VL - Issue 40 - July 2021

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STEPPING FORWARD Let God Guide You to a New Adventure BY LINDA CUBBEDGE-SMITH “I HEAR THE LORD saying, ‘I will stay close to you, instructing and guiding you along the pathway for your life. I will advise you along the way and lead you forth with my eyes as your guide. So don’t make it difficult; don’t be stubborn when I take you where you’ve not been before. Don’t make me tug you and pull you along. Just come with me!’” (Psalm 32:8–9 The Passion Translation). I love this translation of this beautiful promise. For the past several months, these verses have assured me that I can trust the Lord no matter what is going on in my life. He has already proven Himself faithful through many severe and stormy waters (Isaiah 43:2). I thank God for His faithful love and for guiding us safely through every storm. He always brings us to a place of rest and freedom. Now, I don’t always understand the whys or whats He takes me through, but I don’t need to. The Lord says in Isaiah 55:8–9: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” I know I can trust the Lord to navigate my path and bring me to a place of freedom. If I stay close to Him and obey His instructions, an overcoming victory will be mine (Romans 8:37). And the same is true for you. Trusting the Lord is a process, but as we learn to enjoy spending time with Jesus, He will direct our steps and bring blessing and adventure into our lives. of His unconditional love for humanity. And along the way, I’ve grown in my love for Jesus and others. I’ve come to understand how truly valuable every person is to God. Regardless of our past or present circumstances, His love will continue to pursue us even to the end of our days. Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price to redeem humanity from the powers of darkness through His death, burial, and resurrection. It has been a blessing to share this message with others over the years. Sharing the Good News that Earlier this year, I began God is not mad at anyone is to consider retiring from my what our ministry is all about. position as the Victorious Living Prison Correspondence to come to Him and receive The Lord invites every person Director. I prayed about this the salvation He so lovingly diligently and, remembering provides. Psalm 32:8–9, knew that the I am looking forward to what Lord was leading me to step God has ahead for me. I know aside and allow Him to take me He is directing me down this into a new season in my life. pathway. I am excited about Leaving this ministry will be writing a book, enjoying online hard, but I am trusting God to Bible Studies, and spending advise me along the way. more time with my husband. Since 2014, I have read so I know that fresh adventures many letters from our inmate await me as I continue to keep family. The other day, my heart my eyes upon the Lord. was tendered as I thought I want to encourage you to about not reading through write Psalm 32:8–9 down, then them anymore. Overseeing the meditate on it daily, thus allowing the Spirit of God to do a new inmate correspondence team and ministering with them has thing in you as well. been such a blessing. I cannot Wherever you are in your thank my Savior enough for life, come to the Lord just as bringing Kristi into my life, you are and let Him pour His not only as my employer, but amazing love and joy into you. as a precious friend as well. It’s Trust Him to advise, instruct, been an amazing adventure. and guide you along the pathway for your life. I promise if Through this ministry, the Lord has enlarged my heart to you will do this one thing, an grasp a greater understanding adventure awaits you too. LINDA CUBBEDGE-SMITH was Victorious Living’s Prison Correspondence Outreach Director from 2014 until June of 2021. She is currently working on a book about the goodness of God and remains passionate about leading others to Him. 30 Issue 03 / 2021 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM
TRANSFORMED LIVES ESCAPING EGYPT BY ANONYMOUS ABUSE. Not a word I ever thought would be in my history. Never in a million years would I have imagined I would be a victim of domestic violence. I was married to the man I loved. He was not only my partner; he was my friend. We did everything together; we even went to church. Yet somehow, over time, I found myself in a place of bondage and oppression. It was like I was in Egypt, and he was the Pharaoh. God delivered me from that dry and weary land. It’s a place I hope to never visit again. Yet I feel I must go back, at least through sharing my story, so that I can help bring others—women, children, and even men—out of their Egypt, their place of bondage, so that they can walk with their heads held high and live a life of victory. It’s been years since I walked out of my home, away from a place that should have been a refuge, away from the one who should have been my protector. Even after all this time, I still ask that loaded three-letter-word question: “Why?” I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand the answer. I don’t know why. But I don’t think I could have done anything differently in my marriage to have avoided the abuse. If it hadn’t been me, it would have been someone else. And actually, unfortunately, it may very well be someone else right now. Even if I had been “perfect” (something no one can be), he still would have found fault. I know because I tried. I tried so hard to be perfect. I poured the coffee and added the creamer in the order he demanded. I got rid of my NIV Bible and began to read the version that pleased him. I changed churches, left small groups, and quit reading certain devotionals. I checked in with him on my cell phone. I severed relationships with my children, parents, and friends at his command. I even made sure I put the right amount of meat in the Crock-Pot because I knew how upset he would be if I overstuffed it. Nothing I did and nothing I could have done or said would have changed him. Only God could change the heart of my husband. Only God could help him become the leader of our household the way God intended. Only God could transform him into a man who loved his wife as Christ loved the church…a man who would lay down his life for his wife rather than lay down his fist on her body. (See Ephesians 5:25.) My abuse started like most domestic-violence situations. He began calling me names, poking fun at me, and mocking me. The verbal abuse soon led to control and manipulation tactics. He started controlling our finances and withholding money, even money I had earned. He pressured me to change my social habits. Eventually, the poking, mocking, and control tactics turned violent. Threats escalated. He even threatened to kill my pet. No longer was I thrown out of the house (meaning I couldn’t live there for a time period). No, now we entered a season where I was literally and physically thrown out of the house. He threw me down the stairs, choked me, and chased me around the house. The last incident included him beating my head against the floor. I was hospitalized more than once. Of course, when asked about the cause of my injuries, I lied VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM Issue 03 / 2021 31
Page 1 and 2: REAL PEOPLE | REAL STORIES | REAL H
Page 3 and 4: ISSUE 3, JULY 2021 Humble yourselve
Page 5 and 6: ISSUE 3, JULY 2021 CONTENTS 8 9 15
Page 7 and 8: Through the stories of Victorious L
Page 9 and 10: STEPPING FORWARD God’s weapon of
Page 11 and 12: TRANSFORMED LIVES 300 articles and
Page 13 and 14: God has blessed me greatly, but ple
Page 15 and 16: STEPPING FORWARD The Importance of
Page 17 and 18: PHOTO BY TOM ROWE erything else I h
Page 19 and 20: STEPPING FORWARD hastily open the d
Page 21 and 22: One day, a coworker invited me to c
Page 23 and 24: BY NOAH VIEKE PHOTO BY SALT ON MY L
Page 25 and 26: STEPPING FORWARD Embrace Your Purpo
Page 27 and 28: there. My life became a witness to
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VL - Issue 40 - July 2021

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