Victorious Lives

Another year is about to close. Considering this, shall we not pause to echo the words of the inspired man after God’s own heart: “Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty.” “O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory” (1 Chronicles 29:11; Psalm 98:1).

We may have had some ups and downs this year—nobody likes to experience failure or disappointment. So, what is the key to victory? Jesus Christ in the life, working through the Holy Spirit as we totally surrender to Him and thus gain strength to obey His teachings, following His revealed will.

The end of the year is a great time to thank God for His tender, merciful watch care over every one of us. It also provides an ideal opportunity for a spiritual self-assessment. Are we trusting in Jesus, looking to Him consistently, overcoming our defects of character through the power of His shed blood in preparation for the close of probation?

These readings for this year’s Week of Prayer are designed to give us a boost in the right direction. Let us prayerfully consider the topic of victorious living through Christ and share the readings also with others who may be isolated or homebound, keeping in mind the following dates:

• Prayer with fasting: Sabbath, December 10
• Offering for missions: Sunday, December 11

It is our prayer that the Lord may enable us to rejoice not merely in theory—but rather to be able to declare with full, honest assurance, “Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ,” “and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 Corinthians 15:57; 1 John 5:4).