to the complete bliss and joy of heaven. We have a longing within for our heavenly home, and for the joy of seeing our Savior face to face. That longing is a blessed hope that will be met when we pass from this life to the next. In the mean time, we can be like Paul who said that he has learned the secret of contentment. In Philippians chapter 4, verses 12 and 13 he stresses the fact that he has faced both abundance and lack, that he has been well fed, and been hungry. I’m sure he liked a full tummy and abundance better than lack! In spite of these circumstances he learned what we quote so often in Phil 4:13, that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. I love the Amplified version which says, “I have strength for all things in Christ, who empowers me, I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses inner strength into me. I am self sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency.” Now those are some encouraging Words!

Intro:
I heard some one say it just a day ago. “Summer is almost over.” Hi this is Dorette Schaal with your dailyeword. I love summer, and I want it to last! It is a wonderful season of the year. This is a season of the year that I adore! Stages of life come and go, and we pass on to the next phase before you know it. This week, I want to encourage you to enjoy each day, and live in the abundant life that Jesus provided for us. Here is your dailyeword.

Monday Aug 21Wonder in Life
Seasons and environment change. Things don’t always turn out the way you expect. Storms come and winds blow. Sometimes it makes you want to be a kid again! Children seem to have a way of finding wonder in life better than we do as adults. They see life as wonderful! They get excited over little things – and let even small things bring a joy filled moment to their day.

You probably remember the story called “It’s a Wonderful Life” that was turned into a movie that many of you re-watch each Christmas. George Bailey has one bad thing lead to another in his life, and he was overcome by the sorrow of unmet expectations and depressing disappointments. He felt like his dreams had died and he should too. He was rescued by a novice angel named Clarence, and he ultimately saw how wonderful his life really was.

What he discovered was a profound truth. The wonder of life does not depend on the location of the man, but on the posture of the man’s heart. In other words, circumstances don’t have to be perfect to have a great life. Whether your dreams have been crushed, or there are disappointments on every hand, you do not have to be controlled by your circumstances. Paul said it this way – “I have learned how to be content in every situation. My joy level isn’t dependent on my circumstances.” I can enjoy a wonder – full life because I choose to live a life full of wonder. I have learned that lesson this summer first hand. So it really doesn’t matter what is going on around you – keep the posture of your heart right, stay in the joy of the Lord, and live the wonderful, abundant, joy filled life that God has for you.

The Best is Yet to Come! (by me)
No matter what it looks like, no matter how you feel
The circumstances that you’re in are not what’s really real
The future up ahead is bright, the days ahead will bring
A freshness in your spirit, and a song of joy you’ll sing
You are full and you are rich with what is worth the most
It’s not a product of the world, it’s from the Holy Ghost
Rejoice and be extremely glad, this work I have begun
So let the fullness bubble up, the best is yet to come

I started off this week giving you wisdom from my garden. It thought it might not be a bad place to complete the week too. So to review, here is a quick synopsis!
1. Be ready, and don’t miss the opportunity – to sow or to reap
2. Be selective about what you do plant – stay focused – too many variables cause stress!
3. Maintain – take care of what you do have – pull weeds and streamline
4. Water – hydrate, keep things moist, they will dry up without the moisture they need
5. Stir up the ground – use your hoe to break up the fallow ground
6. Stay in the Sunlight – you can’t grow in the dark
7. Choose to be fruitful – expect a harvest
I’m sure you didn’t receive any heavy revelation from my garden wisdom, but maybe those 7 points can be a reminder to do the natural things to make your garden grow, and God will do the supernatural part. So often, we sit back waiting on God, when He could be waiting on us! Get planting. He has given you seed. Once the seed is in, maintain it. Don’t leave it to die, maintain it, water it, stir it up! Then stay where the Son is! That’s the SON son! And very importantly, use your expecter! Expect the healthy harvest. You’d done your part, now let me encourage you to expect your harvest to be big!

Do you like to see things grow? I’m always amazed at how much my kids grow year by year. Probably you have an aunt or an uncle, or maybe even a grandparent who tells you that you are growing like a weed. We know they mean that in a sweet way, because although weeds are not desirable, they do know how to grow. Very quickly they just take over. That is the case on our property. Those weeds sure know how to grow. My goal is to actually grow some vegetables and flowers, so I have to do something about the weeds. That means some work, some sweat, some dirt on my clothes, on my hands and definitely on my shoes. Because my family appreciates “fresh from the garden” vegetables, it is worth the effort.

Growing up physically doesn’t actually take too much effort. As long as you’re putting food in your body, getting some exercise, drinking good pure water, you probably will grow pretty effortlessly. Growing spiritually takes some of those same things. We need good food spiritually (by reading the Word of God, going to church and hearing the Word, and by listening to uplifting music.) We need good exercise (the Bible tells us to exercise our faith, or build our faith muscles so we can do great exploits for God.) Good pure water is plentiful for us, because we have a well of salvation in us, and rivers of life flowing through us. So guess what? You have what it takes to grow up spiritually, and I know that you are good soil for the Word to be planted in, and that you are growing up strong in God! You are the determining factor in how much you grow, so be diligent, and grow up strong!

Are you a farmer for life? You are probably very familiar with the law of sowing and reaping. Farmers get to be a part of that every year, as they put their seed into the soil and watch it grow and produce a harvest. God thought up that law, and pretty much everything in life operates on it. What you sow is what you are going to reap. The seed without the soil is nothing. I have been reading in II Cor 9 recently and am always amazed at how much God wants to bless us through the law of sowing and reaping. Verse 6 starts this way, if you sow sparingly you will reap sparingly. It goes onto say that as God’s grace abounds to us, we will be able at all times, having all that we need, to abound in every good work. Verse 10 talks about God giving seed to the one who will sow it, and giving us bread to eat, or for our food, or our consumption, and then that He would increase the seed (YIPEE!) and enlarge the harvest of righteousness. Verse11 says that we will be made rich in every way so that we can be generous on every occasion! I love how the Message Bible says it….God is more than extravagant with us, so we can be extravagant with others. Sounds like we get to be extravagant givers! No stingy farmers among us! The abundance we receive, we get to pass on. Do you have an abundance in some area of your life? Why not share it? Give and it will be given again unto you. In my garden we’ve got more than enough to share. Do you want a tomato?!!! Let the generosity and extravagance of God, rub off on you, and onto somebody else!

As I try to daily maintain my garden this time of year, I also try to daily nourish and replenish my spirit. I have found 3 great ways to do just that!

1) Read the Bible! God wants us to read his love letter to us everyday. (Put it in your schedule to read the Word of God daily?)
2) Communicate with Him! He loves to communicate with us on a regular basis. (Why not tell Him of your love for Him through prayer and worship?)
3) Worship with other believers! He loves meeting us at church, and fellowshipping with other believers. He likes us enough to want to be meet with us more than once a week! He likes being around us daily! (Why not make time for church to be a priority in your week and make Him your priority each day?)

If we can begin to incorporate each of these three disciplines into our life – reading the word, talking to God, and being involved in a Bible believing church – we can be on the road to becoming productive for the kingdom of God! I think more than anything, everyone on the earth wants to know they have a purpose, and to know that their life counts. When it comes to making a difference in the world, we do need to be armed with the Word of God, know the power of prayer and the power of praise and worship, and then know the power of being involved in a body where the believers join together to accomplish great things for the kingdom of God. To be able to make a difference, we do need to be nourished and replenished. We stay strong and ready (nourished and replenished) when we are full of the Word, in constant communication with God, and when we know that we are a part of a church family that serves God with us. So keep your garden healthy and make sure your are nourished and replenished to be productive for the kingdom of God!

If everyday I’ll weed my garden, I can catch the weeds when they are small and when they can easily be removed. If I let them grow, and the earth is hard around them, it may take a shovel and a lot of effort to remove them. A little bit of effort on a regular basis pays off in the long run. A way to apply that to our spiritual life would be to make sure we are saturating the garden of our heart with the water of the Word. If it needs a little fertilizer, do a word study in that certain area, so you are armed and ready with the Word of God to overcome the weed that is trying to take over your garden. We can pull up the weeds that are obstacles in our life by using our faith muscles and see them be removed. We can stay alert and awake, and remove the weed before it goes to seed, because the result from weed seed is only multiplied problems. Consider the dandelion!!! You know what happens with them. One dandelion creates 100’s! Daily maintenance in our spiritual life keeps us living weed free! If we notice attitudes or actions in our life that aren’t in line with our new life in Christ, we need to dig up those weeds. To produce the great fruit that God wants in our life, we need to be the kind of gardener who watches over the field, and makes sure it gets what it needs to be productive, and chases away or uproots anything that is detrimental to the crop’s health. Be encouraged to be a diligent gardener! You can live weed free!

I want to encourage you – do what it takes to grow spiritually, it’s worth the effort! This past week, I spent a little bit of time in garden pots, and much to my dismay, I found many have an abundance of weeds growing among the flowers and vegetables. Just looking at the uninvited greenery that wriggled it’s way into my normally lovely gardens made me think about how daily care (in any area) makes for much less work in the long run.

Isn’t that true about most things in life? If you’re like me, you probably have tried to teach your kids that if you take care of things right away, you won’t have piles of work to do later on. One of my biggest pet peeves is coming home or waking up to a kitchen sink full of dishes. With a busy schedule and lots of activities with church, schooling, recreation, chores, animals to care for, and sports activities, there are many times when dinner happens quickly and then we have to be out the door. The messy pile of dishes meets us when we get back home.

A pile of mess can happen in other areas of life if we don’t take care of things on a daily basis. Little things can creep into our life when we don’t daily maintain our walk with God. Bad attitudes, anger, bitterness, corrupt communication or many other things can slip in if we don’t attend to the garden of our soul.

So take the time, and tend. It will benefit you in the long run.