Peace

You know that feeling when you have nothing to do, no where to be and all the bills are paid.  For a lot of people that is peace and don't get me wrong it's a great place to be.  In most of our lives it takes what we deem is the perfect day to get there.  Let's see what we can find in scripture about peace.

Psalm 34:14

Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.

 

Isaiah 54:10

For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed," Says the Lord, who has mercy on you.

 

Isaiah 26:12

Lord, You will establish peace for us, For You have also done all our works in us.

 

Isaiah 26:3

You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

 

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

 

John 16:33

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

 

Alright, I have added verses from the Old Testament,  Psalms and a couple from John.  What stands out to you?  For me it starts with making sure I'm doing good and seeking peace.  How do we seek peace?  Don't do evil things.  Let us be honest with ourselves..when we do something bad does it keep you up at night?  If you tell a lie does it take all you can to keep the lie covered up?  That makes sense.

Seeking Peace?

It's often noted in the Bible despite me not posting scriptures that even Jesus needed time alone with God the Father.  In order for us to find God who the scripture above says gives peace when need that alone time.  It may be your drive to work or starting the day in prayer.  It might be when you go for a walk.  Those are just a few ideas.  If you wait until the end of the day it usually makes it tough to find that peace because you are physically and emotionally drained.

Peace I leave with you!!!

In John 14:27 Jesus says He leaves peace with you.  He goes on to say "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  If we believe He is who He says He is then we should know nothing is impossible for Him and that He also knows the hairs on our heads.  God is involved in our lives everyday.  How much you want to be involved with Him is totally up to you!  Our lives aren't meant to be lived from worry to worry or trial to trial.  We were made to live in peace.

Next time you feel that anxiety coming up in your mind, where you pulse is racing and everything is spirally out of control..STOP!  Find some time away with God by taking a walk, talking to God in a quiet place where not only you can talk but also listen.  I won't guarantee you will hear an audible voice but a scripture may come to mind.  You might find just getting it out to God makes you feel better.  Finally it will let you know how deep your faith really goes.

That's all for this month.  Have a wonderful Christmas and may God make it a peaceful one for you and those you share it with.  God Bless you!

 

 

 

 

 

Joy is Powerful!

In our lives as Christians(believers in God(Father, Son and Holy Spirit) who serve Him) we can get stagnant, bored at times and lifeless in our daily walk.  What can we do to find that joy that now might be alluding us?  What is joy?  Lets take a look at joy!

Joy is defined as a noun as a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.  That's a pretty wonderful feeling.  For some of us it might be easy to see it in our childhoods, or in the life of our own child.  They have joy all the time.  Children bounce back quickly from many things that as adults we might tend to dwell on.  Think back when was the last time you felt joy?  

Let's look at some verses for joy in the bible!

Hebrews 12:2

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

 

Romans 14:17

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,

 

Psalm 30:5

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

 

John 16:22

So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

 

Philemon 1:7

Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.

 

Isaiah 12:6

Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.

 

Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

Nehemiah 8:10

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁰ Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

 

We see in the verses that joy is often accompanied by peace, encouragement, and in song.  The joy of the Lord is your strength stands out to me the most of these verses.  How do you feel when you are joyful?  You feel strong, confident, at peace, etc.  Joy is a powerful thing it can change a person with a downcast heart into a glowing, smiling, confident person that is contagious to others.  It brings life where ever it goes.  Joy is like a light in a dark place!

When we lack joy often we feel tired, discouraged, distracted and lost.  It's in that place we need God most.  Since He is our provider of joy how can we get it?  Lets find a few ways!

If joy is lacking in my life there are a few things I tend to do to get myself back on track.  Here we go...

1. Sing and listen to praise and worship music. (You can't help but be uplifted as positive, joyful, Godly music pours into your soul.  You have probably heard you are what you eat, well it applies to our media consumption as well.)

2.  Read Psalms in the Bible.  (These chapters and verses are once again praising God and they lift our spirit by reading positive, encouraging and of course the Word of God.)

3.  Let worry go and focus on the things you are thankful for.  (Starting the day thanking God for the many blessings you have like running water, electricity, heat, air conditioning, food, eyes that can see, that you can breathe is a great place to start every day!)

4.  Pray!  (Realize that life is not hopeless!  God is in control and He is listening to you!)

So if you are going through one of those tough seasons in life find your way back to the Word of God, pray, praise, worship, and thank Him!  He is still there no matter what season you are in!