Tag: peace

1 Kings 2:3, “Observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go.”

I was recently having a conversation with a friend, and we were discussing the importance of obedience to the Lord. She was telling me how the Holy Spirit was leading her to get a new car battery. So she went and had her battery tested and was told it was still good. (Even though the technician did say, sometimes the battery test can show good one day and bad the next.) However, she decided to accept the “good” test and move on.

Then shortly after that, she heard the Holy Spirit tell her again to go get a new battery. So she said she went to another store to check battery prices, but still didn’t move forward with a purchase. Then a couple of days later, she found herself sitting in a parking lot with a car that would not start because the battery was dead. Oh how she wished she had obeyed the Holy Spirit’s instructions!

How often do we toss aside those instructions from the Lord because of our own doubts, fears, or rationale? Partial obedience (battery test and pricing a battery) won’t due the trick. We have to take action, and follow through with God’s instructions. There are blessings attached to our obedience, but if we don’t follow through we may never experience what it is God has waiting for us.

Let’s pray for a continuous desire and strength to obey the Lord in all we do.

^{1 Corinthians 4:13-18 (NIV) 13} It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴ because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. ¹⁵ All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Do you ever feel challenged by God’s command to walk by faith? Although walking by faith is a privilege as a Christian, it is not always easy. It requires us to give God our hearts daily and trust Him wholeheartedly.

Living by faith does not mean that we ignore reality. Instead, it means we believe God for the best outcomes as we take life one day at a time and endure its challenges. Even when things do not go as we planned, we still by faith trust God to work all things together for our good as he promised he would in Roman 8:28, because we love him and are called according to his purpose

Living by faith means that we understand there is more to life than what we see. Faith believes in the unseen, and it propels us to move forward even when we do not understand. While walking by faith, we will encounter times of joy and hope, but also may encounter times of fear and uncertainty.

Nevertheless, we are commanded to not shrink back. Hebrews 10:38-39 says, “And, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back. But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.”

*Feel free to share how you keep from shrinking back in your faith when you feel like giving up.

Isaiah 26:3 NKJV, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”

The mind is a powerful thing, so we have to be intentional about what we think about. Our thoughts can cause us to go down the right or wrong path. As we remain focused on the Lord, He has promised to give us His peace. Life is busy and unpredictable. Although we do not know what each day may bring our way, we do know that when we trust in the Lord, He will be faithful to carry us through.

We must examine our thoughts and keep them focused on things that are pleasing to the Lord. As I heard someone say, think about what you are thinking about. Remember, keeping your mind stayed on the Lord and His faithfulness will lead to peace.

Philippians 4:13, “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

Whatever God has called us to do He will equip us with the strength we need to do it. He will always open up the doors that He has called us to walk through, and it’s a blessing that no one can shut those doors. It’s true the enemy may try and alter things, but he won’t win because Jesus has already won the victory on our behalf. I’m paraphrasing, but I once heard Charles Stanley say, “God will move heaven and Earth to bring His will to past in the lives of His children.”

God has known the plans He has for us since before we were born. He never leaves us without direction when we trust His plans. By His power working in us, those plans will come to past. Remember, you can do all things through Jesus Christ who gives you strength.

Psalm 37:1-4 NIV, “1 Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; 2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. 3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Don’t be discouraged by the wrong doing you see. Keep faithfully serving the Lord and doing good. You can put your complete trust in Him and know that He will protect you. As you delight yourself in the Lord, He delights in blessing you with the desires of your heart, nothing is too hard for Him. He knows what you need and when you need it, and He is never late. He cares about all the details of your life, so rest in His goodness today.