Niccolò Paganini was a virtuoso violinist and composer who lived in Europe in the early 1800s and was thought to be the greatest violinist of all time. His technique while playing was unparalleled. His compositions, unique and of vanguard style. His playing of gentle passages was so beautiful that his audiences often burst into tears, and yet, he would perform some pieces with such vigor and velocity that one listener at a concert in Vienna became half-crazed and declared for days that he had seen Satan himself helping the violinist on stage.

Paganini was known to have owned some of the most prestigious violins of his day and collected a myriad of interesting stories about how he won and lost some of his precious violins.

One particular story stands out.

The musician had just stepped on stage to start a particular concert. As the audience greeted the virtuoso with fierce applause, he noticed that there was something wrong with the violin in his hand. He looked at the instrument and realized that he wasn’t holding his best violin.

He excused himself to go backstage and fetch the right instrument and was shocked to find out that his precious Stradivari had been stolen.

After remaining backstage for a while, he stepped onstage again to address the audience. With resolute confidence, Paganini declared: “Ladies and gentlemen, I will now demonstrate to you that the music is not in the instrument but in the soul.” He then rendered a most dramatic piece, bringing the audience to a euphoric standing ovation at the end.

Some Trust in Chariots…

As I read this particular story in the life of the composer, I thought about Psalm 20, written by King David, where he attributed all his successes in battle to God’s strength, not his own. In verse 7, he wrote: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God – Psalm 20:7
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Victory. There’s nothing sweeter than being able to fulfill a dream, win a hard battle, or simply attain success by exercising a God-given gift. There’s nothing quite like it. But I believe that as exciting as some victories can be, they also hold a serious danger.

We may fool ourselves into believing that our success was obtained solely by our own merit and strength, often forgetting that we are recipients of God’s matchless favor and grace. Although we can rightfully say that our hard work, skills, and diligence help us fulfill our goals and dreams, we must never forget that our trust should not rest solely on our resources.

Rather, we must remember to put our trust in something that diseases cannot destroy and circumstantial lack of resources cannot detain – the unchangeable power of a limitless God.

We must remember to put our trust in something that diseases cannot destroy and circumstantial lack of resources cannot detain – the unchangeable power of a limitless God.
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God’s Power and your circumstances

Just as Paganini’s majestic music did not change with an inferior instrument, I’m challenged to remember daily that God’s purposes and His power to fulfill them do not change with life’s circumstances. And just as David acknowledged that his victories were not won by his tangible resources and the strength of his army alone, we must remember to recognize God’s hand and favor in each victory we win.

It’s a personal, deliberate choice, really. And I personally choose not to put my trust in instruments that may get lost or stolen or in horses and chariots to win the battles I face. I choose to trust in the Name of my God, whose character never changes, whose plans for me are perfect, and whose strength in battle is matchless.

Whether I am in the valley or standing on the mountaintop, that truth is always the song of my heart and the strength of my soul.

I personally choose not to put my trust in instruments that may get lost or stolen or in horses and chariots to win the battles I face. I choose to trust in the Name of my God, whose character never changes, whose plans for me are…
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Christian Bloggers, come share your Blog with our audience below:

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The post My Victories, My Battles – Not Really Mine {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

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Between you and me – Moses had to be tired of it. When we get to Exodus chapter 9, Israel’s leader had seen God strike Egypt five times with miraculous, awesome wonders, and yet, Pharaoh would not waver.  And although God had told him that He himself would harden Pharaoh’s heart, there’s no doubt that pressing on was a hard thing for Moses to do.

How much more, Lord? How much will it take for this hard-headed, prideful king to let your people go? How many more wonders do you have to perform until he finally believes? You know exactly what it will take to break him, and yet, you choose this slow, painful path to set us free. Why? Why?

True – I may be stretching Moses’ thoughts a bit, but we know that Israel’s leader at the time had serious issues with unbelief. He questioned God’s sovereignty over and over again, while presenting his excuses to defuse the task of leading the Jews out of slavery (Exodus 4). Surely it was hard to go again, and plead God’s case before Pharaoh, not once, but five, six, ten times over!

What made Moses get up the next day, and obey God in spite of his doubts and fears?

The answer can only be one: Determined obedience.

For the past couples of months, I have been training for my first 5k.

Due to several surgeries and other health issues, I could not exercise consistently for several years, so being able to exercise again has filled me with gratitude and renewed energy. At the beginning of my training, however, it was tough, to say the least. Even five years ago, when I stopped exercising for a while, it seemed to be pretty easy to get my legs conditioned to running in a matter of days.

Not anymore.

On the day I downloaded the app to prepare me for the 5K, I woke up and moved to the park close to my subdivision, determined to press on and reach my objectives. The sun was shining and the rising temperatures welcomed me after a long, dreary winter. The location is perfect, just beside my subdivision, and the track is exactly one-mile long. It beats the treadmill by far.

So I set out with a firm objective for that first day: two laps. Two miles.

Every 100 yards, a small marker reminded me of how slow I was going. By the time the first-mile marker drew near, I was ready to quit. My legs were burning. My breathing was heavy. One mile is enough for today, I reasoned.

That’s when determination had to take over. My body wanted to quit. It screamed that I’m getting older and it’s ok to stop at half of my journey. But my mind knows better. I know that, unless I press on from my breaking point, I’ll never get past that pitiful one-mile marker.

I smiled at the one-mile marker and was tempted to stick out my tongue at it, like a brat.

“I’m not a quitter!” I wanted to shout.

As I sluggishly continued on to the next lap, I gained new resolve while remembering the many times I felt like quitting, but instead made a conscious decision to keep on. I was reminded of the strength that I found… and the rewards that waited on the other side.

The stubborn last pounds that I needed to lose after each baby…

The book that I needed to finish writing…

The relationship that needed work…

The budget that I needed to follow…

The job that I kept on when I wanted to quit…

The bad habit that needed to change.

Each time I approached the “one-mile marker” of each challenge, and my weaknesses and hesitancy called me to give up, I had to make a deliberate decision to remember that God was with me in the pursuit of deliverance, provision, success and restoration… so long as I obeyed.  I recalled the miracles that God had performed in the past…  And walked in obedience that next mile, knowing that He would show up again.

When my weaknesses and hesitancy calls me to give up, I make a deliberate decision to remember that God was with me in the pursuit of deliverance, provision, success and restoration.
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Are you watching the “one-mile marker” approach in your two-mile journey?

Are your legs ready to give in?

Hey, I don’t blame you. I know the feeling. It’s hard to press on, feeding on unseen promises, when the results we keep getting are the same today as they were yesterday.  That’s probably exactly how ol’ Moses felt, when that fifth judgment from God did not change Pharaoh’s heart.

But what did he do?

He kept remembering the promises… and God’s faithful provisions for each need.

Our problem is that we want to see past today. We want to have forward vision, BEFORE we step onto that next mile of obedience.

What God was doing in Egypt over 3,000 years ago, as Moses climbed the steps of Pharaoh’s palace once again, was much more than a heavenly display of wonders. He was working on individual lives.  He knew what awaited Moses and the people in the wilderness, and therefore, before they left, He needed to strengthen their faith in the God they served.

What God was doing in Egypt over 3,000 years ago, as Moses climbed the steps of Pharaoh’s palace once again, was much more than a heavenly display of wonders. He was working on individual lives.
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So they needed to stay a little longer… suffer a bit more… and watch God’s mighty hand at work as they waited.

There’s a reason for that second mile, my friend.

Just as there was a reason for the next five judgments before Israel’s deliverance.

Remember, your journey is not just about you. It’s about God’s glory displayed in and through you. It’s about the judgment of the wicked. It’s about faith-muscle conditioning.  It’s about establishing determined, blind obedience.

Remember, your journey is not just about you. It’s about God’s glory displayed in and through you.
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It’s about sweet victory… but not before you’re ready to recognize that it was God who led you there.

Do you want to watch God’s glory displayed? Your faith tested and proven?

Do you want to see what God can do in and through you?

Stick your tongue out at the “one-mile” marker. Tell it you’re keeping on.  God has some more work to do in that second mile of your journey.

And you don’t want to miss the reward for keeping on God’s track for just a little longer.

LINKUP PARTY opens at 6 am EST!

Christian Bloggers, come share your Blog with our audience below:

1. Add your Link.

2. Visit the blogger before or after and encourage them with a comment.

3. Share on social media. Click below to share on Twitter that you are joining us! We would love to have you follow the ministry on Twitter and Facebook as well: Soaring with Him FB Page

LINKUP is open! Have you ever felt like giving up? I know you have. We all have. Today, I share a reflection on pressing on through the hard spots and the rewards of determined obedience. Join us?
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Did you learn to write using the sandwich strategy?

Although I’m sure Saul of Tarsus didn’t know this strategy, he did follow the pattern in the famous passage found in Philippians 3:12-14:

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

In his introduction and conclusion, Paul gives us a thesis. In between, we find supporting points. This particular word-sandwich is meaty substance for faith-living. The wisdom Paul packs into this passage is a substantial feast for us! Especially as we set goals and make resolutions.

For “Wich”

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”

Paul had a clear purpose for all that he did, and he derived that purpose from Christ. In fact, by striving to take hold of the very thing Jesus chose him for, Paul makes it clear that God has chosen you and I for a purpose too.

Jesus took hold of us for a reason, and that should be our reason for being.

The Not Yet

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.”

We’ve got work to do to God’s glory every day we’re alive. As we set out to accomplish His purposes, we need to know that there’s going to be a “next” and “more” asked of us.

As we achieve many goals, the Goal is going to last until we’re with Jesus and perfected in Him.

The Leaving

“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.”

Have you ever thought about what Paul left behind to follow Jesus? He had been a high-ranking, well-known man. His reputation, his life work, his community, even (in a sense) his religion, had to be left to strain ahead toward Christ.

We should expect that pursuing God’s purposes will involve leaving and losing, not just gaining.

The Pressing

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize.”

Add the previous verse’s “strain” to this verse’s “press on” and the point is clear.

Reaching a goal requires persistence and perseverance.

For “Wich”

“…for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Rounding out the sandwich-style wisdom, we are reminded of what needs to encompass our purposes. All the pressing on, all the leaving behind, all the not-yet of pursuing a goal is for a reason.

Our reason is ultimately Jesus, and our goal-setting is done best with Him as our focus.

May we be full with this wisdom in this season of change-seeking and resolution-keeping!

LINKUP PARTY opens at 6 am EST!

Christian Bloggers, come share your Blog with our audience below:

1. Add your Link.

2. Visit the blogger before or after and encourage them with a comment.

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It's goal-setting time! Are you focusing on the One who calls you and enables you to accomplish your goals? JOIN US for this weeks LINKUP PARTY with my friend @BethanyMcIlrath
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Click for PDF: The One Mile marker 03.17.15

Passage: Exodus 9

Key Verse: “‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.” Exodus 6:6

He left the presence of the Lord, repeating the words God had given him several days before. “I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgements”. He hung on to that promise as he got ready to request yet another audience with the King of Egypt.

Between you and me – Moses had to be tired of it. When we get to Exodus chapter 9, Israel’s leader had seen God strike Egypt five times with miraculous, awesome wonders, and yet, Pharaoh would not waver.  And although God had told him that He himself would harden Pharaoh’s heart, there’s no doubt that pressing on was a hard thing for Moses to do.

How much more, Lord? How much will it take for this hard-headed, prideful king to let your people go? How many more wonders do you have to perform until he finally believes? You know exactly what it will take to break him, and yet, you choose this slow, painful path to set us free. Why? Why?

True – I may be stretching Moses’ thoughts a bit, but we know that Israel’s leader at the time had serious issues with unbelief. He questioned God’s sovereignty over and over again, while presenting his excuses to defuse the task of leading the Jews out of slavery (Exodus 4). Surely it was hard to go again, and plead God’s case before Pharaoh, not once, but five, six, ten times!

What made Moses get up the next day, and obey God in spite of his doubts and fears?

The answer can only be one: Determined obedience.

I’ve been trying to get in the swing of things again concerning my exercise routine. It’s been…., well, tough to say the least. Even five years ago, when I stopped exercising for a while, it seemed to be pretty easy to get my legs conditioned to running in a matter of days.

Not anymore.

I woke up this morning and chose to take my exercise outside. After a long and dreadful winter, the sun is shining and the rising temperatures were an invitation to jog in the park. The location is perfect, just beside my subdivision, and the track is exactly one-mile long. It beats the treadmill by far.

So I set out with a firm objective: two laps. Two miles.

Every 100 yards, a small marker reminded me of how slow I was going. By the time the first mile marker drew near, I was ready to quit. My legs were burning. My breathing was heavy. One mile is enough for today, I reasoned.

That’s when determination had to take over.

My body wanted to quit. It screamed that I’m getting older and it’s ok to stop at half of my journey. But my mind knows better. I know that, unless I press on from my breaking point, I’ll never get past that pitiful one-mile marker.

I smiled at the one-mile marker and was tempted to stick out my tongue at it, like a brat.  “I’m not a quitter!” I wanted to shout.

As I sluggishly continued on to the next lap, I gained new resolve while remembering the many times I felt like quitting, but instead made a conscious decision to keep on. I was reminded of the strength that I found… and the rewards that waited on the other side.

The stubborn last pounds that I needed to lose after each baby…

The book that I needed to finish writing…

The relationship that needed work…

The budget that I needed to follow…

The job that I kept on when I wanted to quit…

The bad habit that needed to change.

Each time I approached the “one-mile marker” of each challenge, and my weaknesses and hesitancy called me to give up, I had to make a deliberate decision to remember that God was with me in the pursuit of deliverance, provision, success and restoration… so long as I obeyed.  I had to call my mind to remember the miracles that God had performed in the past…  And walk in obedience that next mile, knowing that He would show up again.

Are you watching the “one-mile marker” approach in your two-mile journey?

Are your legs ready to give in?

Hey, I don’t blame you. I know the feeling. It’s hard to press on, feeding on unseen promises, when the results we keep getting are the same today as they were yesterday.  That’s probably exactly how ol’ Moses felt, when that fifth judgement from God did not change Pharaoh’s heart.

But what did he do?

He kept remembering the promises… and God’s faithful provisions for each need.

Our problem is that we want to see past today. We want to have forward vision, BEFORE we step onto that next mile of obedience.

What God was doing in Egypt over 3,000 years ago, as Moses climbed the steps of Pharaoh’s palace once again, was much more than a heavenly display of wonders. He was working on individual lives.  He knew what awaited Moses and the people in the wilderness, and therefore, before they left, He needed to strengthen their faith in the God they served.

So they needed to stay a little longer… suffer a bit more… and watch God’s mighty hand at work as they waited.

There’s a reason for that second mile, my friend.

Just as there was a reason for the next five judgments before Israel’s deliverance.

Remember, your journey is not just about you. It’s about God’s glory displayed in and through you. It’s about judgment of the wicked. It’ about faith muscle conditioning.  It’s about establishing determined, blind obedience.

It’s about sweet victory… but not before you’re ready to recognize that it was God who led you there.

Do you want to watch God’s glory displayed? Your faith tested and proven?

Do you want to see what God can do in and through you?

Stick your tongue out at the “one-mile” marker. Tell it you’re keeping on.  God has some more work to do in that second mile of your journey.

And you don’t want to miss the reward for keeping on God’s track for just a little longer.

The post The One-Mile Marker. Time to quit!? appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.