A Struggle, yet Victory...

I am not saying anything new to any of you when I say that human life is full of struggle. All of us to some degree share the same struggles....and all of us to some degree have particular areas that we seem to struggle with more than others.
Can we in this life, escape these struggles?

I wish I could tell you yes...but that would be a lie. A lie that unfortunately is too often spoken in the name of Christ. The fact is that those of us who follow Christ find that struggles remain.

So is it hopeless? Thankfully, no. Though we struggle, we have been promised Freedom...Victory has been accomplished...but battles remain.

So how do we approach the struggles that face us in life? What about when we fail to live in Freedom and Victory...and live by flesh instead? (bible language for living for our own selfish desires)
I was hit by a couple verses in the book of Micah tonight...Micah 7:8-9

"Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgement for me."

There are some amazing truths in this passage:

1-If you are a follower of Christ you are free from the guilt that the enemy tries to lay on you (even when you mess up)--"Rejoice not over me, O my enemy"

2-that even when we fall, we will rise...even in darkness, God will be light to us---as followers of Christ we are IN Christ and he is IN us...he IS light, HE will lift us up.

3-our cause has been plead, and judgement executed on our behalf--Jesus pleads for us, and judgement was executed on him on our behalf! Because of this, we truly have Freedom, and Victory!

These are truths we need to take hold of, and live by. To live by the life that Christ has given us...to live in the Freedom we have IN Christ! Without Christ, there is no rising, no light...and we are left to bear the Lords indignation on our own...without Christ, the struggle truly is hopeless; if you find yourself without Christ right now, don't continue without him for a moment more.