In Perfect Peace

"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you." -Isaiah 26:3
 
What is it like to live in perfect peace? In the world we live in, many people live with lots of fear. Depending on what is going on in the world and in our lives, and where we have placed our trust, this can increase or decrease our fear. 

But Jesus didn't want us to live as slaves to the world. Instead, He wanted us to live as "slaves" to the kingdom, which means a different thing entirely. It means we are obedient to His will, which produces the fruits of peace, love, and joy in our lives. (Among many other things.) 

There have been times in my life where I've feared certain events or circumstances. But it Hebrews it says, "all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain." (12:27) This means that the things we fear in this life are temporary, (will be shaken and removed) while the things of God are eternal. If we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, we don't even need to fear death - we know where we are going when we die! 

Other versions of the verse above say "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! (NLT), and "because he remains in you." (ISV) the truth is, if we keep our minds fixed on God, we can walk in perfect peace, because we trust in Him.

Are you able to fix your thoughts on Him today, in order to live in perfect peace? "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Phil 4:7

Kisses From Heaven

"So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him." Luke 15:20

As 4th and 5th grade Sunday school facilitators, we did a participation exercise with our kids where we had a dancing contest. The winners were chosen not because they were the best dancers, but because they participated, and gave it everything they had. We gave out Hershey's kisses at the end of the contest.
 
The following week I explained the reason for the kisses. When we step out in faith as God's children, He meets us with kisses from Heaven. Sometimes these 'kisses' are not seen. Sometimes we may not be aware of God's love in the moment. Sometimes these kisses might be felt in worship, but other times they are not. They can happen through the thoughtfulness of a friend, a sunrise, or in quiet meditation. But no matter how they are felt, the point is that God wants to show us that He loves us, regardless of our state or circumstance.
 
There was a time when I would wake up very early. Early for me was about 7am because I am a bit of a night owl! But on these early mornings I would awake to the most beautiful sunrise. The first day it was ice pink, the next was deep reddish orange, the next was taffy orange, and the next was rose pink. The sunrises were beautiful. I felt God's presence wake me with each one.
 
God can show us He loves us in any way He chooses. But we need to recognize His kisses so we can know how much He loves us. Without this knowledge, we are orphans without a cause.
 
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

Made in His Image

“Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, in Our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Gen 1:26

“Red, yellow, black and white, we’re all precious in His sight… “

Every time I go to the mall, I am struck with how different each of us is.  Some short, some tall, some big, some small – we have different personalities, characteristics, likes, dislikes, hopes and dreams.  Each of our differences makes up a wonderful world where each of us was born unique – and born to do something special. Imagine if we looked the same or each did the same thing – how boring life would be!  And nothing in the world would get accomplished because nothing ingenious would be done.

Problems come in when we start comparing ourselves to others, or, we don’t see the value in our traits.  We may not look like the supermodel off the cover of Vogue, or we may not look like our favorite sports star.  No matter, God has fashioned us.  Every bit of us. He made us for a unique purpose in Him.

I am drawn to the example of Nick Vujicic.  Here is a man who was born without limbs.  “How cruel must God be?!” you might say.  But Nick doesn’t think so.  He blesses God for the opportunity to share his witness as he ministers to the thousands with the message, “There is no obstacle too big that you can’t overcome.”  Although doing daily tasks such as brushing his teeth and taking a shower require immense effort, Nick has found solutions to these deficiencies and obstacles brought on by his lack of limbs.  Some days it was difficult, yes, but even through that he managed to thank God for his life and remember that He would use him for His glory. 

Do you know you are wonderfully made?  If you lack in self-confidence, remember that God has fashioned you for a unique purpose.  There is no shame in how God has made us.  He loves us each the same.

Character vs. Gifts

"You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:48

When I first joined my church, I was struck by the fact that they didn't care what I did. Don't get me wrong, living righteously and doing things with excellence was definitely a part of the church mentality. But it was more an issue of heart than how well I could perform. If you weren't as great at something, well... "let's just move you to serve over here instead, shall we?" was their philosophy.
 
But through the process I realized that a lot of my self-esteem had been built on how well I could accomplish something -- it had been built on my gifts. This resulted in a weaker confidence in who I was as a person, because often, I was mediocre at a lot of things. As I continued to hang around people who encouraged me to be the person I was, the person I was becoming in God, all of those petty insecurities began to melt away. It didn't mean that I wouldn't encounter setbacks, difficulties, and pains, but it meant that I was toughening up on the inside, so God could do a greater work on the outside.
 
Many times we believe that people only love or accept us for what we can do versus our value as a person. In the world, this is true. But in the kingdom, this is a false pretense. "For God so loved the world..." He is no respecter of persons. We are saved by grace, through faith. Sometimes we can live on the other extreme where works are not important, or works without excellence are not as vital. But it begins with the heart. It begins with love.
 
God calls us to do things with excellence. But He is also about bringing us closer to the person he intended us to be: free from worry, shame, doubt, fear, oppression, anger, and all the things we struggle with in our humanity. It doesn't mean that we won't experience those things. But it begins operating from the heart, from our character, and this sets the tone for everything else that we do.
 
Who are you? What kind of person has God made you to be? Let God encourage you in your character today.

When God Fights For Us

"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God." -Matthew 5:3 MSG

Have you ever felt powerless?  Have you ever felt like you've exhausted every resource, but still do not have an answer?   King Jehoshaphat and the tribe of Judah faced an unfortunate situation.  He and his people faced an enemy that was impossible for them to defeat.

Jehoshaphat was king of Judah when he was threatened with war by the Moabites, Ammonites, and the Meunites.  These were territories that Israel did not invade when they came into the Promised Land from Egypt. The Bible says their enemies were comprised of "a vast army."  When Jehoshaphat learned that they were coming to attack Judah, he became afraid and called for a fast for all of Judah.  The people of Judah came together and prayed and petitioned the Lord for an answer, remembering what He had done for the Isrealites to bring them into the Promised Land. 

"Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You." -2 Chronicles 20:12

Then God's Spirit came upon a man from the line of the prophet Zachariah, who prophesied victory over Judah and gave them supernatural instruction from the Lord:

“Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. ... Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’” v.15-17

The next morning, they set out to meet their enemies, appointing men to go before the army and sing praises to God as they went.  Amazingly, when they arrived near the battle site, the Lord had confused their enemies, and they began fighting each other!  
 
"As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated." v.22

Is there a battle that you need to let the Lord fight? If so, pray and ask Him to be your avenger.  Sometimes, all we need to do is step out in faith and be obedient. He is more than able to help us with any battle or struggle we face.

"And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side."  -2 Chronicles 20:30

Overcoming Barriers

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." -Romans 12:21
 

Have you ever wanted to get somewhere, but you just felt stuck? Have you ever encountered something you felt was blocking your way that you just couldn't get past? There will always be things in life that will try to hinder us from our intended destinations. The enemy of our souls wants nothing more than to see us stuck and unable to fulfill what God has planned for us! 

Sometimes though, the barrier may be there for a reason. What is God trying to show us? What do we need to change about ourselves or give over to God to get to the next place? Often the barrier is not what we think it is. Sometimes, the barrier is ourselves! Even if we think we are in the right, the barrier is about our growth. 

The Israelites were on their way, fleeing from the Egyptians after finally being released from slavery under the iron hand of Pharaoh. But, no sooner had they left Eqypt that Pharaoh gave orders to pursue them. "As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, 'Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?'" -Exodus 14:10&11. Clearly, this was not what they had in mind. 

Then Moses said to them in response, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." Exodus 14: 13&14 "Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land." (v.21) 

There was no way in the natural the Israelites were going to be able to avoid the Eqyptians. But because Moses stood in faith on behalf of the Israelites and acted in obedience - in spite of dire circumstances - God stepped in and made a way for them.

Is there a "Red Sea" standing in your way today? Pray for God's grace to get you through that situation, and ask to see it through His eyes. God calls us to be overcomers, through Him!

Laying Our Lives Down for Others

And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." (Luke 22:42 NKJV)

 

Have you ever had difficult defining moments in your life, when you just did not want to do something, but you knew it was essential for the fulfillment of God's purposes in your life?

At the beginning of our walk, it might mean laying down addictions or detrimental behaviors at the foot of the cross. As we progress, it may mean standing up to fallacious mindsets or overcoming our fear of man. We might experience this when we decide to share the gospel with someone, or to step out of our comfort zone doing things we are afraid to do.

Just as a husband lays down his life for his bride in a marriage, Jesus laid down His life for His bride.  As Christians we are to lay down our lives for others, so that they might experience the life of Christ more fully. 

This doesn't necessarily mean we do anything and everything others want us to.  It means submitting to godly leadership, yes.  But it means hearing the voice of God in our lives, receiving His instruction, and doing it. "But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it - not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it - they will be blessed in what they do."  -James 1:25   It means making sacrifices and being uncomfortable so that others can experience life. 

John Maxwell said, "If we are growing we are always going to be outside our comfort zone." In fact, if we aren't experiencing some discomfort in our calling, it's likely we aren't very threatening to the kingdom of darkness.  

As Christians, we are responsible to serve and lay down our lives for those we are called to touch.  Are you willing to lay down your life?