“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” (Isaiah 26:3)

We all need two kinds of peace in our lives. We need inner peace with God but we also need peace with others. God addresses both. He tells us what to do to find that peace.

Inner peace is a gift of the Holy Spirit and our thankfulness and faith impacts it.  It’s a choice to focus our mind on Jesus and all He is. Peace is the natural result of that choice.

“You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is focused on You because He trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3)

Inner peace hinges on my trust in God. Inner peace is there for the choosing.

The second kind of peace, peace with others, starts with the understanding that God has called us to be peacemakers in our world.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)

Notice that the call is to be “peacemakers” and not simply “peacekeepers”?

Sometimes “peacekeepers” will do anything just to keep peace. That is not what God is asking of us. He is calling us to be “peacemakers”.

Is there somewhere in your own world where you can help make peace?
Is there an invitation that needs to be extended to smooth over a fractured family relationship?
Is there an apology to be made or a silence to be broken that has stood as a barrier for too long?
Is there an issue that needs to be addressed with loving-kindness?
Is there a boundary that needs to be extended to help make a relationship healthy?

Don’t miss the blessing God promises in your life as you respond to His call to be a peacemaker in your own circle.

We can help bring peace to our world one heart at a time.

Prayer of action:

Lord,

“Make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
and Where there is sadness, joy…
Divine Master;
Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen”

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Question: Take a look at the questions above. How is God calling you to be a peacemaker?

If you need prayer, we would like to pray with you.

“They all met together continually for prayer.” Mark uses the same Greek word here translated “continually” to describe a boat floating in the water, waiting on Jesus. The Master, speaking on the beach of Galilee, told the disciples to have a boat ready and waiting (Mark 3:9). The boat was “continually” in the presence of Christ. So are the Upper Room disciples. One day passes. Then two. Then a week. For all they know a hundred more will come and go. But they aren’t leaving. They persist in the presence of Christ.

The followers were willing to do one thing: wait in the right place for power.

We’re so reluctant to do what they did. Who has time to wait? We groan at such a thought. But waiting doesn’t mean inactivity—rather inHIMactivity. Waiting means watching for him. If you are waiting on a bus, you are watching for the bus. If you are waiting on God, you are watching for God, searching for God, hoping in God. Great promises come to those who do. “But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isa. 40:31).

To those who still struggle, God says, “Wait on me.” And wait in the right place. Jesus doesn’t tell us to stay in Jerusalem, but he does tell us to stay honest, stay faithful, stay true.

Desire power for your life?

It will come as you pray. For ten days the disciples prayed. Ten days of prayer plus a few minutes of preaching led to three thousand saved souls. Perhaps we invert the numbers. We’re prone to pray for a few minutes and preach for ten days. Not the apostles. Like the boat waiting for Christ, they lingered in his presence. They never left the place of prayer.

Question: Do you pray only for the “big things”? Do you think God cares about the “small things” too?

It got me thinking about my own marriage to Debbie.  One memory in particular stood out.  Debbie and I were still young, living in Manitoba.  One day, Debbie and I were out for a walk when we spotted a note pinned to the railing of the bridge ahead.  Curious, we read the note.  It was addressed to my wife!  Debbie would often come this way on her walks, and a stranger had been watching.  Following.  Admiring.  The note left a phone number and invited Debbie to give him a call.  I was enraged that someone was stalking my wife. We left the note where it was, and kept walking.  Only minutes later, we looked back and noticed a man stop and pick up the note.

Leaving Debbie behind, I ran back to my house in time to see the man pull away in his truck.  Within seconds, I was in my own vehicle, chasing him down the road.  I pulled ahead of him and then slammed on my brakes, forcing him to stop. I physically hauled him out of his car, slammed him down on the hood, and shook him.  “Are you stalking my wife?” I yelled.  He denied it, until I pointed the note in the back of his car. Still shouting I yelled  “You leave my wife alone and never go near her again because I will use every resource I have to stop you!”  I’m one hundred percent sure that if not for God, I would have hurt the guy badly.  I was that furious.  That was the end of him coming anywhere near our house or that bridge.

Maybe you’re appalled that I lost my temper.  To this day, I shake my head over how rashly I behaved.  But I’m not sorry that I acted so swiftly and decisively to protect Debbie and our marriage.  And that incident taught me more than few things about love and commitment.

So often, when people think about commitment they think about what they stand to lose.  If I give myself to this person, I’ll lose my freedom.  It will cost me so much – so much time, so much money, so much energy.  What if the sacrifice is too great?

Yes, commitment involves loss.  But it also involves enormous gain.  When you make those vows, you gain a lifelong ally, a refuge, a protector.  Someone who will fight with you and for you, for the things that matter most.  Those vows Debbie and I made were what compelled me to run after that man.  Because Debbie had pledged herself to me, I trusted her; I didn’t need to stop and wonder whether I had misread the situation.  Because I had pledged myself to Debbie, I leapt to her defense.  I risked my own safety to make sure she would be safe.  Commitment makes a new kind of love possible: deeper, more courageous, more adventurous.  True love is not possible apart from true and total commitment.

Think about this in the spiritual realm.  So often people worry that if they pledge to follow Jesus, God will ask them to give things up.  He might; it’s true.  But we’ve got it backwards if that’s what we focus on.  Because giving ourselves fully to God actually involves enormous gain.  Satan sets out to destroy us.  But picture this:  the Creator of the universe grabbing Satan and shaking him.  “You have no idea who you’re dealing with!  Stay away from my child!”  That’s the kind of power and love we have on our side when we’ve given ourselves completely to Jesus.  (If you doubt me, try reading Romans 8:28-39 every day for a week.)  And when you’re sure of that love and power, you’ll find yourself loving God and loving others more courageously and more freely than you ever imagined.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)

Walking in peace, with your heart calm even when your life is not, is one of the wonderful benefits of the Christian life. God reminds us to pay attention to what is going on within our hearts and to make some intentional choices.

Your heart is the well-spring of all of your life. It is the place that your reactions, your attitudes, your actions all bubble up from.  Some translations say, ““Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”  All that you are as you walk through this day, with whatever it holds, will spring from your heart. That’s why God tells us specifically to guard that well-spring. We are wise to check what is residing in that well-spring especially when we find peace has vanished and worry and stress has taken it’s place.

There will always be one of two very specific things in the lead of all the things in our hearts. Faith or Fear. One will always be on the top of the heap. They cannot both occupy the same place. If faith resides there your well-spring will pour out peace and confidence in God’s care for you, even in the midst of uncertain times.

If fear resides there anxiety and depression will be the natural outward flow. Faith or Fear.  Every day we choose.  Many times a day we choose.

Faith over-rides Fear.  Fear over-rides Faith.

God tells us exactly what to do when fear grips our hearts and takes over our minds. Left unchecked it will scatter our faith and our peace like confetti in the wind and leave us anchorless in the storms of life.

Yet God in His love gives us specific instructions as to what to do.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

What a simple formula! Not easy – but simple. Worry is a call to prayer. The moment you become aware of that churning anxiety over ANYTHING, go immediately to your Heavenly Father.  Present your requests to Him. Then turn your thoughts and prayers to thanksgiving.

•     Thank Him for His promise to never forsake you.
•     Thank Him for the power of His name.
•     Thank Him for His intimate knowledge of every detail of your life.
•      Thank Him for His track record in your life when He has been there for you in the past.
•     Thank Him that He works all things together for your good as you trust Him.
•     Thank Him that He is at work establishing His kingdom in your life.

Your faith and trust in God will over-ride your fear and His peace will actually put a guard around your heart and mind so fear cannot over run you. It’s supernatural and it’s real.

Prayer of action:

Father God,

I confess that I often allow Your peace to slip from my heart.  Fear is often my first response to challenges that come my way. May I be conscious today of choosing to trust You with every detail of my life. Help me to have faith to leave the question marks in Your control and to trust You to carry me and to sustain me with your peace that is beyond understanding. Today I choose to put my trust in You. I choose to walk in Your peace.
Fill my heart with childlike faith today I ask in the strong name of Jesus, Amen.

Question: How can you walk in faith and peace today?

“The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.” Psalm 23:1-3

I should have gotten up earlier. Why did I choose a flight this early in the morning? If I hit one more red light I’m going to miss it. I will have to park in short term parking for a long-term trip. I just can’t miss this trip. I have to be at the meeting on time and there are no back-up flights.  Maybe I should have gone the night before.

All of these thoughts were in my mind as I sped, a little over the limit, down the highway towards the airport. As the departure time drew closer, my chest tightened.

Then I caught an ear to the sermon on Christian radio. “Faith and patience are tied together”, he said. Oh really, I thought. Yes, he said… “If our faith is in God we will have undeniable patience. The two are inextricably intertwined. If my faith is in Him and I have surrendered my life to the Lord Jesus Christ, then I won’t worry about whether I make that flight.” Or really, I thought, how does this guy know I am on the way to the airport. I listened further and more intently.

What if my making that flight is not in God’s plan? If I am totally dedicated to him then I should not fret or worry about the future, schedule wise, health wise, financially wise or any other wise.

This is a translation of the 23rd psalm from a Japanese Bible.  It says it all:

The Lord is my Pace-setter, I shall not rush;
He provides me with images of stillness, which restore my serenity,
He makes me stop and rest for quiet intervals,
He leads me in ways of efficiency through calmness of mind,
And His guidance is peace.
Even though I have a great many things to do each day,
I will not fret, for His presence is here,
He prepares refreshment and renewal in the midst of my activity,
His timelessness, His all-importance, will keep me in balance,
By anointing my mind with His oils of tranquility.
My cup of joyous energy overflows,
Surely harmony and effectiveness shall be the fruit of my hours,
and I shall walk in the pace of my Lord and dwell in His house forever.

That gives life a new perspective. Let God be your pacesetter, your provision for everything and above all a peace about life.

Question: Do you need God’s peace today?

 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43)

This is a very familiar passage of scripture, but take a minute to consider the faith of the second criminal. He feared God. The other criminal mocked Jesus, but this man knew he deserved the death sentence. He believed Jesus lived a sinless life. The criminal knew Jesus had done nothing wrong.

He believed Jesus was God’s Anointed One. He understood that one day God would send the Messiah to save His people. While others doubted, this man recognized the truth in his dying moments. He believed Jesus had the power to save him. Even though Jesus hung dying on the cross next to him, this criminal asked Jesus to remember him. Death could not prevent Jesus from receiving the kingdom God established for Him.

What about us?

Each of us deserves death because of our deeds. We cannot show contempt for God and escape His justice. “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” (Galatians 6:7)

Jesus, the sinless Son of God, has the power to save us. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10) No situation, no sin, no shame is too great for His power.

Gracious Heavenly Father, give me faith like the criminal who died next to Jesus. I believe You have the power to save me. Amen

Questions: What do you learn about faith from the criminal? Where in your life do you need to experience the power of God?

“And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3)

Sometimes I picture God creating the world by throwing stars into the night sky like pixie dust. Except, that’s not how it went down. God pre-existed the beginning of time. He’s always been and always will be. The word for that is eternal. But lots of religions and gods claim the same everlasting qualities.

So how is Elohim any different? The great and mighty God would reveal Himself to humanity, not yet created, in the following millennia. But during creation, before man’s existence, God was. And in this moment, He is known by one very human attribute.

If we were to witness creation, we would only hear Him. That’s right. We would hear His voice. The whisper would reverberate through the void as creation became itself at His command.

God spoke. Everything else followed.

God is not a busy sprite or super-Santa. He is not a Greek myth that needs to throw lightning bolts in order to have any effect on the world. He simply speaks and reality changes. C. S. Lewis was once compelled to conclude, “Christianity is the one, true, factual myth”.   It’s places like creation where I can see this the clearest.

God: the true myth. He is the power and the person, the reality, and the mystery.

How does speech create anything? I’m not sure, but I love that His power is revealed through speech because it makes Him somewhat accessible. After all, we speak too. Communication is one of the most human characteristics. God is both powerful and personal and we are created in His image.

God created. That’s too much for me to understand! But God spoke? That’s something I can digest. The myth and the truth are one.

He is the master… and yet His commandments are not burdensome.

He is so high above… and yet He has come that we may have life to the fullest.

He is eternal and outside of time… yet He relates to us in time.

He is the Lord… of love.

He is the God… of grace.

He is the Big… of all that are small.

Let’s make our hearts small before Him. Let’s humble ourselves to His lordship. Let’s embrace the reality that He controls everything, by merely speaking. It’s a great comfort to rest under the shadow of that wing.

Father, Help me to understand the vastness of Your power and love.  Amen.

Question: How does God’s powerful nature affect your day?

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“Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.”  (Isaiah 54:4a)

In the first chapter of the book of Joshua God told him several times not to fear and to be of good courage. I think he must have needed to hear that, don’t you?  We all do at times!  It seems that just when we think we have conquered an area of fear in our lives another situation comes our way and we have to overcome our fear all over again.

Joshua’s situation brings comfort to us.  As we know, Joshua took these words to heart and acted in faith despite his fear.  We know that love casts out all fear and that the act of faith is our weapon to conquering it.  God doesn’t give us anything we can’t handle.  He actually provides for us AND equips us for the things He is asking us to do.  He won’t ever put us in a situation we aren’t prepared for.

Faith is rooted in our trust in God. It is propelled by His love and requires our action.  Faith isn’t faith until we put feet to it.  What would it be like to put feet to faith?

When we trust God and His ability above our own and obey without knowing the outcome – that’s faith.  In Hebrews 11, the “Hall of Faith” is mentioned.  We read through the lives of the heroes of our faith and can we see that every one of them was required to act upon their trust in God.

It is so easy to allow fear to get in the way of pursuing our purpose in life.  Often, it is that very thing that we fear most which usually identifies what we are purposed for.  In order for God’s purposes to be fulfilled in our life, we must put feet to faith and act upon those things that He is calling us into.

When we walk in obedience and trust God we get to watch Him come through in our situations in ways we could never dream of!  By faith, Abraham obeyed when God called him to a place not knowing where he was going, and lived in a wonderful land of promise.  By faith, Noah prepared an ark having been warned of things not yet seen.  He and his family were saved!

God calls His people to live lives of faith.  Faith pleases God, and faith moves His hand upon our lives and situations. Are you walking in faith? Are you living in faith?  You’ll know you are if you’re in a place of utter, complete, dependence upon God.

Father God,

Increase my faith and help me live in total dependence upon You.  I surrender my life and all I am to Your will and the very things in which You are calling me into.  I ask for Your Love to cover me and declare that today I will go forth in courage and in obedience to Your word.  In the Mighty Name of Jesus,  Amen.

Question: What about you – are you living in faith?

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