Tag: peace

Forgetting The Past

Philippians 3:13 NIV, “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,”

There are some things about the past that are beneficial to us, such as remembering how far God has brought us from, remembering the times He has delivered us, or remembering the lessons we have learned as we’ve grown in Christ. However we’re told in this verse, we shouldn’t let anything about our past hold us back from moving forward in our relationship with the Lord.

We shouldn’t allow ourselves to be saddled with guilt and shame from our past sins. Once we’ve repented of our sins, we are to receive God’s mercy and forgiveness and walk in freedom. Of course the enemy doesn’t want us to walk in that freedom, so he will constantly try and remind us of our sins and failures. We must meditate on God’s Word, so that we won’t forget what God says about our past sins….

Psalm 103:12 NLT, “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”

Photo by: Sagui Andrea of Italy 🇮🇹

Sometimes forgetting the past can be tough, especially in situations where we are still dealing with the consequences of our sins. But just remember that God’s grace is sufficient. He will provide for you. He will give you strength, hope or whatever it is you need each day. He will never abandon you, so therefore, “keep straining toward what is ahead”, and never forget that God loves you.

When God Opens Our Eyes

Isaiah 43:19 NIV, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Since I just returned to the area, all week I had been using my GPS for the drive to and from work until I get used to the route. Yesterday was the first time I felt pretty confident without it. When I left work, it was about fifteen minutes earlier than usual, so it was lighter outside. It was interesting though, because as I drove home I kept feeling like I was lost. But I really wasn’t. I was on the right path home. It was just that, due to the fact it was lighter outside, I was seeing things that I didn’t normally see. All before I had been driving home in the dark and was not aware of my surroundings. Instead off relying on what I saw, I was relying on the sound of the GPS to tell me where to go.

Photo by: Daniel Frese of Germany 🇩🇪

Through this little experience, I thought about the many times we can be headed down a certain path or going about our daily activities and not even be aware of what’s around us. When we turn off things that are distracting us, our spiritual eyes will be opened and we will become aware of people, things, or even opportunities we had never noticed before. When God brings us to a new place, we have a choice to embrace the new thing or stay comfortable with what we know.

I believe God wants to do a new thing. His people, you and me, are the vessels He will use to help accomplish it. But in order to be part of His vision, we have to turn off any distractions so God can open our eyes to His plans. Often times what we’re looking for is right in front of our eyes, we just need to take time to see it.

I pray that the Lord would open your eyes to see all the opportunities around you to love and serve people in even the smallest ways. As He equips you for your daily tasks, may you find everlasting joy, satisfaction, and purpose in contributing to His vision.

Photo by: Samantha Garrote of Brazil 🇧🇷

Blessed As You Trust

Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV, “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Trusting in the Lord will keep us fruitful. Our lives will produce good things that bring Him glory. We don’t have to fear ruin or be consumed with worry. We are blessed when we place our confidence in Him. Allowing Jesus to be our foundation, keeps our hearts secure. I recently read this quote by Deborah Smith Pegues…

“There is a calm assurance, a noticeable sense of peace that emanates from those whose trust is in the Lord.”

Trusting in God is not only for us, but it’s also for those around us. It shows others how magnificent our God is. It’s a testimony to His faithfulness in our lives. Being able to flourish, even in the midst of difficult circumstances, because we trust God, draws others to Christ.

In Christ, we can abandon all of our fears, and trust Him as we wait in faith for the good things He has promised us. When we stay committed to Him, continue to serve Him, and acknowledge Him in all of our ways, He will direct our paths. He surrounds us with His love and favor each day. We are blessed when our trust is in the Lord.

Photo by: Philip Ackermann

Move On In Faith

Exodus 14: 13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” 15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.

The Israelites were terrified because the Egyptians were pursuing them. In the midst of the chaos they lost their faith and begin to complain and worry. They started wishing they had never left the life they had in the past. Even though their past life wasn’t comfortable, it was familiar. They longed for the familiarity that they knew.

Photo by: Pixabay

Today things are not much different for us as Christians. It’s easy to be comfortable with what is familiar. Stepping out in faith and going into unknown territory can be scary. Once things don’t go as we thought they would, we want to run back to what we knew. Or we begin to question God’s faithfulness. We wonder if it’s really worth it.

I like Moses response to the grumbling Israelites in verse 14…“The Lord will fight for you, you need only be still.” Then it gets even better when the Lord speaks to Moses in verse 15…“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.” We have to move on in faith knowing that the Lord will fight our battles. We can’t let fear of the unknown rob us of the blessings God has for us.

The blessings He has for us are not just at the finish line, where we see the manifestation of what we are hoping for. Our whole journey is filled with blessings, because through it we are standing firm, growing in our faith and learning to trust God. On our journey we can see how He provides for us in ways big and small.

We don’t have to run away in fear or try and return to what is familiar when the enemy pursues us. We can remain calm and be still in our hearts. God’s love covers us, and He himself lives inside of us. Therefore we can keep moving on in faith. Everything we need to accomplish God’s purposes and go through unknown territory is available to us through Jesus Christ.

I Will Give You Rest

Matthew 11:28 NLT, “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

I woke up this morning with “rest” on my mind. I feel very thankful that as Christians we can find rest in Jesus. Life has its share of ups and downs, but through prayer we can always entrust our lives and the lives of our loved ones to Jesus. We are free to cast every concern we have upon Him (1 Peter 5:7).

I read a post by Crystal at Devotions of Grace called, “Who Needs Rest?”. It was very encouraging, reminding us that God will take care of us, and that it’s a good thing to rest in Him.

Photo by: Pixabay

Today is a special day, 23 years ago my daughter was born. Although she’s away working in Spain, I’m thankful that as her mother I am able to pray for her and know that God will always take care of her. As parents we don’t have to worry about our children, we can rest in Jesus. Our job is to raise them, but once they grow up and go their own way, we should continue to pray for them and trust God to work in their lives.

My daughter Shalenah

I hope and pray that you will find rest in Jesus and give all you cares to Him. He is attentive to our prayers. No request is too big or too small. He will exchange your worries for His peace and joy, just trust Him.

Run Your Race

Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ”

Photo by: Mateusz Dach

It seems that lately I’ve had many conversations with other Christians about the condition of the world and the church in particular. I believe most Christians would agree that staying true to your faith in Jesus takes effort. It doesn’t come naturally. We have to be willing to trust God and surrender our lives to Him. If you stop to think about it, it also takes effort to pursue the ways of the world. It’s just that the ways of the world are more popular, so it seems more enticing. However, destruction will eventually follow, because sin when full grown leads to death.

James 1:14-15 NIV, “but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

But following Jesus leads to life…

John 14:6 NIV, ”Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Photo by: Nappy

Surrendering to Jesus starts with a decision, but then that decision has to be walked out day by day. Even when the road gets rough, we still have a choice to surrender our all to our Lord. The race we are running for Jesus Christ requires our devotion to Him. We have to learn to obey Him (even in the little things) and make Him a priority in our daily lives.

We also have to accept the fact that to follow Him, we will not always have the approval of people. Sadly even other Christians will at times try to hold us back from closely following Jesus, most likely so they can stay lukewarm or be comfortable in some type of unconfessed sin. There is always that constant tugging upon our hearts to leave our True Love behind and go our own way. But His way is greater. His way is truth. His way satisfies.

Psalm 145:16 NIV, ”You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.”

Photo by: Ravsanjani Gusma

Keep running your race for Jesus. Don’t allow the enemy or people to deter you. Stay focused on the One who will never leave you nor forsake you. The Holy Spirit will empower you. Let the reality of His love carry you through the ups and downs of life. Let His peace be your comfort when people try to harm you. Trust God to bring justice in any and every situation you face. He will fight for you.

Don’t give up, just keep running!

But The Lord Is Faithful

2 Thessalonians 3:3 NIV, “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.”

Everyday we can trust God to be with us and protect us from the fiery darts that the enemy tries to throw our way. The weapons he attempts to form against us will not prosper (Isaiah 54:17). The Lord goes before us and He will strengthen us and uphold us (Deuteronomy 31:8, Isaiah 41:10). Look to Him, and lay every concern you have before Him in prayer. Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

The Lord is faithful and His faithfulness to us will never end. Offer Him thanksgiving for this new day that He has made (Psalm 118:24). Praise Him through every trial. Trust Him even when you don’t understand (Proverbs 3:5). May the peace of God rule and reign in your heart through Jesus Christ our Lord (Colossians 3:15).

Photo By: Josh Sorenson