Tag: peace

Take Comfort, O Soul

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This is a comfort to the soul who cannot find comfort anywhere else. Is this not a blessed place to be? For if one found comfort among the false and depraved, would they not also think as other men? Take comfort, O soul, in your God who is always present. The head of all principality and power still bears the crown obtained for the salvation and deliverance of mankind. He that holds that holy scepter and Himself is the Scepter that rises out of Israel (Num. 24:17), remains in control and is worthy of your trust and honor.

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10

The Way of Peace

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It is not unusual for me to readjust my route when driving.  Sometimes, I will purposely take myself off the main thoroughfare to drive down nearby side streets and back roads, even if it means adding a few extra minutes to my commute.

Why?  To maintain my peace.  Sometimes I don’t want to deal with the congestion and contentions of the popular route.  I just want to drive home in an environment of less stress.

Stress is definitely at the top of many conversations.  The world we live in is so hurried and demanding, that living like it wants us to live is almost unrealistic.  Then, we throw in the relationships we are attached to, with their congestion and contentions, and we can get almost overwhelmed from maintaining them, let alone, finding peace in them.

Let’s talk about peace.

Before I go further into how to maintain the way of peace in your life, there’s something we need to know.  The Bible gives us a very clear command to persevere in peace but is also realistic in the fact that every relationship may not spawn peace.  It says, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men,” (Romans 12:18). 

The words “if” and “possible” let us know that no matter how much you try, there may be others in the equation who opt not for peace.  That’s why Paul further explains, “as much as lieth in you.”  You can only do you and answer for you.  We cannot control the actions of others, but we can control our own actions.

If we are serious about learning how to deal with contentious people and situations and maintain a gentle, peaceful spirit, there are things we can try to incorporate into our lives today to foster the way of peace.

You don’t have to attend every argument that comes your way.

In 2 Timothy 2 it says, “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men… in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves…” (vv. 24, 25).  In truth, disagreements and opposition will come.  Sometimes contentions will arise but that doesn’t mean we have to feed into it.

I’m new to the sourdough-making process and one thing I have learned is if you don’t properly feed your starter it won’t grow.  Strife cannot continue to grow if you do not feed it.  And yes, this will require a certain amount of self-control at times.  The wisdom we find in Proverbs tells us, “A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife,” (Proverbs 15:18).  How we respond can either add fuel to the fire or snuff out the flames, it can help or hurt.  So, we must be prayerful about how we allocate our response or even if we are to respond at all.  While we cannot avoid every disagreement, and some things will need an answer, we must be sure that what is before us and what we are being drawn into is actually something that needs for us to attend.

Let love operate.

Proverbs 10:12 tells us, “Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins,” a truth that Peter echoes in 1 Peter 4:8.  When, not if, we encounter wrongs, what is our immediate reaction?  Is it to vent and billboard the offense all over town or instead of being reactive to defend and justify ourselves, do we choose to be proactive and approach the situation with control and a sound heart of love?

Often, we forget the frailty of humanity.  Not only have we been wronged, but in our lives, there have been times when we have wronged others.  And if the shoe were on the other foot, we would not want our mistakes plastered on a wall for the whole world to see.

This is a great fallacy with the rise of social media.  People expose people, not only between individuals but for the whole world to see.  That kind of hurt is hard to come back from.  What should have been handled as private business (see Matthew 18:15) under the premise of love, now has other voices and opinions in the mix.

Only under certain circumstances do others need to be included (see Matthew 18:16, 17), and even then, as much as possible, is it to be done in a controlled and loving way: “He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends,” (Proverbs 17:9). 

Remember Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13:

“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” (vv. 4-7)

Choosing to operate in love will foster peace in our own lives.

Be still and know God. 

The psalmist encourages us to, “Be still, and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:10).  When a storm threatened the ship, and the disciples were afraid, Jesus woke and spoke, “Peace, be still,” (Mark 4:39).

Remember that phrase we discussed earlier, “As much as lieth with you?”  Even if you have chosen to refuse the invitation to the argument, and even if you have sought diligently to operate in love in the handling of the matter, sometimes that still will not bring the solution of peace you were looking for.  What do you do then?

You still yourself before God and find your peace in Him and not in whether the circumstances are reaching the conclusion you thought they should.

Jesus shut the mouth of the storm with a word of peace.  And we can shut down some stuff too when we get still and get with God who is to be the center of our peace.

In a world of noise, busyness, and chaos, the word stillness can be a beautiful respite from their loud demands.  It beckons us to draw near to the quiet place of our confidence found in God alone.

Above all else, when everything around us fails, God does not.  It is in Him we find our hope and consolation.  We have peace in Him even if things on the outside do not seem to be working out right.

“Know that I am God.”  There is so much in that statement alone, but one thing I want to point out is that the stillness we referred to earlier is not passive.  Here we see, that for us to “know” God, there must be an active pursuit of Him.  We are not sitting with our arms crossed and inactive.  No, we are drawing nearer to Him, to know Him, to pursue Him.

Concerning the way of peace, the closer we get to God the more peace we will find, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace,” (1 Corinthians 14:33).  The more we draw nearer to understanding just who He is, the magnanimous impact of Him overshadows everything else.

Yahweh.  The LORD.  “I AM THAT I AM.”  When we still ourselves before the truth of Him, we soon develop an intuitive knowing and trust that we cannot find anywhere else, and it covers us with a cloak of peace – comforting you and strengthening you to maintain your peace in the middle of your storm.  It lets you know that not only do you not fight in this alone, but there are instances where you don’t have to fight at all because I choose to let the winds howl and the waves crash while I sit still in the peace of who God is in my life.  That is my response, and no further response is needed – for God is my peace. 

Counter to our culture, peace does not have to be elusive.  But we will have to do some things to maintain the way of peace in our lives.  “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another,” (Romans 14:19).  And remember:

“Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.” Mark 9:50

And,

“The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.” Psalm 29:11

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Make God’s Word Louder!

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With arms loaded with bags, I walk toward my car in the grocery store parking lot.  I have been jumping about from store to store all day and the exhaustion is wearing on me.  Daily tasks, daily chores, and daily work – we all have them.  Life does not allow us to be sedentary.  So, off we go on the adventure and calling of the day’s demands.

Carrying my bags, I approached the car when a gentle reminder of God’s presence appeared to me.  There, bouncing about underneath, a little sparrow getting on with his day reminds me of the sovereign and omniscient hand of the Lord in my life.  The thought of Him that knows the life of that little sparrow knows me also, even to the point that all the hairs on my head are numbered, fills me with encouragement.

Jesus, Himself, tells us, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31). 

Yet, many awake to experience news that shatters and devastates their day.  And in the middle of it all, fear tries to have a voice.  Through uncertain and unsettling times, fear tries to magnify itself. 

But I want to encourage you today, no matter how many bags of stuff you are carrying and no matter how hard the work of life before you may be, make God’s Word louder!  If there was ever a time when we needed to drown out the world’s noise and build ourselves even more in the Word of God, that time is now!

God’s Word contains the perfect recipe for a well-ordered life, with its challenges and successes.  Our response and reaction to the times we live in are found in the perfect truth written in those pages.  It is always right and always true, not only for the days in which it was physically written but for today as well.  God’s Word never goes out of style.  The psalmist said, “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever” (Psalm 119:160). 

What that means for us is it is never faulty (Psalm 33:4) and it will never fail (Joshua 23:14; 1 Kings 8:56). 

So, Jesus speaks comfort in the Word against the chaos around, and He speaks faith and strength against fear.  His word can build you up (Acts 20:32), encourage you, and save you if you let it (James 1:21).  Paul taught, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…” (Colossians 3:16).  Fill yourself with more of Him.  The more we are filled with the Word, the less room we have in our being for junk.  A healthy Christian fills his/her appetite with the good, nourishing power of the Word of God: “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts” (Jeremiah 15:16). 

Friend, make God’s Word louder in your life.  One surefire way to do that is to get it into your heart richly, overflowing His joy, truth, peace, and comfort in your life. 

Here are some promises of assurance to store in your heart and turn up the volume of your faith today to make God’s Word louder against all the other noise you hear:

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” – Isaiah 41:10

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.  Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:” – Isaiah 26:3, 4

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.  It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.” – Proverbs 3:5-8

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” – Romans 8:31

Who indeed?  Friend, there are so many written promises God has deposited and inspired in His Word that I cannot possibly write them all here.  But if you desire more, and I hope that you do, just read the Word, for the whole of His Holy Book speaks of Him and His promises both now and forever.

His Word is speaking louder against the troubles we see.  It is saying, that He is with us and that we don’t have to be afraid: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). Believe it.

No More…

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When brokenness is healed, the recovery of wholeness is known.

When wrongs are made right, sorrow and tears are no more.

How often do we look for days like that during our living?  Alas, we are not promised the absence of these worldly foes.  The promise we do have and hold so dear is that one day their grip on us will be no more.

The thought of “no more” is a beautiful thought.  It’s not the joys of life we want to erase.  Nor the happy moments we seek an exit from.  Rather, it’s the things that squeeze our hearts with pain and despair.  The things that press upon us like a heavy weight that we can’t seem to get relief from, searing us with sadness and dread, and so we seek to get away from it as fast as we can. 

But despite it all, we have an assurance that we won’t face these days forever.  There will come a time when their mark will be but a distant memory. 

With faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and His shed blood giving us access to heaven, those within the walls of that beautifully eternal city will no longer be associated with the disturbances of living that being in this flesh brings. 

There, there will be peace unimaginable and joy inexpressible.  Because there, the things we warred against and worried over in this flesh will be no more.  Instead, there the hand of our loving heavenly Father reaches out and gently and tenderly wipes the tears of what we experienced fighting through this life on earth, away. 

I try to imagine the absolute freedom that will bring.  I try to think of the final release of letting everything go from here that we dealt with, what will it be like?

It may be hard to imagine what that time of no more will look like while we are still in this flesh. So, we hold on to His promises for dear life that strengthen our daily hope for that day.  Because we know when the Bible says, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” (Revelation 7:17), that promise is our very real reality when all this will pass away.

No more.  What could you do if you didn’t have to deal with _______________ no more? 

Although we are not there yet, we can foster an environment that will shore up our faith for the wonderful future that awaits us.

Some principles we can incorporate are:

  • Watch and pray.  “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).  Remain vigilant and be on guard against any detractors in contradiction of your holy destiny.
  • Feed your faith.  “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,” (Jude 1:20).  The authority of what you have coming as a holy inheritance is based on what Christ has already done, and what the Word promises is yours.  Continue to feed on that Word like a starved man seeking to be truly filled. 
  • Live honorably for that day.  “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom” (James 3:13).  Continue to live what you believe to be true and right.  Your daily steps will speak more about who you really are than a million well-to-do messages ever will.
  • And produce the Fruit of the Spirit.  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).  Your living is not just for your own inheritance, but to help others see the light (Matthew 5:16) so they will be drawn to experience Him who can give them the gift of “no more,” too. 

These principles will help to keep your heart, mind, and faith concentrated on the reward ahead and not the messes of today. 

The idea of no more may seem hard to comprehend, but the realness of it is as sure as God Himself wiping every tear from your eyes.  It will come to pass.

The Great Acts of the LORD

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“But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the Lord which he did.” Deuteronomy 11:7

How would life look for us, or how much more would our faith be fed if we were intentional about remembering “the great acts of the LORD?” We don’t need to see the seas part, the ground opened to swallow, or mighty plagues – but surely, there are moments in our lives when we know that it was nothing but God. There are miracles, blessings, the moving of His holy hand, and His Holy Spirit that could be nothing short of His intervention for us.

As Moses recaps God’s commandments in Deuteronomy for the wilderness wanderers, he also wants them to remember personally what their eyes have seen, the things they have experienced during this time with God.

Days gone by supply us with a life full of the stories of His deliverance, His patience, and His constant and consistent work in our lives. Sometimes too numerous to tell, but when we think back, our eyes of faith behold them and we see that it is nothing we have done, nor can we take the credit. We see a God who has done more to love us, so this is where our trust should lie. This is where we should look in hope also for the days coming ahead.

If you look back into your bygone moments, what can you see? Can you see His hand showing up unexpectedly in a moment of grace? Can you see where His mercy touched what was once believed to be untouchable? Can you see where His promises came alive more vividly when you thought it was all over?

There are big things and there are small things – events and seasons that grow our appreciation all the more for the wonderful God we serve.

It takes nothing more than for us to simply appreciate that our eyes have awakened to a new day, and our lungs are breathing what He provides, to see God’s wonderful acts at work in our lives even right now.

His presence and concern for us are marked by the care He invests in us. Every prayer is heard. Every prayer responded. The feelings of His love wrapped around us – yes, He is there.

Even in times of tears and upset, His comforting presence saturates the atmosphere with His reassuring peace.

Throughout your life your eyes have seen many things and many things have been your experiences. Some may have been wonderful and good. Some may not have been. But if you pick through all you have witnessed, your testimony would call to mind: “I have seen the great acts of the Lord in my life.” In that, God’s faithfulness and neverending love for you shines through, holding you in faith through the days when it’s hard to see anything positive.

Take a walk down memory lane today and see those moments where He has faithfully made a way. Pray for God to show you Him in that walking and may your faith be increased as you take in the great acts of the Lord, for wherever He is, it is always great.

“I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.” Psalm 77:11

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Encouraging Words to Live By – “Fear Ye Not!”

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“And Moses said unto the people, FEAR YE NOT, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

𝓣𝓗𝓔 𝓛𝓞𝓡𝓓 𝓢𝓗𝓐𝓛𝓛 𝓕𝓘𝓖𝓗𝓣 𝓕𝓞𝓡 𝓨𝓞𝓤, 𝓐𝓝𝓓 𝓨𝓔 𝓢𝓗𝓐𝓛𝓛 𝓗𝓞𝓛𝓓 𝓨𝓞𝓤𝓡 𝓟𝓔𝓐𝓒𝓔.”

Exodus‬ ‭14‬:‭13‬-‭14‬

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Pray, and Go For It!

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Pray, and go for it! If God is leading you to it, He will see you through it. “Courage is fear that has said its prayers.” – Maya Angelou

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9, NASB

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𝑾𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒚 𝑭𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒉!

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Habakkuk tells us, “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry,” (2:3). Shortly after that in the next verse, he says, “The just shall live by his faith,” (2:4b). Every word of God for good or for bad, for happy or for sad, for those who believe or for those who don’t believe, it will come to pass! Our heavenly Father knows what He is doing. We may not always understand the pause in the plan, but wait. We may not fully comprehend how this is working out for our good, but wait. In the waiting, our faith is becoming more active and alive. In our waiting, faith is speaking on our behalf that we trust God and His perfect plan for our lives.

The Bible reminds us:

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” – Isaiah 40:31

“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.” – Psalm 37:7

“I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” – Psalm 27:13, 14

So this is my declaration for today: “Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.” – Micah 7:7

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Ridding Sour Thoughts

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Sour thoughts.  Ill feelings. Have you ever struggled with these?  There are days when they seem to invade your thinking.  Although you don’t want them there, they seem to come unannounced.  Not asking for your permission to be there, they come and tread upon the courts of your mind, disrupting your beautiful day.

When they step into your territory, what do you do?  Do you let them walk around freely, unhindered?  Or do you dismiss them and show them the way out?

Meandering about means they have a chance to muddy up the places marked with their footprints.  In their meandering, they can bring confusion, bitterness, hurt, and pain.  They can bring wrong assumptions that leave much devastation in their wake.  Continuing their journey in your space unleashed can quickly tear apart what took years of love and hard work to build.

But giving them the boot frees you from these radicals that just want to stir up strife in our homes and in our lives.  And the process the Apostle Paul gave us to do just that in and of itself, is not that complicated. 

His advice: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8). 

When it is peace that we want and not things that cause bitterness and strife, we have the choice to replace those sour thoughts with something lovely and beautiful.  We can make the decision within ourselves to not settle for something that puts in us and draws out of us things we do not want.

Take up these things of virtue and praise, and clothe your day in them.  Choose to be purposefully mindful of that which is good, making that which is bad and sour flee before you.

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A Word for Today: “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 — Word For Life Says…

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To say that Christ has won is an understatement. He has literally crushed, obliterated, and stands on the head of every adversary we may face today. The world may think they have won but Jesus will flip the script on them every time and show who He really is. He has “disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross,” (Col. 2:15; NIV). His enemies are being made a footstool at His feet (Hebrews 10:13; NIV). He is the King of all kings and Lord of all lords and will conquer everything and everybody that tries to war against Him (Revelation 17:14).In case you haven’t figured it out yet, WE ARE ON THE WINNING SIDE! Be of good cheer!

A Word for Today: “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 — Word For Life Says…