The Bible declares, “The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blessed His people with peace,” (Psalm 29:1). Peace is a divine blessing. It’s something that is the right of every child of God to have. Refuse to let it go!
“Interruption of Peace” — Word For Life Says…
You are seen. You are heard. You are not alone.
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“. . . knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” 1 Peter 5:9
Sadness. Sorrow. Pain. Sickness. Disappointment with others. Disappointment with yourself. Hurt. Betrayal, and more, can make anyone feel like they are living on an isolated island of despair. While others may be physically near, the trials and troubles we encounter in this world can often make people feel alone, as if they are the only ones going through anything adverse or hard at the moment.
But the truth is, no matter the smile that splits across a face, and no matter how a social media post may read, people, every day, are suffering behind the façade. Some are excellent at grinning and bearing it, while others will show you only what they want you to see. Different people handle their different circumstances in different ways, but it does not mean they are not going through hardship or dealing with adversity.
It is easy to feel alone in the midst of trials. The enemy would like nothing more than for you to think this way because when we feel alone, we tend to pull back into hiding, and we pull back our trust. We don’t share with others what we are going through, carrying the burden and the weight of the moment on our own shoulders.
The beauty of the Bible is it does not hold back. It shows us the good and the bad and lets us know the reality that comes with this life, that whether they show it or not, there are perhaps others around you who are experiencing afflictions of their own.
Jesus gave us no illusion that every day would be an awesome experience. He said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation . . .” (John 16:33; emphasis mine). We may not like to say or think about it, but there may be some things that come your way that will not put a smile on your face. It may even leave you wondering, crying, “Why is this happening to me?”
While the words “you are not the only one” may not make you personally feel better, know that any affliction you face for your Lord will come with a promise that you are not alone (Hebrews 13:5). It comes with grace and strength to say, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,” (2 Corinthians 4:17).
In times of personal pain, all of this may be hard to digest. And I, for one, never want to brush off the realness of what others are going through. But I do hope to encourage you, dear blessed one, that you are seen, you are heard, you are not alone regardless of what it feels like, and you matter so much to our heavenly Father.
What you are going through is not a trivial thing and we are not brushing it under the rug of Scripture or a well-placed verse. But I personally pray that your heart will be full, knowing God’s love for you, and knowing the body of Christ is rooting for you. We love you, dear one, and God loves you more.
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“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10
I hope this great truth never escapes our attention or is put on the back burner of familiarity, dimming the bold message coming from it: for us to gain life, Jesus had to lose His.
But life is now the promise of today and all days, and that day that is to come because of the precious gift our Lord secured for us.
His love for you and me would not settle with allowing brokenness, sin, and destruction to continue to litter the pathway for our existence here on this earth. No, when He laid down life it was to regain life – when He gave up everything, it was that we may gain even more.
Imagine a love that is so on fire for you that He will go to extreme measures so that you will get to heaven, so that you will get to be with the Father. He already knew what this was like, and nothing would stop His pursuit to make a way for you and me to experience it too.
Life is the confidence of the cross. The enemy’s purpose is to destroy life, but Jesus’ purpose is to give everything heaven has to offer, everything the enemy is working so hard to prohibit: LIFE.
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:” John 11:25
“In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” John 1:4
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6
“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” 1 John 5:12
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“And every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn,” Isaiah 54:17
Where to begin! The Bible covers so much about the tongue, its power, and its effect that you would think we wouldn’t have to keep teaching about it and relearning these lessons over and over again.
Yet, here we are. Why? Because the tongue can be so hard to control (Ja. 3:8). Which of us is not guilty of having loose lips at one point or another? Which of us has not felt the sting of a sharp tongue?
God guards His word, but He also hears our words and how they are used. More than that, He sees how words are used against His people.
The hurt that tongues let loose on others can be described as lashing or scourging (Jb. 5:21) in the pain they cause. The psalmist recognized that the “strife of tongues” is something we need to be protected against (Ps. 31:20) because of the damage wrong words, especially words of accusations, can cause.
While it is easy to remember that God is mindful of us (Ps. 8:3-4), we must also remember that there is not a foul word spoken against us that gets passed Him. God is the protector of not only your life but your integrity.
When David experienced the wicked schemes of others against himself, one thing he prayed about was the hurtful way they used their tongue like a serpent’s bite, full of poison (Ps. 140:3). Demonstrating faith in God, he prayed, “I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor,” (Ps. 140:12).
Yes, dear friend, the same God who knows even the very hairs of your head is the same God who is aware of every word spoken against you, and God will defend.
In the meantime, let us be mindful to choose wisely our own words with wisdom from above (Ja. 3:8-17).
“For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life. But I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God.” Psalm 31:13-14
“A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.” Proverbs 11:13
“A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.” Proverbs 12:23
“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” Ephesians 4:29
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Your beauty, O God, cannot be compared. I pray for many souls to be able to experience Your gates of glory. To walk through the doorways of heaven and to have their eyes feast on the sight of wonders beyond compare.
I pray for hearts to feel the embrace of love as everything in heaven welcomes them home. I pray for many to know what it is like to leave all the worries of this world outside those doors and to celebrate total freedom from all that tried to hold them down.
On this side of those gates, we can only imagine what that day will look like. But over there, the rich fulfillment of every Scripture-breathed promise will be seen, known, and felt, beautifully overwhelming us with the glory of our God.
Oh, that day is coming, dear friend. All will be revealed, and we will wonder no more. No, because there, we move from wonder to experience and this experience is its own reward.
Father God, thank You that You have prepared such a glorious place for us to dwell with You for all eternity. Beyond those gates, You welcome us into Your heavenly throne room. You welcome us into Your presence forever, no more to be separated by sin, death, and every failing thing this world offered. “In thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11). Beyond the gates of glory, our souls will take in every beautiful thing that You are without hindrance or obstacle. Beyond those gates is where I want to be, and I thank You for this salvation You have secured for me. It is my heart’s desire for many souls to be blessed to enjoy Your presence. In the mighty and matchless name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray, AMEN!
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Is the familiar holding you back? Has the comfort of where you are now satisfied you into a state of complacency and false ease? Has fear paralyzed your progress forward?
Unknown. Unfamiliar. These words are areas that we don’t know like the place where we are now. But the plans of our life and the order of our steps were never really ours to begin with (Proverbs 19:21; Psalm 119:133).
I will admit, there are some things where I wish the curtain were opened a little wider so that I can see more of the picture hidden behind. But that is not what faith demands (2 Corinthians 5:7). Faith asks for trust (Proverbs 3:5-6). And faith asks for our obedience to move forward even if we don’t quite know all the steps or how it will turn out in the end.
The familiar is all around you every day. It can snuggle you like that comfy blanket you drape over you when you want to settle down for the evening and have a nice read or watch a favorite show. But settling is not a place to set up shop when you feel God calling you for more.
Do you feel Him calling? If so, seek His face for guidance, ask Him for help, and when He prompts you to, walk forward in faith.
Blessings to you on your journey to break the chains of familiarity.
More Inspirational Articles to Encourage Your Journey:
“Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone”
“You Don’t Need to Know Everything!”
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“And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. And he taught them many things by parables . . .” Mark 4:1, 2
By the seaside with Jesus. To sit under His words. To hear His gentle yet commanding voice. The stories He told were more than just stories. They unfolded the realities of life. More importantly, they opened the truth of the Kingdom of God.
“Who hath ears to hear, let him hear,” He speaks (Mt. 13:9), knowing the choice will always be up to the individual heart.
He will plead for you to listen. He will die in case you do. For no story is worth more than the story of love played out in the life of this beautiful Savior who sees us, knows us, and still decides to lay it all down for us regardless of what our choice may be.
Sitting with Jesus beside the sea is a beautiful scenario. But sitting with Jesus within heaven’s walls is even more glorious. It’s a story whose chapters never end, being read through eternity is the love we have found in this Friend.
Don’t settle for the here and now, look for Him then. For by the seaside, those stories lead to a marvelous end.
I would love to sit with Jesus, with my toes in the water, but on this earth, I don’t want to loiter.
Those stories, those words, put a seed in my soul, and I declare today, on good ground, it was sown.
The call of the sea is beautiful to me, but more pulling is the call, with Him, to spend eternity.
“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:3
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If you have ever had hiccups the advice comes out of the woodwork on how to deal with them. “Hold your breath” some will say. While another may tell you to drink this or that, believing this will be the cure.
Growing up, we received a lot of advice on how to do this or get rid of that, or how to treat a specific ailment. Some refer to these homegrown remedies as old wives tales, and yet, history shows that some actually help in dealing with illness and the like (chicken noodle soup is a definite go-to for me). And it doesn’t matter if you didn’t agree, you would never convince those who pass down these remedies that it doesn’t work, for they have seen it help in the past and are convinced it can still help today.
David knew a thing or two about going through some things. Adversity was no stranger to his doorstep and yet, for all he faced, he always managed to stay in the faith.
How did he do this?
One way we can see this happening is through his own testimony found in Psalm 16:8 where he states, “I have set the LORD always before me . . .” Was this David’s sure-fire remedy for remaining when others would have moved?
Let’s examine the facts. When facing Goliath, David said, “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied” (1 Samuel 17:45).
When dealing with Saul’s mess, the Bible says, “David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the Lord was with him” (1 Samuel 18:14). Leaving it all in the hands of God, David refused to lay a hand on king Saul (1 Samuel 24:12, 13).
When his son, Absalom, drove David from his kingdom in his rebellion, and Zadok desired to bring the ark of the covenant, David spoke, and said, “Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again, and shew me both it, and his habitation” (2 Samuel 15:25).
When cursed by Shimei, David refused to allow vengeance to take place on his behalf. Rather, he said, ” . . . let him curse; for the Lord hath bidden him. It may be that the Lord will look on mine affliction and that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day” (2 Samuel 16:11, 12).
And when faced with his own sin, David said, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13). To God he said, “For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me” (Psalm 51:3). “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me”(51:10).
David found God even in the adversities he encountered. The rest of Psalm 16:8 is when David proclaimed, “Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” Keeping God before his face was David’s way of being able to come through many difficult times, and yet still be dubbed “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22).
We can learn a thing or two from David.
How can we keep the Lord always before us?
David’s sure-fire way of dealing with this life will work in your life, too. With that king of old, we too can say, “I have set the Lord always before me.”
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“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11
Not displayed in decorated windows.
Nor purchased from the store shelf.
Nay, the only purchasing to be done is
His purchasing you for Himself.
For you, the Savior has come.
For you, the prophecy fulfilled.
For you, heaven’s glory lay in a manger.
For you, born by God’s perfect will.
The greatest Christmas gift
in history to be received
is the truest reason for Christmas,
found in Christ the newborn King.
Were it not for us, He would not have come.
Were it not for us, no storied nativity.
The begotten Son, God in the flesh,
was born to save us from sin’s captivity.
December 25th is waited for with hope throughout the year of giving and receiving gifts. But on that holy night, at the announcement of the Lord’s birth by the angel, the shepherds working the sheep in the field knew the real gift of Christmas had been waited upon for much longer.
“For unto you.” Let the beauty of those words speak to your heart. The gift of Jesus was given for you, for us, for me.
God’s gift, wrapped in swaddling clothes at His birth (Luke 2:12), and linen at His burial (John 19:40), was personally wrapped and given for failing humanity.
May we ponder, as Mary did that night, the real gift of Christmas a little more closely this year. I pray that you will feel the Father’s love as He presents this Gift to you for unwrapping. I pray you would know the heart of the Father more fully as you receive His “indescribable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15) for yourself.
Christ was given, by the hand of God, for all who were, and for all who were to come: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:17).
For this Christmas, and all to come, no Christmas gift could be or should be cherished more, than this gift of God’s great love (John 3:16).
At the trial of His crucifixion, Jesus spoke these words:
“To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.” John 18:37
The gift was born for you.
Thank You, Father God, for the personal gift of Jesus Christ into my life. Neither words nor time would be enough to express my deepest gratitude for the Savior. Your Gift has intervened in my life and saved me, helped me, protected me, and blessed me far more than I deserve. My thank You seems inadequate for this season, but humbly thank You, I do, and I praise You for the real Gift of Christmas in my life.
More Reference Scriptures:
“Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Titus 2:14
“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” Matthew 1:23
“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” 1 Timothy 3:16
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Word For Life Says... 