Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from Don Moen singing … Peace, Peace … Wonderful Peace! … poignantly singing the wonderful peace offered by God to any/all who surrender to His love/grace.
==============
Highlight Verse[s]: Colossians 3:15 [NLT] … 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
… Paul so wanted fellow Christians to find the peace he had found in Christ.
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: Colossians 3:12-17 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, helping his fellow Christians to find peace in the midst of a confusing and stressful world.
==============
Reference Passage : … Isaiah 26:3 [NLT] … 3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!
… God, thru Isaiah, shows how we can find God’s peace … by choosing and continuing to focus on Him in the midst of the trials and stress of the world.
Reference Passage : … John 14:21, … 27 [NLT] … 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
… 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.
… Jesus teaching to help his very anxious Disciples to find the peace that He offers by obeying, trusting and abiding in Him no matter what happens.
Reference Passage : … Philippians 4:6-7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, gives Christians the antidote to anxiety … thankful prayer.
Reference Passage : … 1Peter 5:7 [NLT] … 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
… We, as disciples of Christ, have to be willing to surrender our cares to a caring God as Peter exhorted fellow Christians (and as Jesus commanded in Luke 9:23).
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Dave Branon, shares a story about a Christian convicted to help the hungry in India to illustrate to illustrate how we are all are commanded to show our love of God by sharing His love with others. And the ODB author wrote: “What do you think about peace?” my friend asked as we ate lunch together. “Peace?” I said, puzzled. “I’m not sure—why do you ask?” He answered, “Well, as you jiggled your foot during the church service I wondered if you’re agitated about something. Have you considered the peace God gives to those who love Him?”
That day some years ago, I was a bit hurt by my friend’s question, but it started me on a journey. I began exploring the Bible to see how God’s people embraced this gift of well-being, of peace, even in the midst of hardship. [See photo]
I think all readers here would agree that we’re in a culture (i.e., world) which is characterized by stress, anxiety, fear, worry, … all of which battle against the peach which God offers to anyone who would follow Him (see Scriptures above). So, how do we find - and capture - the peace of God?
Well, those same Scriptures give us the answer to that questions.
… First … we have to believe that God can - and will - provide us with His peace. [see highlight passage and John 14:27].
… Then … we must be willing to diligently follow, pursue, and obey THE ONE offering us His peace [see Isaiah 26:3 and John 14:21].
… And finally … we must surrender our cares to God in prayer [see Phil. 4:6-7 and 1Peter 5:7].
And as in the photo, that’s why one finds me here each (and every) morning. pursuing God’s peace, by getting to know and follow my Lord more abidingly thru His word and in prayer. I pray others are finding islands of peace in the midst of our stressful world in the same way.
=============
My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for leading me to Your peace thru Your word and in prayer.
=============
My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to share the peace of God by pursuing it every day in prayer in in His word. … 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