You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
1 John 4:4 NIV
Overcome
Canada is working hard at overcoming some of the current challenges it faces in the north. The Arctic presents a host of challenges for Canada, and managing relations with an adversarial Russia requires a deft balancing of interests. Great power interest in the Arctic, and the West’s deteriorating relationship with Russia, raise the spectre of geopolitical competition on Canada’s doorstep. The melting ice has opened up shipping and tourism possibilities, which present environmental and socioeconomic challenges for Arctic nations. Regional surveillance, exploration, and security require collaborative solutions.
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Yielding to temptation is easy. It doesn’t take any discipline – you simply have to live without any sense of the reality of God and concern for others. Those of us who have become followers of Jesus recognize that we are to live in a completely different way – and it is a daily battle for righteousness and purity. The apostle writes about this in 1 John 4:4: “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” I love how John begins his statement here – dear children. We are children of the King of kings and are from God. That changes who we are and whose we are. John encourages his readers by assuring them that they have overcome the powers of this world that are battling continually against Jesus and His children. He reminds them, and us, that victory cannot be assured in our own power – it is the presence of Jesus in us who is greater than the evil one. It is Jesus in you that will empower you to live victoriously today.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley