That Perfect Peace

If money could buy it, what would troubled minds pay for peace? I’m sure I wouldn’t have enough money.

Peace involves the heart and mind. Wrong thinking leads to wrong feeling and soon the heart and mind are pulled apart and we are strangled with worry.

Isaiah 26:3  Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Peace – that perfect peace – comes only from God. I’m thankful I trusted Jesus as my Savior and have that peace -- that perfect peace -- in my heart. Time will come when you need it to get you through the rough places.

Meditate on the Word of God if you want peace.

The Ways Of God

Unlike men, God’s works are always done with the right motives, with an upright purpose and end.

Psalm 111:7  The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness. 

We may not always understand the ways of God or we may feel He deals unfairly with us at times, but we know His ways are true and upright and holy.

We ought to be thankful that He deals with us in grace rather than justice.

Life will have seasons of difficulty and despair, but even then God’s ways are right.

Give It All To Jesus

Lives are changed when they come to Jesus. He will take what you give Him and give you something more precious in return.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

• Give Jesus your crab apple -- He'll give you a golden delicious.
• Give Jesus your thorn -- He'll give you an American rose.
• Give Jesus your acorn -- He'll give you a mighty oak.
• Give Jesus a Simon, the cursing fisherman -- He'll give you Simon Peter, a mighty preacher.
• Give Jesus your Saul, persecutor of the church -- He'll give you Paul, militant missionary apostle.
• Give yourself to Jesus -- you'll be amazed at what He'll do with you.

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Compassion

Jesus looked past the faults and surface of all kinds of people and saw their needs.

He loved them at the deepest level of His being. He showed compassion. May believers learn to see people as Jesus sees them.

Matthew 9:36  But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

A man fell in a pit and couldn't get himself out.
• A Christian Scientist came along and said, "You only think that you are in a pit."
• A Pharisee said, "Only bad people fall into a pit."
• A compassion-less Fundamentalist said, "You deserve your pit."
• A Charismatic said, "Just confess that you're not in a pit."
• A Methodist came by and said, "We brought you some food and clothing while you're in the pit."
• A Presbyterian said, "This was no accident, you know."
• An Optimist said, "Things could be worse."
• A pessimist said, "Things will get worse,"
• Jesus, seeing the man, took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit.

Promises

If you live with your faith in men, ministries and money, you’re going to be disappointed.

Yet, there are absolute truths you can hold on to, even in this chaotic world possessed with doubt and confusion.

You can trust every word and every promise found in the inspired, infallible, and inerrant Word of Almighty God.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Think about His promise  - - -
• Of Salvation: If you call upon His Name with repentance --  Rom. 10:13  --  He meant that.
• To be with you --  Heb. 13:5  --  He meant that.
• To take care of you --  Phil. 4:19; and Matt. 6:25-34 -- He meant that.
• To come back again  --  Rev. 22:20 --  He meant that, too.

Brag On Jesus

I love to hear believers brag on Jesus,  telling what He’s done in their lives. Apparently, God likes that as well.

1 Chronicles 16:8  Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.

The Apostle Paul tells the amazing story of how Jesus stopped him from persecuting Christians. On the road to Damascus the Lord shined a bright light around him, spoke to him, saved him, and called him to preach the gospel. Praise God.

Many years ago my husband was stationed at Taiwan and I was in Arkansas with two young children. A major problem arose and I had to talk to him quickly but didn’t know how to contact him. He always called me every Saturday. God intervened.  He called me in the middle of the week at work and said, “I don’t know why I’m calling, something told me to.”  Thank you Lord.

The longer I live, the more “brag on Jesus” stories I have. I should write a book about grace and gratitude.

The Right Kind Of Love

One of the simplest and yet profound descriptions of God is love.

As believers, we are expected to show love one to another.

Without love, the presence of the most prominent spiritual gifts would be of little influence.

No greater love has ever been shown than the love of Christ as He bled and died on the cross for our sins.

We are never more like our Lord than when we love others.

John 13:35 – By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.