Are You Looking for PEACE?

 

“You keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trust in You.  Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal!”  

Isaiah 26:3-4

Where is your mind today?  Take a look at what consumes your thoughts and evaluate where it is coming from.  Are you worrying about something?  Are you thinking about something so intently that it causes your whole day to revolve around that?  Money, jobs, friends, school, work, family, etc. we could go on couldn’t we?  Our minds focus on the things of this world, don’t they?  It’s ok to admit it; I’ll even admit it!  I let my mind dwell on certain things that are of this world, which cause me to become stressed, nervous, worried, apprehensive, concerned, and fearful of the future.  Right?  Doesn’t it stress you out when you start looking at the surface of something?  Why do we let it take the best from us?  Why do we give it the benefit of a doubt when something is messed up in our eyes?  I’ll tell you why.  Our minds are not on Christ.  If our mind is set on Him, then we should have no reason to feel anxious or stressed about something.  Because we know that “IN ALL THINGS”, not just “some things”, or “everything but that one thing”, no, “ALL THINGS God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).  Are we are trusting in God to work out these things in our lives?  You have been called according to His purpose, you know?  We have a power within us that we need to take ahold of!  The Power of The Holy Spirit can give you strength for today.  He can give you just what you need, you just have to ask.  When we are no longer looking at the problem or the situation that is causing a war within us, but looking at our God who has everything under control, that is called TRUST!  He tells us all throughout scripture to TRUST Him, and yet we choose to live in our superficial world.   Where is your mind today?  Are you letting the appearance of something dictate your day or your life?  Well, STOP!   Turn your eyes to Him and let Him fill you with “perfect peace”.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

Is Praying Important?

 

Is Praying Important?

 

Is prayer important?  Well, to answer this question, we must first answer what prayer is.  How would you define prayer?  Possibly you might define it as “talking to or asking God for a specific thing (not necessarily a physical object)” or how about “communicating with God”.  Those are good but wouldn’t you like to know a deeper meaning for the word prayer?  The Bible Dictionary by Easton says prayer “presupposes a belief in the personality of God, his ability and willingness to hold intercourse with us, his personal control of all things and of all his creatures and all their actions.”  I love that, because it gives you a great visual of how big our God is.  The Dictionary goes on to say “It is a "beseeching the Lord" (Ex. 32:11); "pouring out the soul before the Lord" (1 Sam. 1:15); "praying and crying to heaven" (2 Chr. 32:20); "seeking unto God and making supplication" (Job 8:5); "drawing near to God" (Ps. 73:28); "bowing the knees" (Eph. 3:14).”  If we were to take all of those examples of prayer and look into our own lives would we see a match?  Well, we might see that in our times of great desperation and need, we were “praying and crying to heaven” or when we really wanted something to go a certain way we were “pouring out the soul before the Lord”.  Are we praying to God because we need something or are we praying to God to converse with Him? 

When we have a conversation with someone, we usually tell them about what is going on in our life, work, family and even our friends (not gossiping, of course).  Then maybe at the end of the conversation we ask, “What do you think I should do?”  And the other person usually responds with his or her personal opinion on the matter.  That opinion can be derived from an experience or knowing of another person’s experience who dealt with the same thing.  Why is it that we would rather seek a person’s opinion rather than God’s?  Is it because God’s not standing right in front of us to tell us exactly what we should do or what He thinks?  Or is it because we are afraid of what He might say?  I think it’s a little bit of both.  Personally, I am falling directly under this category.  I get so caught up in the worldly outlook of my situation or life that I forget about God’s opinion.  I forget that God is more than just some One I cry out to when I need help or when I’ve made a mistake.  He is my Sole Communicator as well as my Soul Communicator (see what I did there, haha).  I know I need to come to God more so I can experience Him in every single level and stage of my life.  But what am I doing wrong?  In Matthew 6:6 it says “When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”   That “secret place” is more than just a room where no one can find you; it is a place in your thoughts where nothing else matters but your sole attention to the One who created you.   As Oswald Chambers says in his book, My Utmost for His Highest, “When we truly live in “the secret place,” it becomes impossible for us to doubt God.  We become more sure of Him than of anyone or anything else.  Enter into “the secret place,” and you will find that God was right in the middle of your everyday circumstances all the time” (Prayer—Battle in “The Secret Place”, Oswald Chambers).  So, how important is prayer?  Well, when we can truly understand the meaning of prayer that is when we’ll know how important it is.

Ruth's Perseverance...

 

Ruth's Perseverance

Every time I write one of these devotionals I pray aloud that God would show me what it is He wants to say to His children, and that I can write it with such clarity that anyone can understand.  Well today, I dropped my Bible and opened up to the book of Ruth, not joking.  It didn’t help that I had a bookmark there, for that is what we are studying next in The Awakening Sunday school class.  I started to read about Ruth.  I have heard the stories of Ruth and Naomi and probably even a message or two about them.  It wasn’t until now that I thought very much of them, but I found a lot of comfort in Ruth’s story.  I found it interesting that in the book of Ruth, the story starts out talking about Naomi who was Ruth’s mother-in-law.  It says that Naomi and her family went to live in Moab but then her husband died and she was left with only her two sons.  They married Moabite women, one of them being Ruth.  Well, the story goes on to say that her two sons died as well.  So, Naomi was left with her daughter-in-laws.  Naomi begins urging them to leave and go back to their families so that they might still have a chance for a family.  Orpah (the other daughter-in-law) leaves and goes back home to her family, but Ruth tells Naomi “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you.  Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.  Your people will be my people and your God, my God.  Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried.  May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me” (Ruth 1:16-17).  I just love that.  Can you imagine how that made Naomi feel?  Before this, everything she had loved and cherished had died and she thought that she was going to be left alone and that even God had given up on her.  A few verses down, Naomi doesn’t want to be called by her real name and she changes her name to Mara, which means “bitter”.  Bitter means “hard to bear; causing pain; characterized by or showing intense hostility; resentful or cynical” (definitions.net).  Have you ever met a bitter person?  They can be really pessimistic and a lot of times unfriendly, but they usually have their reasons, right?  It takes a really strong person to want to be around someone like that, and that was Ruth.  She didn’t leave her mother-in-law, even when she could have.  Things were bad, but life had to go on, so Ruth volunteered to go gleaning in the fields.  Gleaning is “gathering the remains of a crop after harvesting,” and in those days it was done by the extremely poor people.  Naomi and Ruth continue following God and He begins opening doors for them.  The first was that of Boaz, who was a distant relative of Naomi.  They pick his field at random to do the gleaning on and Ruth catches his eye.  Boaz allows Ruth to work for him as a servant and she continues to stay faithful to him and her mother-in-law.  She doesn’t chase after any other men but stays by her master’s side.  Boaz then decides to help her family and buy back their land, which then gives him the opportunity to take Ruth as his wife.  This story is so beautiful to me because it shows that with patience and endurance the Lord will be faithful.  Even through her suffering and what seemed as though it could never look up for Naomi, God never left her.  Even when she turned bitter and felt afflicted by God, God did not turn His back on her.  In fact, Jesus was to born through the linage of Boaz and Ruth. And what about Ruth, what do you admire about her?  I admire her persistance in following after Naomi and her strength and obedience toward her mother-in-law.  She gave everything she had and without fear.  Now thats a woman of perseverance!
Have you ever felt like God has turned His back on you or that He wasn't speaking to you? I know I have and during those times I didn't stay obedient.  In fact, I ran far away from Him in the complete wrong direction.  But stories like Ruth and Naomi can be so encouraging because you can see the end result.  I can’t imagine losing a child or even losing my husband, but those two women had.  They stayed faithful to God and in the end a legacy was born, Jesus. 

"Those who sow in tears will reap a harvest of joy; for though they may weep while going forth to plant their seed, if they persevere, they will undoubtedly return rejoicing—bringing their sheaves with them." (Psalms 126:5-6)

Enter the Rest

Picture by me

Enter the Rest

     Rest means “an instance or period of relaxing or ceasing to engage in strenuous or stressful activity.”  Do you find yourself stressed out periodically, thinking about the future?  Are you constantly going over scenarios in your mind, in order that you might be able to solve a situation going on in your life?  Do you get nervous when you think about everything that you have to do in order to be prepared for something?  I know I do and that is how I have been for as long as I can remember.  I get so stressed out that my mind starts going over every possible action to take and it can last for weeks or maybe even months at a time.  If I don’t get a situation resolved or the answer to my question almost immediately, I become anxious.  The definition of anxious is “experiencing worry, unease, or nervousness, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.”  THAT IS ME!  And if it’s not one thing, it’s another thing.  It’s like I am bound to some kind of uncertainty about something.  But, God does not want that for us.  In fact He offers several solutions to ease this.  Most likely, you all know what they are.  You’ve heard the verses, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-8)  “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.”(Proverbs 12:25) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)  And there are so many more, but do we listen to them or do we believe them?  Do I believe them?  Today’s devotion is another reality check.  I think that we are so caught up in a process that we forget what we are doing and where we are going in life.  Our process has been what we have known for so long.  It’s a practice that we are used to.  We have let our anxiety become a part of us.  We allow something that is of this world (it is definitely not from God) rule in our hearts and minds.  Confusion and fear are NOT from our Heavenly Father.  God is filled with REST.  Doesn’t that word just sound nice?  REST. “Be still and know that I AM GOD.” (Psalm 46:10)  I think we need to take a look at our lives and grab hold of this promise.  This promise is for God’s people, that we might have rest instead of fear, peace instead of anxiety, and relaxation instead of nervousness.  Let’s cling to these verses today and when we find ourselves worrying, LET’S PRAY!  For our GOD is the Creator of the entire Universe, He is Omnipotent, fulfilling, and reassuring us every step of the way.  We must believe it in our hearts!  BELIEVE THAT GOD IS BIGGER THAN OUR SITUATION!

 “Therefore, stop worrying about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”(Matthew 6:34;CEB)

“In fact, we praise the ones who endured the most. You remember how patient Job was and how the Lord finally helped him. The Lord did this because he is so merciful and kind.” (James 5:11)

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,” (2 Corinthians 4:17)

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

How to Find The Right One....

We hear the phrase in many sermons.  We listen to our friends when they have not followed it and their lives aren’t looking the way they wanted it to.  We grasp the meaning behind it and know why we shouldn’t but… are we really getting it?  Do we really want to listen to it? 

2 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV) “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.  For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?”  You know you’ve heard it and you probably agree with it, but what does it mean to be yoked?  And what does an unbeliever look like?  Well, let me tell you.  Dictionary.com says to be yoked together means “something that connects or joins together; a bond or a tie; to become joined securely.”  I hear women, all the time that have met a guy, (a potential dateable guy, in their eyes) and they start to get to know him.  They go out on a couple dates and then they get serious.  After that the relationship goes downhill.  You know it’s true.  When our souls become attached to another human being, (I.E. sex outside of marriage) then of course it’s going to hurt when they decide you’re not the girl they want to be with forever.  You gave them a part of your soul.  That part of our soul was only meant for one time and that is our “equally yoked” partner that God has designed with us in mind.  So, we know the truth.  We know that God designed us for one person.  We know that in order to make a relationship work, first off, they must be “equally yoked” with us.  GIRLS, that doesn’t mean “oh he said he’s a Christian and he goes to church…sometimes.”  Come on now!  We know better!  If he isn’t pursuing God, he isn’t at the point in his life where he can give you anything.  He can’t love you the way you are meant to be loved (I.E. how Christ loved the church).  He can’t give you any advice that is Biblical because He isn’t pursuing God.  I mean really, think about it.  If you love Jesus, and you want to grow in a relationship with Him, and you meet a guy that is doing things the way the world is but, oh, “he says he’s a Christian”.  Stop!  Please, we are smarter than that!  I only speak these things because I said them at one point in my life.  I’ve jumped on the bandwagon of “girls who think they are smarter than God when it comes to finding Mr. Right”.  We won’t say it, but of course that is how we are living.  The Bible clearly tells us what to look out for.  2 Corinthians 6:14 is just one of the verses that provides insight into the matter, insight that many of us choose to ignore.  Another version says, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.  For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness?  Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (ESV)  It’s so good!  “Unequally yoked,” it says it right there, that our bond or our tie with that other person should be equal in the sight of God.  How can a relationship or a marriage last if God is not the firm focus?  Sadly, it doesn’t or those relationships are broken.  Look at any marriage or relationship that seems to be lacking something.  Something in their lives is missing and we know what it is.  It’s God.  The most important thing in relationships is both people knowing that they are redeemed and loved by the Creator of the Universe.  Right?  “Or what fellowship has light with darkness?”  What kind of fellowship could I possibly have with someone who isn’t on the same path towards God as I am?  Are you having relationship after relationship failures?  Take a look inward, what are you really looking for?  If your heart and your mind are not focused on God then your relationships will continue to fail.  I am sorry to say it, but it’s the truth.  And deep down, you know it too.

“For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:16-18 (ESV)

Validating a Christ-Follower

This morning’s devotion is kind of a wakeup call.  It’s a reality check.  It’s all about living up to name Christ-follower.  I know most of you have heard of “the Fruits of the Spirit” right? “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another“ Galatians 5:22-23 NKJ.  Are we living out the things that are defined in the Bible as “those who are Christ’s’?”  If you read Galatians 5:19, it explains the opposite of someone who is a Christ-follower: “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery,^[c] fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹ envy, murders,^[d] drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”  Woh! That’s some intense stuff.   But some of those words are still kind of foreign to us.  We still think, “oh well, I don’t murder or fornicate or commit adultery.”  But!  Remember when Jesus said in Matthew 5:21 that even if you become angry with anyone you have already committed murder in your heart.  And it goes hand in hand with adultery.  Girls, if you have ever looked at Tom Welling or even Channing Tatum (yes ladies he is married!) and said “wow I wish I could be with him!” You have already committed adultery in your heart!!!  WOW! How the heck are we supposed to show the Fruits of the Spirit anyhow?  I mean, our culture is screaming at us and throwing all of the “works of the flesh” at us from all directions!  How is it possible?  Let me tell you how...  Don’t watch those movies!  There I said it. What? No way!  I can’t NOT watch movies with hot married stars in it, Sarah!  Well at least right now you shouldn’t.  If you can’t get through a movie thinking about how gorgeous that celebrity is, then you probably shouldn’t watch that movie anyways because you are setting yourself up for failure.  The devotional today wasn’t on living up to a specific standard.  It was actually about how we act that shows others around us (yes, even non-believers) what a true Christ-follower is.  It was on 2 Corinthians 6:3-13.  In these verses, Paul is telling the Corinthians that he has been careful not to let anything come into his life that would cause it a stumbling block for them.  He goes on to explain: “But in everything and in every way we show that we truly are God’s servants. We have always been patient, though we have had a lot of trouble, suffering, and hard times. ⁵ We have been beaten, put in jail, and hurt in riots. We have worked hard and have gone without sleep or food. ⁶ But we have kept ourselves pure and have been understanding, patient, and kind. The Holy Spirit has been with us, and our love has been real. ⁷ We have spoken the truth, and God’s power has worked in us. In all our struggles we have said and done only what is right.”  Now, if that doesn’t sound like the “Fruits of the Spirit” then I don’t know what is.  You see, it isn’t about a set of rules and following these guidelines because we have to or because we are supposed to live up to that standard.  No!  It’s because if I am telling you that lusting after someone is wrong, and I go and watch a chick flick and I lust after a relationship like the one in the movie, then my accreditation is all gone because I have committed lust in my heart.  Does that make sense?  I know it’s hard, people, but we have to think about the things we are doing.  Are we validating the Fruits of the Spirit in our own lives or are we living out Works of the Flesh?