Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Ryan Stevenson singing … Eye of the Storm … poignantly expressing the peace we find in Christ in the midst of the storms of life.
=============
Highlight Verse[s]: Psalm 29:7 [NLT] …
58 The voice of the Lord strikes with bolts of lightning.
… Our Mighty God often speaks as with thunder and lightning.
=============
Highlight Passage [context]: Psalm 29 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… King David expressed His honor to God, even in the midst of His thunderous power (see v.7 above).
=============
Reference Passage #1 [NKJV] : … Isaiah 26:3 [NLT] …
3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust You, … all whose thoughts are fixed on You.
… God, thru Isaiah, gives us His prescription for His peace.
Reference Passage #2 [NKJV] : … John 14:1 [NLT] …
1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. … “
… Jesus is our peace … but only when we trust in Him.
Reference Passage #3 [NKJV] : … John 16:33 [NLT] …
33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
… Jesus is very clear on when/where we can find peace from the storms and stresses of this world and our life.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, David Roper, tells of a lightning storm which produced shock and awe. You can read his his story AT THIS LINK . But Roper’s ODB story reminded me of a personal incident when I was about 6 years old.
For many years our family lived with an older maiden lady, “Maude.” And Maude was like a third grandmother to me. And one night in the midst of a thunder storm, she beckoned me to go out on our front porch with her to watch the awesome display of thunder and lightning. And the thunder claps and the ribbons of lightning would have been frightening to a young boy; but, … laying on our porch swing in Maude’s lap, I can still remember being calmed by her presence and seeing God’s display with overwhelming peace. To this day, I enjoy watching God speaking, as King David wrote (in Ps. 29:7) as with a tongue of lightning.
And as the scripture references above tell us, our God wants to calm our hearts in the midst of the storms of life. Yes, … God’s voice can be like the thunder and lightning; but as none other than God Himself, in the person of His Son, Jesus, speaks His calm to us (see the passages in John’s gospel above), we find His peace in that He has overcome the storms of life. And the Prophet Isaiah exhorted us to find God’s peace when we focus, with trust, on our Lord.
And tho I’ve been in the midst of a thunderstorm of stress of late, each morning when I come to this place, and get on my knees to praise my Lord, and spend time with Him in His word, … I feel His peace, hugging me as He is … my Abba Father. I pray you find that peace - His peace - as well today and all days.
My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Thanks for hugging me with Your peace today, which I pray likewise for all who read with me here. … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
No comments:
Post a Comment