DAILY DEVOTIONS with MICHELE

When I was young, I viewed success much differently than I do today. Age and experience, highs and lows, certainly give us perspective. Our ultimate success and value in life is not found in climbing what the world calls the ladder of success. Our success is not in a job promotion, a bigger house, a better-looking car, or elite social circles.

We all want to succeed in life. No one sets out to fail or wants to fail. But I do believe failure can be an important steppingstone on the way to success. Failure certainly teaches us what not to do, which is often as important as knowing what we are to do! Failure is all about how we look at it.

I wonder how many millions of people think, I just don’t feel the way I once did about my spouse. I wish I still felt excited about our marriage—that the romantic feelings would come back. This is when we need to remember: Wishing does not do any good; only action changes things.

Victory in life—and winning your unique battles—is achieved through God's grace, but you have to choose to trust Him every step of the way.

Eve lost the first battle for the mind, and we have continued to fight for it since that time. But because we have the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we can win our battle for the mind—and our battles in life—and we can keep on winning.

We can make an idol out of just about anything or anyone. It could be a spouse, a child, a good friend, something you own, your home, or your career. When anything becomes more important to us than God, who always deserves first place in our lives, we must aggressively deal with it; we must put it back where it belongs.

God gives us victory over our enemies if we listen to and obey Him. He will fight for us, and while we wait, we can expect to see Him do great things and look forward to them.

God sent Elijah to stand before the evil Israelite king, Ahab. At God’s prompting, Elijah boldly declared that no rain or dew would fall in the land of Israel until he said the word.

Elijah and Elisha were two men who served God and made every day count. When the whole world opposed them, they believed in the One Who called them. They shaped the world for the glory of God.