More than Conquerors

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

My name is Xochitl Dixon. I'll be sharing a sweet memory in today's reading, More Than Conquerors. When my husband coached our son's Little League baseball team, he rewarded the players with an end-of-year party and acknowledged their improvement over the season. One of our youngest players, Dustin, approached me during the event. Didn't we lose the game today? Yes, I said, but we're proud of you for doing your best. I know, he said, but we lost, right? I nodded. Then why do I feel like a winner, Dustin asked. Smiling, I said, because you are a winner.

Dustin had thought that losing a game meant he was a failure, even when he'd done his best. As believers in Jesus, our battle is not confined to a sports field. Still, it's often tempting to view a tough season of life as a reflection of our worth. The Apostle Paul affirmed the connection between our present suffering and our future glory as God's children. Having given himself for us, Jesus continues to work on our behalf during our ongoing battle with sin and transforms us to his likeness. Though we'll all experience hardship and persecution, God's unwavering love helps us persevere. As his children, we may be tempted to allow struggles to define our worth. However, our ultimate victory is guaranteed. We may stumble along the way, but we'll always be more than conquerors.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Romans chapter 8 verses 31 to 39. What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also along with him graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns?

No one. Christ Jesus who died, more than that, who was raised to life, is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written, for your sake we face death all day long.

We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Let's pray. Father, thank you for helping us rise up through trials in victorious praise. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.