In Touch - June 3, 2005

In Touch Daily Devotional 
by Dr. Charles Stanley

Friday June 3, 2005

Where the Battle Is Won

Matthew 26:36-46

If you want to experience victory in conflicts and tough decisions facing you, consider how Jesus fought and won his battles. Before He got to the cross, the crucial, pivotal battle of His life was fought in Gethsemane, where He and the Father wrestled through what lay ahead. For Jesus, it was overwhelming to realize the weight of sin He would bear and the spiritual separation from the Father He would experience. In His special place of prayer (Luke 22:39), He got alone on His face before the Father and cried out to Him. When Jesus left that garden, He walked out a winner. He would still drink the cup of suffering and separation, but He knew that, in the end, He would triumph over it. (Hebrews 12:2)

Jesus’ example reveals that the key to winning life’s battles is being on your face before the Father, alone with Him and fully surrendered to His will. Godly counsel is important, but you cannot depend exclusively on others to tell you what to do. If you don’t wrestle things out alone with the Lord until you know what He is saying, you will never be sure you’re doing the right thing.

By making it a habit to spend time alone with God, you’ll be able to discern His perfect will when you come to major decisions with significant or even lifelong consequences. When you fully surrender, you place the consequences of your decision into the hands of an all-knowing, all-loving, all-powerful God who holds the past, present, and future in His hands.

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Do you have questions about the end times? Be sure to watch Answers for End Times, a powerful webcast that aired live on May 19, featuring Dr. Dwight Pentecost and Dr. Stanley. Visit www.intouch.org for more information.

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