Of course there is! I am not talking about the kind of peace you can purchase, steal or borrow. I am talking about the kind of peace that allows you to lay your head down on the pillow to rest and know that you have "Jesus" peace in your heart. Not because you did a fantastic job today or that you said all of the right things today, but you did say "yes" to Jesus. You asked Him to come into your life, forgive you of your sins and YOU BELONG TO HIM!
Our lives are spinning at an incredible speed. There is challenge at nearly every turn, yet we still can have confidence that peace is not only possible, but waiting for us. May we not be guilty of undoing our own peace, as is so often the case. May we be peace promoters. Isn't that a lovely thought? That we could actually change the direction of a day by allowing the peace of Jesus to rest in our hearts. We will have struggles, challenges and obstacles, on that we can be sure. However, we do not have to hand over our peace in those situations. We can lean more into Jesus and ask Him to walk us through it.
Pastor Chip has asked that we read and pray through Psalm 149 several times before Sunday. I trust you will and you will arrive at church on Sunday ready and eager to hear from your LORD.
See you Sunday,
Marilyn
Tonight has been flat out hard so I was grateful to read this post. "Leaning more into Jesus and asking Him to walk me through" the difficulty and raw hurt. This is a version of Phil. 4 from the Message and I think the wording is awesome:
ReplyDelete" 6-7Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
8-9Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies."
Ashley, I am sorry that you are going through a rough time right now. I will be praying for you. I love that passage of scripture. Meditating and repeating scriptures is one of the best ways to deal with issues that want to consume us. Just continue to give this issue over to God, as many times a day as it takes. Before long He will begin to give you a peace, even if it doesn't turn out the way you would like.
ReplyDeleteIn Christ,
Brandy
I am praying for you, too Ashley. Wonderful words of wisdom, Brandy. Also remember that God is sovereign and He is in control even if we can't always see it. Worry is fear and lack of trust in God.....remember 2 Timothy 1:7 "God does not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind (calm spirit)". Continuing to dwell in God's Word (memorizing, studying and meditating on it) will moment by moment transform us into the image of Christ. I so desire that and it is hard not to beat myself up when I fail. But, we must persevere and be diligent to repent and move forward. Seek Him above all else and remember our purpose to "make disciples" and draw others to His kingdom. It is all about Him, not about me.
ReplyDeleteThanks Brandy & Ann for words of wisdom! Love you both, my sisters in Christ!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post Marilyn. Ann, I know that it is true that "worry is fear and lack of trust of God" But, it IS true that saturating our mind AND heart with truth is the only way to overcome fear, worry, anxiety and those things that rob us of peace. I have found, as Brandy has said many times, that is it a DAILY choice and discipline in my life. This class has been a great source of encouragement to me because I realize I am not walking alone. Thanks for being in my life ladies.
ReplyDeleteLadies, my heart was warmed to see the post this morning when I opened the blog spot. Ashley, I know you are going to win this battle. I know that because you are a woman after God's own heart. You see truth and are willing to fight for it. I know you will choose to walk in His ways and not give in to fear. Fear is a powerful tool of the enemy but God is more powerful. Thank you Ann and Brandy for holding your sister up as she works this time. Make your choice today, God will do the rest. See you all Wednesday. Marilyn
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