Tag: peace

Exhale In God’s Presence

Exodus 33:14 NIV, “The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Have you ever had days where during your time of prayer, there was so much to talk to the Lord about, that you didn’t even know where to begin? Trying to put everything that was in your heart into words seemed overwhelming. Well I had one of those days recently. Because I had many things I wanted to talk to God about, I wasn’t sure where to begin.

As I entered into prayer, I could sense the Holy Spirit telling me to just be still. Instead of trying to figure out what I’d say first, He lead me to just quietly rest in God’s presence without saying anything. I begin to feel His peace, and my busy mind begin to quiet down. After a few moments of taking time to exhale in God’s presence, my prayers to Him begin to flow.

I’ve been learning to take time out to allow the Holy Spirit to encourage me. He is always ready to fill us with whatever we need. Rather it’s a scripture He brings to our memory, His comfort when we are hurting, His peace when we are anxious, or His wisdom for decisions we must make.

The struggles we face, rather financial, mental, emotional, or even physical are not too great for our Lord. We can depend on Him to supply what we need. When we feel as if our resources are limited, we must look to Him. He is an abundant God. He has ways of getting us what we need. He can bring the right people and opportunities into our lives. His resources will never run out.

We will never have all the answers to life’s questions. There are many things we will go through that will seem unfair. The weight of life is too heavy for us to carry it on our own. But God’s grace is sufficient for us. Take time each day, to exhale in God’s presence. He is able to carry you.

Jesus, Our Very Present Help

Psalm 46:1 ESV, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

The Lord is always present with us. He’s there to help us. He will give us the strength we need daily, and will protect us from harm. As you you face this new day, remember He is your refuge. There is no tribulation that will come your way that He is not aware of. There is no trial you must endure that He cannot carry you through.

May your heart be filled with joy, peace, and comfort as you rejoice in our Risen Savior. Jesus is our living hope and He will never fail us.

Is It A Facade?

Proverbs 17:1 NIV, “Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.”

When I read this verse, it reminded me right away that things can appear to be one way on the surface, but can actually be something else in reality. People can appear to have it all and be on top of the world, but on the inside they are discontent, hurt, and empty.

We live in a world where it’s easy for people to put up a facade, but their reality is less than pleasant. Not only is it easy to put up a facade, but doing so is also celebrated. The more perfect a persons life appears on the outside, the more accepted they feel. But then, they must work tirelessly to maintain that illusion of happiness, so they can continue to feel accepted.

This verse tells us that a lifestyle of peace is better than one that invites strife. Sometimes less is in fact more. Regardless of what we have or don’t have, our main goal should always be to honor God, and keep His commandments.

If our focus is not primarily on the Lord, things will get out of line. Our focus will then be on ourselves, other people, and the ongoing pursuit of material things, which will ultimately lead to pain.

I pray that as Christians, our main focus will be on having a lifestyle of love and worship toward the Lord, as we pursue the purpose He has for us. May we also share His unconditional love and acceptance with those around us, because true acceptance is found in Jesus Christ.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 NIV, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.”

Take Heart As You Wait

Psalm 27:14 NLT, “Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.”

I can remember a time when I never wanted to wait on the Lord. When I would pray, I wanted immediate answers and immediate comfort from whatever difficulty I was facing. I didn’t care much about God’s purposes. I didn’t take time to think about the fact that He had to work in my heart, and or the hearts of other people before the answers to certain prayers could come. When we pray, we should wait expectantly like the Psalmist did…

Psalm 5:3 NIV, “In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.

Although there are times answers come quickly, there are also times when we must wait. I’ve come to understand that part of being committed to Jesus Christ means that we will often have to wait. He freely gives us His love, strength, and peace so that we can stand firm while we wait.

Being willing to wait on Him, is a testimony of our faith and trust in Him. It shows that we honor Him, and realize that His understanding far outweighs our own. He is eternal, therefore He can see way beyond the surface of the issues we face.

With the help of the Holy Spirit, we are able to learn to wait patiently. Not because we have all the answers, but because we know our God is the Answer. He is perfect and He is just.

Deuteronomy 32:4 NIV, “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.”

Be It Unto Me

Luke 1:38 KJB, “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.”

I always admire this response from Mary when the angel visited her to let her know she would carry and deliver Jesus, the Savior of the world. It reminds me that when the Lord calls us to a task, we should be willing and ready to say, “be it unto me according to thy word”. We never know what type of impact our actions will have on the world. That’s why obedience to the Lord is vital.

Jesus truly impacted mankind by dying for the sins of the world, and Mary was a vessel God used to help bring His great plan to past. Her decision to be faithful to God was not without hardships, because she endured many. It’s the same for us. Making a decision to do God’s will, will often bring hardships and persecution, Jesus knew this firsthand. So He encouraged us in John 16:33 by telling us to have peace, because He has overcome the troubles of this world.

Whatever happens in this life, God knows the plans He has for us. He will fill our hearts with joy as we wait on and trust in Him. Every new day we face is in God’s hands. Like Mary, we can find peace in our Lord because we know He will always provide for us. We can safely place our hope in Him and say, “be it unto me according to thy word.”

Staying True To Commitments

1 Kings 8:61 NIV, “And may your hearts be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”

Yesterday at church the pastor discussed the importance of being committed to Christ. We should be committed to obeying His Word by applying it to our daily lives. We should also represent Christ by staying true to the commitments we make to other people. We should make a habit of following through when we give our word that we will do something for someone. Being committed is a reflection of who we are in Christ.

A couple of years ago, I signed up at church to host a small six week bible study in my home. Although initially nine people signed up, there were about four who were committed to attending every week. I was grateful for those who followed through and faithfully showed up. I remember feeling disappointed about the ones who didn’t come.

About half way through the study, a tenth person signed up. However, she never showed up and never responded to my emails. On week six, the final week, only three people showed up. So I wasn’t able to say my final goodbyes or give them all the little gifts I had for them. I’ve always considered myself to be pretty committed, however this experience reinforced the importance of commitment in my heart.

Sometimes in life things happen beyond our control and we have to change our plans, and that’s understandable. But in general as Christians, we should be people that others can rely on to be honest and loyal, dependable and trustworthy.

I’m asking God to help me to be a woman of my word who follows through on her commitments, so that I will represent Jesus well. His light should shine through our actions, because people are watching us even when we don’t think they are.

He’s Still God

James 4:10 NIV, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

Not too long ago I was talking to the Lord about some issues I was having, and I heard Him speak these words to my heart, “I’m still God.” When I heard God speak those words to me, I immediately felt peace. No matter what we may go through, He is still God. When our hearts are humbled before Him, it opens the door for Him to be God in our lives. He has promised to lift us up when we are intentional about remaining humble before Him.

Photo by: homethods.com

This picture reminds me of the absolute beauty that is found in having humility before God. The same God who commands the oceans to be still, is the same God who calms the storms in our lives. It’s not all about the words we speak to God, or the things we do for God, but instead it’s all about who He is. It’s about what He says and what He does.

Humility allows us to experience who God is, and the blessings He wants to give us. Remain humble before God, and remember that no matter what happens…

He’s Still God.