Indescribable Peace

photo credit: 1Shada

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7

Peace. It is a wonderful feeling to experience in life.

Peace that only God can bring is something, as a Child of God, that I long for.

The past couple of weeks have been quite stressful for me, not in a negative way at all, but stressful nonetheless. You may be wondering how stress can be anything but negative. Let me explain what I mean. God has been teaching me lately to grow and to step out of my comfort zone. While it has been a good change and I have enjoyed the chance to stretch my wings, it has not come without a bit of fear. I have spent a lot of time in prayer.

I found myself longing for and searching for the peace I knew could only come from God.  As I prayed for wisdom, thanked God for all that He had done, searched for answers, and trusted God, I found that each day He was leading me, calming me, and carrying me in His arms. There, I found peace. In the arms of my Savior I could rest.

Lately I have learned what today’s verse really means. I have read this verse before. I had to memorize it when I was in school. The past couple of weeks, however, it has really taken on a new meaning to me.

I have heard the voice of fear in my mind telling me that there is no way I will get through this, only to have it overpowered by an overwhelming sense of peace that could only come from God. Lately, I have experienced that peace that passes all understanding.

What a wonderful feeling it is to know that even through my scariest storms God is carrying me, caring for me, and shaping me into the person He wants me to be.

I do not know what storms you might be facing. I do not know what is stressing you out right now. But, I do know that there is a peace that can only come from God. He offers you a peace that you could not possible understand, but when you sense it in your life there will be no doubt from where it came.

I pray today that you will seek God, go to Him in prayer, and thank Him for all that He has done in your life. As you do this, I pray that you too will experience this peace that passes all understanding.

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This Too Shall Pass

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

When I was a little girl my parents would tell me two things when I was facing a trial. Even now, as a grown woman, this advice still rings in my ears. My dad would tell me, “Don’t sweat the small stuff, and it is all small stuff.” My mom would tell me, “This too shall pass.” At the time, I did not quite understand what that meant. But now as an adult, I know exactly what they meant: Life is hard, but the things of this life are just temporary.

We struggle. We get hurt.  People disappoint us and let us down.

Life has a way of  handing us things we are not ready for. People hurt us or misjudge us. Our bodies betray us and our health begins to fail. ( I am sure we could each add a trial of our own here.)

There are so many things we could talk about this morning that afflict us, things that catch us off guard and try to bring us down. However, when I read this verse, I am reminded that we are not to focus on these things. Paul reminds us that these “light afflictions” are just temporary.

We are told to focus on the things which are unseen; the spiritual blessings that we are given. We are to focus on the things which are eternal, the rewards that await us in Heaven.

When trouble comes our way, it is very easy to become so focused on our hurt and pain that we lose sight of what is really ahead of us. We lose sight of the prize, so to speak.

As Christians, we need to remember that the things of this life are just temporary.  We are reminded in James 4:14 that life is just a vapor:

” Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow.

For what is your life?

It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

When we begin to count our blessings here on earth and to focus on Heaven, somehow the trials of this life seem to get lighter. When we focus on God and His love for us, our troubles seem to fade away. You see, these are the things that will not fade away. These things are eternal.

I pray these words will encourage your heart today.

I understand that life has a way of throwing a kink in our plans. I understand that there are times in life when our feet are knocked out from underneath us. I know how painful people’s words and actions can be. Today, I want us to remember that these things are just temporary. They are only a vapor compared to God’s love for us and the eternal rewards that await us in Heaven.

I want to encourage you today to keep going, even when life gets hard. Keep pressing towards the mark. Remember that we serve a God who loves us and has gone to prepare a place for us. Jesus has promised that He will one day come back and receive us to Himself. I personally believe that day is fast approaching.

When life gets you down, I pray that you will remember these words of wisdom:

• This too shall pass.
• Don’t sweat the small stuff, and it is all small stuff.

He Whispers Sweet Peace to Me.

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27

There are days, quite a few in fact, when I look around and feel very overwhelmed. Pulled in so many directions at one time, I almost feel as if I will come apart at the seams.

My heart is burdened for the world in which we live. People are hurting, loved ones are struggling with one thing or another, and the world seems to be in chaos.

My heart cries out, “God, are you here? Do you see what is going on?”

God whispers to my heart, “I am here, my child. I see.”

Just as a cool summer breeze sweeps across a dry and weary land, I immediately feel a calm come over me, a peace that only God can bring.

A hymn we sing in church comes to mind. It says this:

“Sometimes when misgivings darken my way,
And faith’s light I just can not see;
Then I asked the dear Lord,
“Please brighten my way”,
He whispers sweet peace to me.

He whispers sweet peace to me,
He whispers sweet peace to me,
When I am cast down in spirit and soul,
He whispers sweet peace to me.”

Friends, let me encourage you today. When life seems more than you can bear and the load you are carrying seems too heavy, let God speak peace into your soul. Sometimes the answers we are looking for do not come in a loud crashing boom, but in a small whisper from the Lord. Turn your burdens over to Him and allow Him to minister to your heart.

Will you allow God to whisper sweet peace to your heart?

My prayer for each of you today comes from Romans 15:13:

^“ Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”