All tagged peace
Are you depressed about something this morning? Do you feel that the Lord has backed away or allowed some tragedy to befall you? Are you mired in a season of hopelessness? If so, you are not alone. This happened to others throughout the Bible, and is happening in the lives of many today, but here is a word of wisdom and hope for you that I personally cling to, and which will see you through such seasons too... “Just keep living!”
Today I read Oswald Chambers' devotional message titled "Transformed by Insight" and in it he wrote of our becoming a reflection of the Lord when we have been in His presence. This is a discussion that thrills me, and reminds me of not only the outward reflection, but the amazing feeling we have within us when He is near.
It is the 26th of December... The day after Christmas. For those of us who are parents we know that the day following the birth of a baby is a day of rest and recovery for mother and child. Birth is a wonder, but it is also traumatic. During the time of Jesus when all women gave birth naturally (without pain killers) it would have undoubtedly been even more so. So it is that on this day we take a deep breath and relax with our loved ones. Some of us will be healing after being on our feet too long yesterday. And a few will be spending their day repairing damaged relationships from "honest?" words, or otherwise rejuvenating their tired selves. Much like the day following the birth of our own children, there will be a sense of peace and calm about this day.
Yesterday we considered the effect that worry had on our bodies, minds, and souls, so today let’s delve deeper into the peace of God and the effect that prayer has on worry and stress. I am contemplating two of these thoughts this morning as I read Philippians 4 once again and read further into what Pastor E. M. Bounds has to say on this subject.
My devotional reading this morning began with an incredibly insightful statement. Pastor E. M. Bounds began by writing "Worry is the epidemic evil of mankind. Everybody is influenced by worry.", and as I thought about this observation, I came to the conclusion that He was so right. We do worry about many things in our lives... even everyday things. It made me think of my mother who was the consummate worrier. I would often tease her by saying that if she didn’t have something of her own to worry about, she would borrow someone else’s troubles and worry about those. I am making worry sound trivial, but it isn’t. Let’s visit this subject today.
I was reading Charles H. Spurgeon this morning and he was writing about our being called away from our homes and comfort, but that God still gives us rest... and how He continued to do this, even in our uncertainty. He used God's Word to Moses to make this point:
“And he said, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."”
Exodus 33:14 ESV
This morning we will contemplate the time we spend with the Lord. Although we aren't judged by the number of minutes that we pray, we should still spend a great deal of quality time walking, and talking, with God over the course of our day. Our prayers are the answer to the question that God asked Elijah… “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Has He asked us the same question? Have we ever wrapped our faces in our cloak and stood at the entrance to our prayer closet listening?
Removing Doubt and Fear from our prayer lives as an impediment to the fullness of our faith and prayer is the subject of today’s message. The importance of prayer, and specifically a prayer in which we are confidently asking God to increase us in faith, can't be overstated. Haven’t we all prayed with a spirit of fear and doubt at some point in our lives? And, when we did this didn’t we find that the ground was shaking beneath us, and a fire burned within us? Yes, we had lost the Peace of God that we had felt when we prayed as we should? Taking the time to still our hearts before beginning to pray is a good way to steady our faith, and find courage in the low whisper of God. Taking a deep breath and then slowly letting it out is a wonderful way for our spirit to call Him.
I found great value in the devotional message I read this morning. It contained a prescription for healing the doubt and fear in my life. Of course, the solution came from scripture and was simply expounded upon further by E.M. Bounds. The scripture reference I am referring to came from Philippians where Paul wrote of the power in praying in everything... Prayer is the medicine that heals all our woes, sorrows, and illnesses. Prayer give us the peace of God and will keep our minds fixed on Him through Jesus.
Today as I read my morning devotional, E.M. Bounds went on to speak deeper about the peace of God and the effect prayer has on worry and stress. So I am contemplating two of his thoughts as I read Philippians 4 once again.
Feeling the Peace of Christ is one of the most treasured and coveted aspects of the Christian faith; it is a reward for obedience and is our harvest for believing, and living our lives as Jesus instructed us. Do we have the Peace of Christ today? Do we understand the difference between the peace of the world and the Peace of Christ?
Has Jesus given you a joy like His, or do you anticipate that you will one day have a heavenly joy like the one that He speaks of? Well, I am going to burst your bubble and then give you a new hope regarding this scriptural joy. Our desire should never be to have a joy like Jesus' because we won't have one like His, but don’t let this news disappoint you… read on, because there is much more to this story.
Do you know the peace of Jesus Christ? When your life is being torn apart by calamity do you find rest and peace in Him? In Christ we are meant to find a peace unlike any other; not the carefree blue sky feeling of being trouble free, but the deep and abiding peace given in the midst of death and chaos. A peace that defies all understanding.
Coming to Jesus; this is my contemplation this morning. Is this the physical act of circumcision, baptism, and communion, or something far deeper and more spiritual? What does Jesus mean by these three simple words... "Come unto me."
Today let’s contemplate how we can remain joyful in God while in the midst of our daily distresses. Let’s seek the source of our victory, certainty, and amazement during the trials and tribulations we face. Let’s try to understand how it is possible to feel comfort and joy in Jesus even when we are in the grips of staggering loss, or struggling through painful problems and dire crises.