God's Peace

There is an interesting theme that runs throughout the Bible. It is the if/then theme. If we are obedient to God, then we can be confident of His blessings, favor, gifts and a sense of His presence in our lives. If on the other hand, we are disobedient and willingly disobey His laws and teachings, then we will experience guilt and a separation from Him.

Certainly the feelings of separation can be a good thing. It is God within us stirring up a special gift He has given us – the gift of the Holy Spirit who is to guide us and guard us; and give us peace. When we become "disconnected" from God, He is there to "alert us" of impending dangers and convict us to return to the path and plan He has designed for us. He is eager to do His work if we are willing to allow Him to do so.

Our Psalmist reminds us that God "speaks peace to His people and to His saints." His peace is what brings us "wholeness and completeness" and unites us with Him. It dissolves the fear we have of Him and removes the guilt that we carry within us from being disobedient to Him.

So our Psalmist wisely adds, "but let them not return to their folly" – or perhaps a more appropriate translation of the word "folly" is "stupidity."  What might this mean?

Often we become "presumptuous" and assume that we deserve God's blessings. We take an inventory of our lives and things appear to be "just about as wonderful as wonderful can be." We have no "fear" of God and take His goodness for granted. "What stupidity!" says the Psalmist. "Be careful of falling into Your past sinful ways."

Prayer:  May we be constantly alert, Lord, to any sin that will separate us from You, Your peace, and Your blessings. Please keep us from being “stupid!” In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: Psalm 85:8 I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—but let them not turn to folly.

"Sweet Sleep!"

“Where’s ‘Babe’? I can’t find ‘Babe’, Papa. Help me! I’ve looked all over and don’t know where else to look,” said my beloved grandson. Together we walked through each room in our home looking for “Babe.” Finally, we found him. “Babe” was already in bed waiting for Keller. Now, Keller felt secure and would soon be asleep.

Sleep is a problem for many people. In fact, ten percent of Americans have been diagnosed with chronic insomnia. As staggering as that number is, it does not include those who use alcohol or other “over-the-counter” remedies to assist them when they want to “fall” asleep.

We have all experienced those nights when sleep seemed to be an enemy. We toss and turn while looking for a “comfortable” spot. We seek a correct room temperature as the “tick” of the clock echoes in our ears. And, time passes by as the sleep we crave eludes us.

“Why” is an obvious question. Too much food? Overwhelmed with guilt? Anxiety from a bad decision? Facing a day that we know will be difficult? The questions vary. But, “When you lie down you will not be afraid; when you lie down your sleep will be sweet.” Always? Really? How?

“Sweet sleep,” according to Solomon, is the result of using “sound judgment and discernment” that comes from God. If we carefully and completely follow God’s teachings and are obedient to His laws, He will grant us His peace, rest, and safety. God has provided His wisdom for all of the problems we will ever face in life – even sleep – in His Word

Only fools reject God’s advice and gifts. And lie awake wondering.

Prayer: Lord, help us to realize and accept all that is available to us if we walk with and are faithful to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: Proverbs 3:24 You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly. 

"Sweet Sleep!"

“Where’s ‘Babe’? I can’t find ‘Babe’, Papa. Help me! I’ve looked all over and don’t know where else to look,” said my beloved grandson. Together we walked through each room in our home looking for “Babe.” Finally, we found him. “Babe” was already in bed waiting for Keller. Now, Keller felt secure and would soon be asleep.

Sleep is a problem for many people. In fact, ten percent of Americans have been diagnosed with chronic insomnia. As staggering as that number is, it does not include those who use alcohol or other “over-the-counter” remedies to assist them when they want to “fall” asleep.

We have all experienced those nights when sleep seemed to be an enemy. We toss and turn while looking for a “comfortable” spot. We seek a correct room temperature as the “tick” of the clock echoes in our ears. And, time passes by as the sleep we crave eludes us.

“Why” is an obvious question. Too much food? Overwhelmed with guilt? Anxiety from a bad decision? Facing a day that we know will be difficult? The questions vary. But, “When you lie down you will not be afraid; when you lie down your sleep will be sweet.” Always? Really? How?

“Sweet sleep,” according to Solomon, is the result of using “sound judgment and discernment” that comes from God. If we carefully and completely follow God’s teachings and are obedient to His laws, He will grant us His peace, rest, and safety. God has provided His wisdom for all of the problems we will ever face in life – even sleep – in His Word

Only fools reject God’s advice and gifts. And lie awake wondering.

Prayer: Lord, help us to realize and accept all that is available to us if we walk with and are faithful to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: Proverbs 3:24 You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly. 

Will We Ever Find Peace?

Our planet seems to be wrapped in wars, rumors of wars and the fear that we will never be able to end the threats and actions of terrorists. Caution and fear is now a way of life and the hope for a calm and peaceful life is gone forever. We are reminded that “the war to end all wars” really did not meet our expectations. We live from one day to the next expecting that a new war might begin at any moment. Then, there are the “wars” between people.

“I am for peace!” cried the Psalmist. He knew and had experienced the horror of war. He was as we are, “war-weary” and wanted things to be different. Notice that just before he called for peace he wrote, “Too long have I lived among those who hate peace.” What did he mean when he said he lived among people who would choose war over peace? Do some people actually want a war-filled world?

War is the result of deception and deceit, greed and covetousness. It is a reflection of those who have not accepted the peace that comes from God through Christ. It had its beginning in the self-centeredness of Adam and Eve and has infected every individual since then. We see it not only among nations but between individuals: “If you have it and I don’t, I’ll take it and make it mine!”

All of this is a result of the infectious nature of sin. Whether the “war” is between individuals or nations, its effect will last until Christ returns. Then, we'll have peace.

What are we to do until then? Allow the peace of God to dwell in our hearts and control our lives. His peace will protect us from those who refuse His grace and mercy.

Prayer: Lord, we long for Your peace - in our hearts and in Your world. Come quickly and calm our every fear. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 120:7 I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war.

Anxious And Afraid

Walk through the waiting area in any emergency room and the “face of anxiety” becomes real. From a minor cut to a major wound, fear is obvious and real. Even people with a deep faith in God are often grasping for a sign of hope or a word of comfort.

Our Psalmist was familiar with feelings of both peace and anxiety. He knew the comfort of God’s grace and had experienced His peace. However, he had an illness that took him to the very door of death. And beginning in verse one he walks us through his ordeal expressing his love for God and the greatness of His grace. He also presented a beautiful picture of God: He is a God who listens to our cries, responds with help, is gracious and righteous, filled with compassion, protects even the “simple-hearted” folk who are in need and saves them. All of the characteristics that he uses to describe God, by the way, are ones that every Christian can develop and share with others.

At the end of his ordeal he seems to catch his breath and reminds himself to: “Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.” It’s as though he could not believe the goodness of God, His grace or His power.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians about this. “...My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in (your) weakness.” God’s power to put our minds and heart at peace is a theme that runs through Scripture.

God spoke of this in Genesis: “Do not be afraid for I am with you...” And before Jesus returned to be with His Father He promised that “I am with you always!”

Prayer: Lord, when we face situations that are beyond our control, assure us of Your presence, peace and power. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 116:7 Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.

God's Peace

There is an interesting theme that runs throughout the Bible. It is the if/then theme. If we are obedient to God, then we can be confident of His blessings, favor, gifts and a sense of His presence in our lives. If on the other hand, we are disobedient and willingly disobey His laws and teachings then we will experience guilt and a separation from Him.

Certainly the feelings of separation can be a good thing. It is God within us stirring up the gift He has given us – the gift of the Holy Spirit who is to guide us and guard us. When we become "disconnected" from God, He is there to "alert us" of impending dangers and convict us to return to the path and plan God has designed for us. He is eager to do His work if we are willing to allow Him to do so.

Our Psalmist reminds us that God "speaks peace to His people and to His saints." His peace is what brings us "wholeness and completeness" and unites us with Him. It dissolves the fear we have of Him and removes the guilt that we carry within us from being disobedient to Him.

So our Psalmist wisely adds, "but let them not return to their folly" – or perhaps a more appropriate translation of the word "folly" is "stupidity." What might this mean?

Often we become "presumptuous" and assume that we deserve God's blessings. We take an inventory of our lives and things appear to be "just about as wonderful as wonderful can be." We have no "fear" of God and take His goodness for granted. "What stupidity!" says the Psalmist. "Be careful of falling into Your past sinful ways."

Prayer: May we be constantly alert, Lord, to any sin that will separate us from You, Your peace and blessings. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 85:8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak, For He will speak peace To His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly.

God's Cure For Sleeplessness

Charles Dickens is considered to be one of the world’s greatest novelists and story tellers. He wrote one of the most interesting, compelling and heart-touching stories of all time: “A Christmas Carol.”

However, there is an interesting story that has been told about him. Whenever he left his home to travel or spend the night with his friends, he would take his compass with him. After looking at his compass and before he retired for the night, he would always turn the head of his bed to the north. He believed that he would sleep more comfortably with his bed in that position.

David had his own routine for falling asleep. He said, “I will lie down in peace and sleep, for you O Lord, will keep me safe!” The important word in this verse of Scripture is peace. David did not say that he would lie down and sleep in peace. Rather, the peace that he experienced in his heart is what enabled him to lie down and sleep.

But where does this peace come from? For David it came from the Lord. David said that God gave him a greater joy than those who had experienced abundant harvests. The joy and gladness that David experienced in his heart came from his relationship with God.

We will never find joy, gladness or peace if we seek them for selfish reasons. But they will fill the life of a Christian if we meet with Him in prayer, seek Him in His Word and worship Him with all of our heart.

Prayer: Father, give us confidence in the promise of Your Word so that we may enjoy Your enduring peace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 4:8 In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety.

The Source Of Peace

Russ Ortiz was an outstanding baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves. In fact, in one season he won twenty-one games.

On one occasion a reporter asked him how he kept calm in situations when it looked like he would lose control of the game. Quickly he replied, “When I am on the mound and need a calming experience I look under the bill of my cap. You see, I keep a Bible verse there,” he explained. “When I started doing it,” he continued, “it helped me put things in perspective.”

The Christian is never guaranteed a life free from stress, strife or the worries of the world. It does not assure us of quiet paths and calm waters. But it does assure us that when we keep our minds securely focused on God and His Word we will know perfect peace even in the most turbulent times.

Isaiah, in a song of praise to the Lord wrote, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, whose thoughts are fixed on You!”

This is a powerful promise for the believer. His Word promises us that God will give us His perfect peace when we trust Him, obey Him and are faithful in following Him. It exceeds all of the wisdom, knowledge and understanding that we find in the writings of worldly authors. In Him we have everything we need: His unending and unchanging love. When we accept that fact, there is no reason for us to fear the chaos that confronts us or the confusion that surrounds us.

Prayer: Lord, may we accept the peace that You offer us through Your Son, our Savior. Help us to rely on Him and His power to protect and preserve us in all things. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.