WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.800 Welcome to episode 18. 2 00:00:01.800 --> 00:00:04.600 Today, we're going to take on a posture of peace 3 00:00:04.600 --> 00:00:10.240 by fully embracing Jesus's victory. 4 00:00:10.240 --> 00:00:12.320 Hi, I'm Lindsay Van Zale. 5 00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:16.200 Posture is a podcast that serves as a short, audible fist bump 6 00:00:16.200 --> 00:00:18.440 to remind you that God is in everything. 7 00:00:18.440 --> 00:00:20.720 Together, we're going to be emboldened to take 8 00:00:20.720 --> 00:00:22.920 a daily posture of perfect peace. 9 00:00:22.920 --> 00:00:30.080 John chapter 16, verse 33, Jesus says this, 10 00:00:30.080 --> 00:00:34.640 I have taught you these things so that in me, you may have peace. 11 00:00:34.640 --> 00:00:42.040 In this world, you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world. 12 00:00:42.040 --> 00:00:48.840 What this scripture illuminates to me is that Jesus never promised us a life of ease, 13 00:00:49.800 --> 00:00:55.320 but he did promise us a life marked by peace and victory. 14 00:00:56.200 --> 00:00:59.000 I've said it before, I'm going to say it again. 15 00:00:59.000 --> 00:01:05.480 If you're currently facing loss or the threat of ruin or destruction of any kind, 16 00:01:06.040 --> 00:01:10.920 it is not God's plan for you, and it is not your permanent lot in life. 17 00:01:11.800 --> 00:01:18.840 Only a devious thief like Satan would have such devastating intentions towards you. 18 00:01:19.720 --> 00:01:27.400 But Jesus, who is your Prince of Peace and your mighty Redeemer, intends for you to flourish. 19 00:01:29.400 --> 00:01:33.560 When you became a follower of Jesus, you were given a brand new identity, 20 00:01:33.560 --> 00:01:37.960 a glorious purpose, and a flourishing destiny. 21 00:01:38.600 --> 00:01:41.800 And Satan hates that about you. 22 00:01:42.680 --> 00:01:47.720 And he wants to convince you that your trials and your negative circumstances 23 00:01:47.720 --> 00:01:52.280 are actually what define your identity, so that we stay captive and bound. 24 00:01:52.840 --> 00:01:56.920 And he knows that it's easier to believe a lie when you're hurting. 25 00:01:57.640 --> 00:02:02.040 You know, sick, broken, rejected, unloved. 26 00:02:03.000 --> 00:02:12.040 But Jesus won the ultimate victory so that you and I could identify with him. 27 00:02:13.080 --> 00:02:17.640 He defines your true identity and makes a way for your flourishing, 28 00:02:17.640 --> 00:02:21.880 so that you're healed, you're whole, you're accepted, and you're loved. 29 00:02:22.840 --> 00:02:30.040 Every attack from Satan is designed to try to strip you from your glorious identity in Christ, 30 00:02:30.120 --> 00:02:34.040 so that you become distracted from your purpose and removed from your destiny. 31 00:02:34.760 --> 00:02:39.240 But every promise from God is designed to strengthen your identity, 32 00:02:39.240 --> 00:02:43.000 so that you are established in your purpose and you fulfill your destiny. 33 00:02:44.040 --> 00:02:49.080 When things get hard, it's important that we are quick to set our gaze on God 34 00:02:49.080 --> 00:02:51.720 and reject the enemy's lies. 35 00:02:52.680 --> 00:02:54.040 How do we know if it's a lie? 36 00:02:55.240 --> 00:02:57.880 If it's not good, it's not God. 37 00:02:58.440 --> 00:03:02.200 The circumstances surrounding our lives are not always going to be good. 38 00:03:02.200 --> 00:03:07.160 However, the goodness of God will always surround our lives. 39 00:03:08.520 --> 00:03:13.800 In fact, God is so good that he made sure that we were empowered and equipped to flourish 40 00:03:13.800 --> 00:03:16.120 in every circumstance. 41 00:03:16.120 --> 00:03:20.680 He gave us what we needed to live victoriously at all times. 42 00:03:20.680 --> 00:03:25.240 I'm going to share a few of the promises that God equipped us with 43 00:03:26.200 --> 00:03:29.160 to walk in no matter what the circumstances are. 44 00:03:29.160 --> 00:03:32.360 First of all, you and I are not helpless. 45 00:03:32.360 --> 00:03:33.160 That is a lie. 46 00:03:33.160 --> 00:03:34.920 If you're feeling helpless today, it's a lie. 47 00:03:35.720 --> 00:03:37.480 John 14, 26 says this, 48 00:03:41.480 --> 00:03:42.760 This is Jesus talking. 49 00:03:42.760 --> 00:03:47.480 He's going to teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all I have said. 50 00:03:47.480 --> 00:03:48.520 So we're not helpless. 51 00:03:49.160 --> 00:03:52.120 We're not powerless or out of control. 52 00:03:53.080 --> 00:03:58.120 God said that he gave us, and this is a promise out of 2 Timothy 1, 7, 53 00:04:06.040 --> 00:04:07.080 You and I have a choice. 54 00:04:07.080 --> 00:04:08.120 We're not without a choice. 55 00:04:09.240 --> 00:04:10.920 John 8, 32 says, 56 00:04:11.400 --> 00:04:18.839 If we embrace the truth, if we choose truth, it's going to release only more freedom into our lives. 57 00:04:20.600 --> 00:04:25.160 Here's an honest question that I have asked God even recently. 58 00:04:26.200 --> 00:04:31.240 God, if you're good, why is my life so hard? 59 00:04:33.240 --> 00:04:40.040 I've gotten stuck expecting ease to be the thing that proves God's goodness in my life. 60 00:04:40.040 --> 00:04:46.760 Instead of allowing his goodness to be proven by his peace that I have, 61 00:04:47.560 --> 00:04:49.240 even in negative circumstances. 62 00:04:50.760 --> 00:04:55.720 In this broken world, you and I are not always going to have it easy. 63 00:04:57.000 --> 00:04:58.440 But we will always have peace. 64 00:04:59.560 --> 00:04:59.880 And what's 65 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:06.160 the difference? Why is that better? Well because you know chasing after ease is only going to strip 66 00:05:06.160 --> 00:05:14.720 you of your courage, the joy of adventure, and your desire to live a big life. But peace, especially 67 00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:24.560 in difficulty, will embolden you to fully embrace the abundant life that Jesus promised. God is our 68 00:05:24.560 --> 00:05:33.840 Redeemer. So let's pause today on praying for an easy life and instead let's start praying for 69 00:05:33.840 --> 00:05:43.120 peace and expecting a life marked by victory. The promise of perfect peace is found in Isaiah 26 3 70 00:05:43.120 --> 00:05:52.880 and in Hebrew it is shalom shalom meaning complete wholeness, nothing missing, nothing broken. This 71 00:05:52.960 --> 00:06:00.080 is who you are in Jesus. Let's declare this together. Today I am kept in perfect peace. 72 00:06:00.640 --> 00:06:09.520 With my whole heart I trust the Lord. I am strong. I am victorious. I am whole. Remember friend, you 73 00:06:09.520 --> 00:06:15.600 are a living testimony of Jesus's ultimate win, not because of anything you did but because of 74 00:06:15.600 --> 00:06:21.680 what he did for you. With every step you take today you're putting Jesus's victory on display 75 00:06:21.680 --> 00:06:32.480 and Satan's defeat on replay.