Category: Peace

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In the Storm

Peace. Simply put: to be at rest. Some see it as the absence of confict but I want to show you that we can be at peace in the midst of a storm.

I’ve been reading in Luke for over a month now but the last few days I have been reading about the final days of Jesus life. He was celebrating the Feast of the Passover with his disciples. He told them that the broken bread and the wine represented what was about to happen to Him. He told them He would be betrayed.

Do you know their reaction? They began arguing about which one of them would do such a thing and then they began to argue about which one of them was the most important to Jesus.

Oh, my goodness!!! If I had been Jesus I would have left them all. But instead, Jesus began telling them that He was praying for them and gave them instruction on how to live once he was gone.

He took them to the garden where He went to pray. He told them they needed to pray so that they could remain strong. Jesus then withdrew, going a little farther and prayed for Himself. He knew what was about to happen.

In His humanity, He didn’t want to face the cross and the horrible death of crucifixion but in His divinity, He knew he was the only one who could be the sinless sacrifice. Only He could be the one to redeem us all and reconcile us to the Father.

“He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.” I John 2:2 NLT

He went through great conflict and turmoil in battling His mind and emotions but came to peace, He was resolved in His spirit!

When Judas betrayed Him with a kiss there was no ridicule or retaliation, when the soldiers were placing him under arrest there was no fight. He was at peace!

Jesus was living the words He spoke to the disciples hours earlier.

“I leave you peace. It is my own peace I give you. I give you peace in a different way than the world does. So don’t be troubled. Don’t be afraid.” John 14:27 ERV

The Apostle Paul tells us this:

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. 7 Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.” Philippians 4:6-7 CEV

Are you in the middle of a storm today – do you feel like you’re about to be crucified? Perhaps you’ve received an adverse medical report or it could be your company is planning massive layoffs and your future is uncertain. Whatever you are facing rely on the kind of peace that only God can give.

In the midst of the storm, don’t be troubled, don’t be afraid; let the peace of God control the way you think and feel.

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Loving the Quiet

A cool morning, a warm cup of coffee (or tea or hot chocolate), a cozy blanket and quiet! Truly an enjoyable way to start the day.

Alone with just the thoughts of my heart and there is peace!

Sad to say, I didn’t always enjoy being alone with just my thoughts. My heart would become anxious; I would want to turn on the tv or the radio – anything to block out the silence, anything not to focus on the unrest or even the distress that I felt churning in my spirit.

Maybe you’re like that. Not wanting to get up and be alone with yourself and with the Father. Wanting to get up and get going right away to keep yourself from pausing in the quiet of the morning.

King David wrote in the Psalms to “be still and KNOW that I AM God”. Know means to be intimately acquainted with, a deep personal knowledge or understanding.

“God is our safe place and our strength. He is always our help when we are in trouble. 2 So we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken and the mountains fall into the center of the sea, 3 and even if its waters go wild with storm and the mountains shake with its action.

4 There is a river whose waters make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High lives. 5 God is in the center of her. She will not be moved. God will help her when the morning comes. 6 The people made noise. The nations fell. He raised His voice and the earth melted. 7 The Lord of All is with us. The God of Jacob is our strong place.

8 Come and see the works of the Lord. He has destroyed parts of the earth. 9 He stops wars to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two. He burns the war-wagons with fire. 10 Be quiet and know that I am God. I will be honored among the nations. I will be honored in the earth. 11 The Lord of All is with us. The God of Jacob is our strong place.” Psalm 46 NLV

My mind told me I was unworthy; I was alone, I wouldn’t amount to anything. It pointed out all my failures and my shortcomings. I never measured up so why did I want a quiet time to reflect on all that was wrong with me?

God’s Word told me something different, “God is my safe place and my strength”. Reading and applying God’s word brought me peace.

“With Jesus as our high priest, we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it.” Hebrews 4:16 ERV

When I come to His throne, in the quiet of the morning, I find grace, mercy, kindness and help. I find Jesus!

Learn to love the quiet of being in the Father’s presence!

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Not A Fan of Change?

This morning I’m fighting frustration.

I don’t like it when things change with my computer. You get one of those messages “Update and Restart”. I did and left the computer sitting on my tabletop and went about the rest of my day. This morning when I opened it up, things were gone!

I refuse to let it spoil my day but I know eventually I will have to search for the missing information or try to recreate it and that is never a welcomed task.

But this I do know, God never changes! Thank you Father.

“Jesus Christ never changes! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 CEV

Every people throughout the Bible faced hardship and frustration. They faced physical enemies and divisive thoughts that warred against their faith and trust in God. But there has never been a time that Almighty God, our heavenly Father, has left us on our own.

“Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! 16 So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved grace, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:15-16 CEV

And although Jesus never had to deal with computer issues, He dealt with reprogramming the thoughts of the human heart on a daily basis.

“But Jesus told them: You are always making yourselves look good, but God sees what is in your heart. The things that most people think are important are worthless as far as God is concerned.” Luke 16:15 CEV

Jesus longed to see people become less self-sufficient and more God-dependent. More of Him and less of me.

“I love you, Lord God, and you make me strong. 2 You are my mighty rock, my fortress, my protector, the rock where I am safe, my shield, my powerful weapon, and my place of shelter…Your way is perfect, Lord, and your word is correct. You are a shield for those who run to you for help. 31 You alone are God!  Only you are a mighty rock. 32 You give me strength and guide me right. 33 You make my feet run as fast as those of a deer, and you help me stand on the mountains.” Psalm 18:1,2, 30-33 CEV

God has made Himself unchangeable. He is forgiving before we ask to be forgiven, He is patient when we choose our own way and not His. He is always loving.

“Descendants of Jacob, I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I never change.” Malachi 3:6 CEV

Now back to the small matter of my computer, I refuse to let those changes disrupt my peace and spoil my day. Eventually, I will get back what I can’t access at the moment.

“God, you give true peace to people who depend on you, to those who trust in you.” Isaiah 26:3 ERV

Major circumstances or small frustrations, I will trust my God who never changes to keep me in His perfect peace!

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So Much to Do

(First off, will everyone join me in saying thank you to Stephen and Tom for getting my website back up? Stephen helped identify the problem and Tom took that information and contacted the right people to get it corrected. Thanks guys, you both are wonderful!)

Last night after Dave went to bed, I stayed up thinking about things that still need to be done before Christmas. Still so much to do, not necessities, but things I want to do.

There’s baking for friends and family. Our youngest grandson is expecting cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning and I’m wanting to make goodie plates for friends. Still have two days of work so everything will have to wait until Tuesday.

Then I thought about Mary? What was she thinking, how much did she still have left to do those last few days before Jesus was born?

I’m sure Mary was a list maker. When the angels announced His birth and the shepherds tended to His manger the Scripture tells us that Mary pondered all these things in her heart.

“After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. ” Luke 2:17-19 NLT

There were so many memorable events in Mary’s pregnancy, I know she must have had a plan for those days leading up to His birth. She knew her son would be no usual child. For before His conception, she knew He would be special, she knew she would give birth to the long awaited Messiah.

 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” Luke 1:30-33 NLT

Her first child, the Messiah, was about to be born but first she was going on a 100 mile trip. She had to pack, food needed to be prepared, laundry needed to be done. How long were they going to be gone? She needed “stuff” in case the baby was born before she got back home. No Mom or midwife to help! Can you imagine the evening conversations with Joseph as they stopped on their trek?

“Can you do this?”, she might have asked. “I’m going to need your help; I won’t have anyone else to assist me. We don’t know anyone in Bethlehem. What if the local Walmart is closed? Where will we get diapers and onesies?”

Yes, Mary was the mother of the Messiah, but she was also a teenager, first-time mother, and away from home.

Our preparations over the next week fail in comparison to hers. Our loving heavenly Father who sustained her and took care of every detail also has our days planned. He will sustain, protect and provide.

“Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3 NLT

Don’t let the concerns of life steal your peace!

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Abiding Peace

(The last two days I was experiencing some real technical difficulties and was completely unable to connect to my website. I was able to post to Facebook but that wasn’t the same as connecting here. I’m back and here is what I posted on FB this morning.)

Day 2 of technical difficulties and Day 2 of living in perfect and abiding peace!

What kind of things steal your peace? Computer problems, getting into a baking project and find your missing a key ingredient, a flat tire, a life-style change in the New Year, illness? These things can get to the best of us.

However, the Father doesn’t want anything to take our peace. The Bible is filled with situations where a message of “be not afraid” proceeded any other instruction.

The shepherds heard the angels say don’t be afraid. Mary and Joseph but heard the angel speak to them and the first words they heard were, be not afraid.

Do you remember when Jesus was sleeping in the boat while His disciples were in the midst of a storm at sea? They were bailing water, thinking they were going to sink. As experienced sailors they knew how disastrous this could be. And Jesus slept.

“Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”

39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Mark 4:38-40 NLT

If we are in situations and begin to feel fear and anxiety start to build this story should be an example to us. Don’t be afraid.

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” Isaiah 26:3 NLT

Our peace is paramount to the Father. During the rest of the Christmas season let’s keep our focus and trust on the Prince of Peace who came to bring us the gift of perfect peace. 

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Looking Up

I love the saying, “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” because it gives identity to the baby born in a manger. More and more so many are trying to remove Christ from Christmas it’s important that we remind them.

We need to give them a reason to look up. Look up like the shepherds and see that God, in His great love, has chosen me and you to live in relationship with Him. He wants us looking for and recognizing His love wherever we go and in whatever we do.

So many people spend time looking down. Looking down on others because of their education or lack thereof; looking down on financial status, marital status, political party, skin color, cultural idiosyncrasies, too religious, not religious enough, occupation or a host of other things.

Then there are those who spend their time looking in. Looking in-ward at their mistakes, their failures, their fears, their lack and so they spend half of their lives living in self-pity.

But when we look up, we find hope, good news, unconditional love, and redemption. You may be going through a rough time right now, then look up and find help. Things may be the best they have ever been, then look up in gratitude.

“God knew from the beginning who would put their trust in Him. So He chose them and made them to be like His Son. Christ was first and all those who belong to God are His brothers. 30 He called to Himself also those He chose. Those He called, He made right with Himself. Then He shared His shining-greatness with those He made right with Himself.

31 What can we say about all these things? Since God is for us, who can be against us? 32 God did not keep His own Son for Himself but gave Him for us all. Then with His Son, will He not give us all things? 33 Who can say anything against the people God has chosen? It is God Who says they are right with Himself. 34 Who then can say we are guilty? It was Christ Jesus Who died. He was raised from the dead. He is on the right side of God praying to Him for us. 35 Who can keep us away from the love of Christ? Can trouble or problems? Can suffering wrong from others or having no food? Can it be because of no clothes or because of danger or war? 36 The Holy Writings say, “Because of belonging to Jesus, we are in danger of being killed all day long. We are thought of as sheep that are ready to be killed.” 37 But we have power over all these things through Jesus Who loves us so much. 38 For I know that nothing can keep us from the love of God. Death cannot! Life cannot! Angels cannot! Leaders cannot! Any other power cannot! Hard things now or in the future cannot! 39 The world above or the world below cannot! Any other living thing cannot keep us away from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:29-39 NLV

Look up and see “The” Reason for the Season and know that nothing can separate us from the love of God!

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Sweet Peace

I think one of the most peaceful things I’ve ever seen is a sleeping baby. I don’t know how many times I have stood at cribs edge and watched my children and my grandchildren.

Not a care in the world. Total surrender. Immersed in peace.

Before they know the meaning of words, they know peace. That’s how our heavenly Father wants us to be.

“Give all your worries to Him because He cares for you.” I Peter 5:7 NLV

God never intended for us to carry the cares of the world on our shoulders. In fact, the verse that precedes this one is as follows:

“So put away all pride from yourselves. You are standing under the powerful hand of God. At the right time He will lift you up.” I Peter 5:6 NLV

Pride is a peace robber. Pride convinces us that we should be able to “handle this on my own”. Pride whispers, or shouts, “what will people think if you ask for help”. But with the absence of pride comes peace.

Peace to know that the powerful hand of God is working on our behalf. He will lift us up when we stumble and fall. He will lift the burden of the world’s cares from our shoulders. He will carry the load and we will be able to rest in peace.

“ I will lie down and sleep in peace. O Lord, You alone keep me safe.” Psalm 4:8 NLV

I was curious so I did a word search on peace. In the King James version of the Bible the word peace is used 420 times; in the NLV (New Life version) it’s used 381 times. Peace is a core teaching of God’s word.

One of the biggest attacks on my peace is the temptation to worry over my children and grandchildren, the ones I love most. They have faced some herculean obstacles. The Holy Spirit has always been there to provide me with peace and calm assurance.

“And this righteousness will bring peace. Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever.
18 My people will live in safety, quietly at home. They will be at rest.” Isaiah 32:17-18 NLT

“He will not be afraid of bad news. His heart is strong because he trusts in the Lord. 8 His heart will not be shaken. He will not be afraid and will watch those lose who fight against him. ” Psalm 112:7-8 NLV

Calm assurance is a state of being. I love the wording of the verses above. It’s a quietness, confidence, a heart that will not be shaken. That’s peace.

“I will teach all your children, and they will enjoy great peace.” Isaiah 54:13 NLT

Each day I pray for the peace of my children and grandchildren. I pray that in every situation they will experience the peace of God which bypasses their natural understanding. I pray that in their smallest moments and in the largest challenges they will see God’s hand protecting them and bringing them peace.

As we close, let’s turn our thoughts back to that sleeping baby. We are God’s children, He wants us to be at peace, He will handle our cares and give us sweet peace!

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Peace of Mind

That was the message of the night when Christ was born. “Peace on earth, good will toward men”.

But what kind of peace? There was and has been unrest and wars, divisions between nations and people. Was God wrong to have the angels proclaim peace? Not hardly!

The peace that Christ brought to earth was a peace between God, the Father, and all mankind.

“When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! 18 All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with him. 19 I mean that God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold people guilty for their sins. And he gave us this message of peace to tell people.” II Corinthians 5:17-19 ERV

What an amazingly, wonderful gift! Peace with God; God’s goodwill being poured out on us. It’s a heart peace, a freedom from worry. A mindset that God loves me, and I can trust Him with my life. I can trust Him to want good for me, I can trust Him to protect me. I can trust Him to give me peace.

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. 7 And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.

8 Brothers and sisters, continue to think about what is good and worthy of praise. Think about what is true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected. 9 And do what you learned and received from me—what I told you and what you saw me do. And the God who gives peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:6-9 ERV

God’s peace will stand guard over ALL my thoughts – imagine that. Every thought guarded by peace!

I’ve heard it said that the war or battlefield we face as Christians is the one in our mind. I agree with that. Fear starts in our thoughts – the “what if’s”. What if I get cancer, lose my job, my kids rebel, my spouse leaves, I’m injured or killed? What if?

“We break down every thought and proud thing that puts itself up against the wisdom of God. We take hold of every thought and make it obey Christ.” II Corinthians 10:5 NLV

Replace the what ifs with things that are good, worthy of praise, true, honest, pure and lovely. This is why it is so important to have our hearts and minds filled with God’s word. The word of God is the sword that helps us fight the battle in our own imaginations.

God’s word has promised us protection, provision, a life of peace. We need to appropriate those promises.

The peace that the Father promised didn’t come in a big box wrapped with a beautiful bow, no. It was delivered on a normal night, in a small town, wrapped in strips of cloth and put in a feed trough. His name was Prince of Peace and He comes to all who will receive Him.

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The Christmas Bird

Yesterday Dave and I put up the last of the Christmas decorations. We added more lights, another nativity scene and turned our storage shed door into a gingerbread house.

First thing in the morning I refilled the bird feeder with seeds and the hummingbird feeders with juice. Kaci, Stephen and the kids were coming, and I know how the grandkids love watching the birds come to eat.

We had a wonderful afternoon! We spent time going for a long walk, meeting the neighbors’ dog and collecting rocks. All afternoon the birds came and went from the feeders. At times the kids were too busy with other activities to notice them but then there were the occasions when a bird would land and eat for a while, and they would oo and aah. The biggest response came from the Nothern Cardinals, both a male and female.

I don’t remember when I first started noticing that more and more cardinals were being used in Christmas decor’ so this morning I “goggled” it. Cardinals have been nicknamed the Christmas Bird for their bright color.

“Today, the cardinal represents constancy no matter the season like the constancy of God’s love, and the atoning sacrifice of his Son which gives us peace and hope in this life and in the next.”

They represent the peace and hope that we have in Christ…I like that. In fact, as I was praying about what to share this morning I was drawn to the word peace.

We’ve just come through Black Friday and tomorrow is Cyber Monday, then comes Small Business Tuesday and oh, it goes on from there. The hustle and bustle of Christmas activities has a way of robbing our peace. That isn’t God’s intention.

“Then a huge army of angels from heaven joined the first angel, and they were all praising God, saying, 14 “Praise God in heaven, and on earth let there be peace to the people who please him.” Luke 2:13-14 ERV

God’s purpose in sending Christ was to bring peace. The prophet Isaiah gave us a list of names for Jesus and one of those is Prince of Peace.

“ This will happen when the special child is born. God will give us a son who will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be “Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 ERV

Some of you know that several years ago I wrote a daily devotional for the Christmas Advent, “The Best Gifts of Christmas, Receiving and Giving God’s Best”. One of those gifts is peace.

“ We pray that the Lord of peace will give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with you all.” II Thessalonians 3:16 ERV

For the next several days we will focus our attention on Scriptures that speak of peace.

When you’re out and about, take note of the Cardinals that you see in the stores, on television and on the Christmas cards you receive. Let the “Christmas Bird” be a reminder of God’s constancy and of the peace He gives to us all.

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The Peace Giver

Last night sleep eluded me. That happens sometimes and I don’t really know why. Maybe it was that way for you too.

I wasn’t worried about anything, nothing seemed wrong but still sleep didn’t come. My heart was at rest even though my body wasn’t.

I realized, again, how fortunate I am to have a peaceful heart. I don’t need to count sheep; I am able to count blessings. The peace of God rules and it brings amazing strength to my soul.

“ I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. 28 Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. 29 I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.” John 14:27-29 NLT

What a wonderful gift! Peace of mind and heart. Jesus was speaking to His apostles just hours before His crucifixion and His concern was for their peace, He wanted them free from fear.

That Apostle Paul put it this way.

“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7 NLT

There it is again – peace of mind and heart!

Our lives are bombarded with turmoil – we have an enemy who is out to steal, kill and destroy but we have One who is greater, and He is the giver of peace! We can either give in to fear or we can take heart and overcome.

“ I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NLT

Take heart.

Yesterday I had my annual physical and yes, I’m fit. However, I have an issue when my blood pressure is taken. At home it’s normal, at the doctor’s office it’s high. The doctor kindly said, “Let’s do that again. Let your heart rest”. I did and it came down.

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” Isaiah 26:3 NLT

Today, let your heart rest. Embrace God’s peace of mind and heart. Then let Him use you to spread peace to others.

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