Weather report from : Sunny and bright with an abundance of light, and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Scripture- “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”- Philippians 4:9
Insight: If you’re at all like me, it may be harder for you to receive a gift than it is to provide a gift. I am much more comfortable loving someone or something than I am being loved. I find this strand throughout the myriad elements of my life. But when it comes to my relationship with God, there is one thing where He has really worked on me, and that is to receive His peace. I was a very anxious person before I met the Lord. I was anxious about all kinds of things that I had no control over and it was an exhausting way to live. I think it was born as a result of my father leaving home when I was age 12, and after my older brother had left for college, living alone with my mother where many times we wondered how we were going to make ends meet. My mom worked hard to earn money to make ends meet, but I was often left alone to ponder the many things that could go wrong, and I was very good at it. I tried to cover my fears, or lack of peace, with temporary elixirs like marijuan and alcohol that would anesthetize the anxiety, if only for a short while.
But then I encountered the Lord Jesus Christ at age 37, and one of the first things He began to work in my life was to bring peace, and many times a peace that supasses understanding as Paul writes about in Philippians 4:7, through a new perspective. What was the new perspective and where did it come from? I’m glad you asked, because I asked many times. It came directly from scripture and from understanding that He had a future plan for me that was eternal, and that “nothing could separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus,” as Romans 8:39 promises. This was a game changer. This peace I decided over time to not only receive but to embrace. As Christians, we know the end of the story and God’s people win. In fact, we have already won because of what Jesus did on the Cross, but one day soon, God’s new Heaven and new Earth will become a reality as Revelations 21;1 states, and all fear and anxiety will eternally be replaced by a love, joy and peace that will never be shaken again. So we can focus our eyes on these things now, as 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 says, to alleviate fear and receive His peace while still living in this fallen world. When we learn to receive this mindset that He freely offers us through His Word and His Spirit, we can begin to get better at worrying about nothing, thanking God for all things,and praying for everything, so that we can truly receive His peace “that surpasses all understanding.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You that You provide with the peace that truly “surpasses all understanding.” Help us to receive this truth, even if we find it hard because we feel like we are not worthy of it. You alone provide it, and you offer it to us freely as your sons and daughters. We need to accept it and embrace it in order to live the kind of lives you implore us to live in You while we wait for your Son’s glorious return. Amen!
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