Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics Steven Curtis Chapman singing his song … Be Still and Know … poignantly singing of how we capture the peace of God
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Highlight Verse[s]: Isaiah 26:3 [NLT] …
3 You (Lord) will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, … all whose thoughts are fixed on You! … The key to God’s peace is trustfully focusing on our relationship with our Lord.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Isaiah 26:1-9 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The Prophet assures God’s people, threatened by invasion, that they will be covered by God’s peace as long as they be still and focus on their faith in Him.
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Reference Passage #1 [NKJV] : … Matthew 11:28 [NLT] …
Then Jesus said (to His anxious followers), “Come to Me, all who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. …
… Jesus offers His help to carry our worries; but are we willing to receive His help?
Reference Passage #2 [NKJV] : … John 14:27 [NLT] …
27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
… But do we really believe our Lord … and then live as if it is true?
Reference Passage #3 [NKJV] : … Philippians 4:6-7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, offers us His prescription for anxiety … but do we take it and use it when we’re worried?
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, James Banks, used an apt word picture about this life which accurately pictures the way many of us feel a lot of the time. The ODB author wrote: When I was six years old I rode a roller coaster for the first time with my older brothers. As soon as we hit a turn at a high speed [see photo] I started to yell: “Stop this thing right now! I want to get off!” Of course the roller coaster didn’t stop, and I had to “white knuckle” it, hanging on tight for the rest of the ride.
Sometimes life can feel like an unwanted roller coaster ride, with “downhill” drops and hairpin curves we never see coming. When unexpected difficulties occur, the Bible reminds us that our best recourse is to place our trust in God.
Ever been on that rollercoaster in life? I have; and the unwanted thrill rides in life can so often take our focus off of our relationship with God and the promises He offers of His peace. I really don’t need to write much to clarify what God says above in His word, offering His disciples His peace when, as Steven Curtis Chapman sings, “we be still and know (i.e., trust) that He is God.” Because as the Prophet Isaiah taught God’s people, we can have His peace when we focus on Him in faith rather than dwelling in our fears.
Our choice, isn’t it? … Personally, that’s why I’m here everyday, getting closer and more focused on my Lord and His promises so that when I’m thrown onto the rollercoaster of life I’ll be able to ride it with joy rather than the terror of my own anxiety.
My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … build my trust and the peace I find thru Your word when I encounter the rollercoaster rides in life. … 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.
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