Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all. ~2 Thessalonians 3:16 ESV I needed the presence and the peace of God. I try to spend extended time with the Lord on Sundays, reading His Word and praying. One Sunday, an overflow of prayer needs came to mind. My wife had undergone three hospitalizations the month before and was in rehab, getting healthy enough to come home. … Continue reading →
“I’ve forgiven, but why am I still upset?” Why do I feel the same pain? The Pain of Unforgiveness These questions hit me every time someone hurts me. The emotions tear me down, giving me a heavy heart, even after I have forgiven. But God commands us to forgive because He has forgiven us. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor [perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding] and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of … Continue reading →
“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.” ~Psalm 91:14-15 NIV When life gets busy and chaotic, we are wise to stop everything and seek a piece of His mind—God’s mind. No Peace Circumstances shout, demanding our attention. Confusion creeps in. And when our … Continue reading →
When God says, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life” (Proverbs 4:23, NLT), I sit up and take notice. The Physical Heart The course of my life? That’s intense. Another Bible translation of that verse says to guard my heart, “for from it flow the springs of life” (NASB). That sounds important, too, and not something I should back-burner. God is not talking about my literal heart that is pumping blood through my … Continue reading →
Maintaining a sense of peace no matter the circumstances is huge for me. I am usually plagued with worry and fear. Lately, I’ve been consistently calm, even when troubling events and unsolvable problems have crossed my path. How can this be? When I see what is going on around me, I am shocked that I’m not inwardly cringing or fretting. I have been pressing into God, asking (more like begging) Him to help me trust Him completely. Along with prayer, … Continue reading →
If you struggle with discouragement, you can uncover the secret of peace. Alex was his name, and the mere glimpse of his name in my daily schedule brought a smile to my face. When I opened the door to my office, he seemed to let the sunshine itself in. His bright smile, exuberant laugh, and kindness filled the room. Alex lived in the neighborhood, and I often saw him walking past my window with his guide dog, Buddy. Alex amazed … Continue reading →
John the Baptist’s followers asked Jesus, “Are You the One we’ve been expecting?’ … Jesus told them, “Go back and tell John what’s going on: the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side.” ~Matthew 11:1-8 MSG God is on our side. We know this from reading Matthew 11:1-8. We can all recall incidents when we knew God was on our … Continue reading →
We can’t sit beside a lake every day, but we can have the peace Jesus promised us…
Continue reading →The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. ~Psalm 19:1–2 NIV Peace in a Storm Early last night, a June storm pummeled our home. Rain prattled against the window, Thunder rumbled the sky, all the earth drenched–– Each tree branch, every flowering plant And blade of grass drank deeply of heaven, Pouring its provision of sustenance For ten long minutes, … Continue reading →
ANXIETY WITHIN And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” ~ Mark 10:51 ESV I could hear the low rumble of my car’s motor as the cool air from the air conditioner blew strands of hair into my face. Peace eluded me. The summer heat in the South pushed a band of perspiration across my forehead, and with one swipe of my hand, I pushed … Continue reading →
