The Year is Yours: Taking Hold of God’s Promises No Matter What’s Going On Around You

By Chris Schansberg

“We live in challenging times—a pandemic, financial crisis, job losses, families in distress—these are just a few of the issues we face today. The Christian, however, never has the right to play the victim. Jesus never loses—and He calls us to be victors with Him every day! In other words, you are far more powerful than you think. When you wake up with an attitude of faith the enemy runs for the hills! As children of God, there is no difficulty that doesn’t work for your advantage.” Chris Schansberg

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Sep 20, 2021
• ISBN: 9781304731647

Book preview

Introduction

As the last few months of 2020 drew to a close, it was spiritually challenging to watch our nation descend into a group victimhood mentality. Of course, there were challenging things about 2020—including most of all the Covid-19 outbreak with all of the health, financial, social, and spiritual impact it brought.

For the Christian, however, we never have the right to play the victim. Yes, there will be times of grief, times of loss, and confusion.  Yet God calls us always to be victors, never victims. Jesus never loses—and He calls us to be victors with Him every day!

The Bible tells us, Overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37, 39)

As we stand at the beginning of this year, I want to remind you that if you choose to live by faith—victory is yours. Another way to say this is, the year is yours. Friends, you and I have no idea what will happen in the year ahead. We do know the God who holds the year in His hand.

In His Word, He has promised us we will prosper in a famine. The Bible says that He prepares a table for us when our enemies surround us. God says, The person who serves me is like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. (Psalm 1:3)

God is calling His people to live above the circumstances. God is calling us not to live as victims of fate, of chance, or the so-called random. Instead, He calls each of us to take our year in victory.

The inspiration for this book comes from 1 Corinthians 3:21-23. Everything belongs to you whether Paul or Apollos or Peter, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

In other words, you are far more powerful than you think. Friends, when you wake up in the morning in faith—the enemy runs for the hills! That verse reminds us that there’s no challenge as children of the King, no difficulty that doesn’t work for your advantage.

Whether it’s 2021, 2031, or 2051, if you approach the year in faith, you will find that God is fighting your battles for you and leading you to experience victory at every level of your life.

Chapter One

Live Above

Joshua 6:16, 20

If we’re going to live life in line with Jesus’ will and command, we must intend to live on a different level, a higher level. When you choose to live this way, you will discover that many people avoid this path. I believe, however, you will find the rewards that come with this path vastly outweigh any temporary loneliness you encounter.

Consider these powerful verses that encourage us to live on a higher level: 

"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:14)

Speaking to a group in opposition to Him, Jesus