Revelation 21:7

Devotional Thoughts

By David Wilkerson

God's word speaks of overcoming: "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world..." (1 John 5:4). "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son" (Revelation 21:7).

To overcome is to "conquer and get the best of all temptations and obstacles." What are our obstacles? They are every new reaction in the flesh, every failure to be Christlike, every uprising of temper, bitterness or agitation. These are hindrances to conquer and overcome!

I believe multitudes of people who once served the Lord are now living in sin and unbelief because Satan convinced them they could never be Christlike. They kept making mistakes - and they reacted by beating themselves down, feeling like compromisers, stewing over their failures. Finally, they just gave up.

I ask you - what if David had simmered and stewed in his failures? This man was exposed before the whole world as an adulterer and a murderer. He wrote, "...my sin is ever before me" (Psalm 51:3). "For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me....I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long" (38:4-6).

Yet David did not stew in his failures. He repented wholeheartedly - and he could say, "Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness" (30:11).

The fastest way to "turn off the stew" is to trust in Christ's forgiveness. And Christ is ready to forgive at all times: "For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee" (86:3). "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities..." (103:5). Amen!