Category: Peace

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Winds of Change

This will be short this morning because I am focused on what the Lord is teaching me from Gideon’s story.

A young man who felt he was the most insignificant person in his family and in his town. A man who was threshing wheat in the pit of a wine press. If you know anything about threshing, you know that in that day you needed a brisk wind to separate the wheat kernels from the chaff.

There is no wind in a wine press. Gideon’s fear kept him from being productive.

What changed?…God!

Jehovah Shalom. God is peace!

The first thing the Lord asked Gideon to do was this:

“Get your father’s second-best bull, the one that’s seven years old. Use it to pull down the altar where your father worships Baal and cut down the sacred pole next to the altar. 26 Then build an altar for worshiping me on the highest part of the hill where your town is built. Use layers of stones for my altar, not just a pile of rocks. Cut up the wood from the pole, make a fire, kill the bull, and burn it as a sacrifice to me.

27 Gideon chose ten of his servants to help him, and they did everything God had said. But since Gideon was afraid of his family and the other people in Ophrah, he did it all at night.” Judges 6:25-27 CEV

Pull down the altar of false gods. Then build God’s altar high on the hill for all to see. No longer was Gideon hiding in a wine press. He put God forefront for all to see. (Although he did it at night because he hadn’t completely conquered his fear.)

We all have false gods that need to be pulled down: fear, self-promotion, affluence, pride, independence.

“ But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.” Matthew 6:33 CEV

The Lord wants to be first place in our lives. He wants to take us out of the wine press. He wants us to be willing to worship Him where everyone can see.

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The Lord is Peace

Dave and I live in a place where our front porch faces the mountains. We have an unobstructed view and get to enjoy the beauty of the sunsets. So peaceful. It is an amazing view!

Some nights, it’s a “take your breath away” beauty and others, it’s a simplistic “take a deep breath and relax” type of moment. For the last twenty years we have lived in homes that we have named Casa de Paz, House of Peace. God has truly blessed us and we don’t take it for granted.

This morning my Bible reading ended with these words, “The Lord is Peace”. Yes, that’s exactly what I experience most days.

Now, let me tell you what I was reading this morning. I am in the book of Judges, chapter 6, and today I began reading about Gideon. The Israelites were living under the harassment and attacks of the Midianites and had been for seven years.

Every year at harvest time they would come and steal the grain and other crops that the Israelites had planted. Gideon was the youngest son of the family and he was threshing wheat in a hole where he could hide and be undetected. That’s where the Lord found him.

“ The angel appeared and spoke to Gideon, “The Lord is helping you, and you are a strong warrior.” 13 Gideon answered, “Please don’t take this wrong, but if the Lord is helping us, then why have all of these awful things happened? ” Judges 6:12-13 CEV

Gideon saw himself as weak and defeated. God saw him as a strong warrior.

“ Then the Lord himself said, “Gideon, you will be strong, because I am giving you the power to rescue Israel from the Midianites.” 15 Gideon replied, “But how can I rescue Israel?…everyone else in my family is more important than I am.” 16 “Gideon,” the Lord answered, “you can rescue Israel because I am going to help you! Defeating the Midianites will be as easy as beating up one man.” 17 Gideon said, “It’s hard to believe that I’m actually talking to the Lord.” Judges 6:14-17 CEV 

The story goes on and Gideon asks the Lord for a miracle so he will know that this is truly the Lord speaking to him. When God proved Himself to Gideon, Gideon became even more fearful and was afraid he was going to die. Then the Lord said this:

“ Calm down!” the Lord told Gideon. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. You’re not going to die.” 24 Gideon built an altar for worshiping the Lord and called it “The Lord Calms Our Fears.” Judges 6:23-24 CEV

I had someone tell me once that “I’m not sure that I believe in God”. That came from an honest heart. I told them, “That’s ok. He believes in you and if you ask Him to show Himself to you He will. He wants you to believe”. That’s exactly what Gideon was saying to God and God calmed his fears.

In Hebrew this verse says Gideon called the place “Jehovah-Shalom”. God is our peace!

What is it that is robbing your peace? A physical enemy, an emotional distress, finances, health, relationships, bitterness or resentment?

“For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” II Corinthians 3:17 NLT

Let me repeat the words of the Lord. “Calm down! There’s nothing to be afraid of.” Learn the lesson that Gideon did, The Lord is Peace!

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Look Straight Ahead

Stay focused. That was the theme of the movie we were watching last night.

One of the things I appreciate about my husband is his agreement to watch Hallmark movies with me. Generally, every plot is the same, but he knows I enjoy them so he watches them without complaint.

Last night’s feature was about a young woman who had inherited her grandmother’s horse property. She decided to get back into competing in three different riding events. She needed to train extensively to be ready for the competitions.

There were many things vying for her attention; a fiancé, the care of the property, and a competitor who was out to destroy her confidence and her relationship. An elderly woman, with much experience, agreed to be her trainer. Each time the young woman would become distracted her trainer would remind her to stay focused. Concentrate on the one thing that was before her.

That storyline fits perfectly with this morning’s reading from Proverbs.

“My child, listen carefully to everything I say. 21 Don’t forget a single word, but think about it all. 22 Knowing these teachings will mean true life and good health for you. 23 Carefully guard your thoughts because they are the source of true life. 24 Never tell lies or be deceitful in what you say. 25 Keep looking straight ahead, without turning aside. 26 Know where you are headed, and you will stay on solid ground. 27 Don’t make a mistake by turning to the right or the left.” Proverbs 4:20-17 CEV

Jesus put it this way:

“The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message. But they start worrying about the needs of this life and are fooled by the desire to get rich. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything.” Matthew 13:22 CEV

God’s word, His teaching is the source of true life. Worry gets us distracted and keeps us from looking straight ahead. We need to stay focused – trusting God and His word no matter the circumstances.

“While Jesus and his followers were traveling, he went into a town, and a woman named Martha let him stay at her house. 39 She had a sister named Mary. Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to him teach. 40 But her sister Martha was busy doing all the work…41 But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are getting worried and upset about too many things. 42 Only one thing is important. Mary has made the right choice, and it will never be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 ERV

It’s a necessity that we stay focused. Looking straight ahead at God’s word keeps our lives worry free and in line with His plan.

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The Value of Wisdom

I love reading the book of Proverbs. The insights that Solomon has written are invaluable and timeless.

He was a young man when his father, David, died and he became king of Israel. The Lord told him to ask for whatever he would like, and God would give it to him.

“Lord my God, you have made me the king in my father’s place, but I am like a small child. I don’t have the wisdom I need to do what I must do. 8 I am your servant here among your chosen people. There are so many that they cannot be counted. 9 So I ask you to give me the wisdom to rule and judge them well and to help me know the difference between right and wrong. Without such great wisdom, it would be impossible to rule this great nation.”

10 The Lord was happy that Solomon asked for wisdom. 11 So God said to him, “You did not ask for long life and riches for yourself. You did not ask for the death of your enemies. You asked for the wisdom to listen and make the right decisions. 12 So I will give you what you asked for. I will make you wise and intelligent. I will make you wiser than anyone who ever lived or ever will live. 13 And I will also give you what you did not ask for. You will have riches and honor all your life. There will be no other king in the world as great as you.” I Kings 3:7-13 ERV

After this, the nations of the world would send their leaders to Solomon seeking his answers to their questions. He was renowned for his wisdom and with wisdom came wealth and peace.

The book of Proverbs gives instruction for the youth and the aged. There is no limitation as to who can benefit from wisdom.

“Those who find wisdom are fortunate; they will be blessed when they gain understanding. 14 Profit that comes from wisdom is better than silver and even the finest gold. 15 Wisdom is worth more than fine jewels. Nothing you desire has more value.

16 With her right hand, Wisdom offers long life—with the other hand, riches and honor. 17 Wisdom will lead you to a life of joy and peace. 18 Wisdom is like a life-giving tree to those who hold on to her; she is a blessing to those who keep her close.

19 With wisdom and understanding, the Lord created the earth and sky. 20 With his knowledge, he made the oceans and the clouds that produce rain.

21 My son, don’t ever let wisdom out of your sight. Hold on to wisdom and careful planning. 22 They will bring you a long life filled with honor. 23 As you go through life, you will always be safe and never fall. 24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid. When you rest, your sleep will be peaceful. 25 You have no reason to fear a sudden disaster or the destruction that comes to the wicked. 26 You can trust the Lord to protect you. He will not let you fall into harm.” Proverbs 3:13-26 ERV

The book of Proverbs has thirty-one chapters. I like to read one chapter each day and then ask the Lord for wisdom for the day. The book of James tells us when we ask for wisdom the Lord gives it freely.

We can add value to our lives each day when we seek God’s wisdom!

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Before Take Off…

For the last several days I have been reminding you of what God’s word says about the storms or anxious moments we face.

Why the repetition?

Well… that’s what God has put on my heart to encourage and inform you of His promises.

So, this morning when I heard the Holy Spirit prompting me, one more time, to share more on this message I did say, “Lord, they are probably getting tired of hearing this. Can I come back to it later”?

That’s when I saw, in my mind’s eye, those flight attendants who stand in the aisleways before every flight telling us about seat belt placement, life vests and oxygen masks. Yes, they probably have other things they would like to do but their first priority is our safety. They follow the same routine on every flight. The same script. The same communication with the cockpit. Everything is done to ensure our safety and theirs.

That’s why, once again, I’m going to remind you of the promises God has given us for our daily safety and protection.

Before we take off on the day let’s go over them once more. Take out the safety instructions, the Bible, and let’s go over them together.

“The Spirit God gave us does not make us afraid. His Spirit is a source of power and love and self-control.” II Timothy 1:7 ERV

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.” II Corinthians 1:20 NIV

“I will soon die, as everyone must. But deep in your hearts you know that the Lord has kept every promise he ever made to you. Not one of them has been broken. 15-16 Yes, when the Lord makes a promise, he does what he has promised. But when he makes a threat, he will also do what he has threatened. The Lord is our God.” Joshua 23:14-16 CEV (This is an amazing testimony to God’s faithfulness. Joshua died at 110. He never saw God break a promise.)

“God is no mere human! He doesn’t tell lies or change his mind. God always keeps his promises.” Numbers 23:19 CEV

“The Lord will keep you safe from secret traps and deadly diseases. 4 He will spread his wings over you and keep you secure. His faithfulness is like a shield or a city wall. 5 You won’t need to worry about dangers at night or arrows during the day. 6 And you won’t fear diseases that strike in the dark or sudden disaster at noon.” Psalm 91:3-6 CEV

And finally, from Jesus’ mouth to our ears:

“I tell you not to worry about your life. Don’t worry about having something to eat, drink, or wear. Isn’t life more than food or clothing? 26 Look at the birds in the sky! They don’t plant or harvest. They don’t even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren’t you worth much more than birds? Matthew 6:25-26 CEV

You are now prepared for take off. Enjoy today’s flight. God has you secure under His wings!

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No Worries

I really spend very little time worrying about anything. You see, through the years I’ve gone from worrying about many things to where, most days, I am completely comfortable with rolling all my cares over on the Lord and letting Him control the outcome.

“God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.” I Peter 5:7 CEV

When I was a girl I grew up hearing Mahlia Jackson and Ethel Waters sing “His Eye is on the Sparrow” and it became a theme song of sorts for me. I would walk around the house, when no one could hear me, singing it at the top of my voice. “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me”.

What’s your focus when you wake up in the morning? Is it the project before you – the diagnosis you recently received from your doctor – the financial challenge that seems overwhelming? Maybe it’s physical pain in your body – a relationship that is fractured and fragile – possibly, physical danger and unrest?

If those things remain in the forefront of your mind your day will wrap itself in worry, distress and eventually lead to despair and depression.

However, if your focus is on God’s goodness and His provision you will find hope, joy and peace. That’s why I love starting my mornings in the Psalms – it is good to begin each day celebrating the faithfulness of the Lord.

“Sing a new song to the Lord! Let the whole world sing to the Lord!

2 Sing to the Lord and praise his name! Tell the good news every day about how he saves us! 3 Tell all the nations how wonderful he is! Tell people everywhere about the amazing things he does. 4 The Lord is great and worthy of praise. He is more awesome than any of the “gods.” 5 All the “gods” in other nations are nothing but statues, but the Lord made the heavens.

6 He lives in the presence of glory and honor. His Temple is a place of power and beauty.

7 Praise the Lord, all people of every nation; praise the Lord’s glory and power. 8 Give the Lord praise worthy of his glory! Come, bring your offerings into his courtyard. 9 Worship the Lord in all his holy beauty. Everyone on earth should tremble before him. 10 Tell the nations that the Lord is King! The world stands firm and cannot be moved. He will judge all people fairly. 11 Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be happy! Let the sea and everything in it shout for joy!

12 Let the fields and everything in them be happy! Let the trees in the forest sing for joy

13 when they see the Lord coming! He is coming to rule the world. He will rule all the nations of the world with justice and fairness.” Psalm 96 ERV

Let the Lord rule over the circumstances in your life today and receive the peace that floods in when you let go and trust God.

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My Heart is Full

Those were the only words I had in mind when I sat down to write this morning. My heart is full of gratitude, joy, peace and contentment. I have all I need and all I desire because of the love of God.

Opening my Bible I began to read:

“ God the Father decided to choose you as his people, and his Spirit has made you holy. You have obeyed Jesus Christ and are sprinkled with his blood. I pray that God will be kind to you and will keep on giving you peace! 3 Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is so good, and by raising Jesus from death, he has given us new life and a hope that lives on. 4  God has something stored up for you in heaven, where it will never decay or be ruined or disappear.

5 You have faith in God, whose power will protect you until the last day. Then he will save you, just as he has always planned to do. 6 On that day you will be glad, even if you have to go through many hard trials for a while. 7  Your faith will be like gold that has been tested in a fire. And these trials will prove that your faith is worth much more than gold that can be destroyed. They will show that you will be given praise and honor and glory when Jesus Christ returns.

8 You have never seen Jesus, and you don’t see him now. But still you love him and have faith in him, and no words can tell how glad and happy 9 you are to be saved. This is why you have faith…” I Peter 1:2-9 CEV

Faith, tried in the fire of adversity, disappointment, betrayal or physical struggle, is refined. James says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” James 1:2-3 ESV

The “testing” referred to here is a comparison to the refiner’s fire for purifying gold. The process destroys what is useless and invaluable and at the same time increases the value and quality of the gold.

The same is true in our lives. Trials test us. In the process selfishness, bitterness, anger, envy, and greed are removed and pure faith and love remain.

“ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. 5 Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it. 6 Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth. 7 Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits. 8 Love will never end.” I Corinthians 13:4-8 ERV

It is Christ who is the example of this kind of love. He paid our ransom, not with silver and gold, but with His life. He never gives up on us and His love will never end.

“For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. 19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God…” I Peter 1:18-19 NLT

Because of Him, my heart is full!

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Build on a Firm Foundation

When I went to bed last night I had an idea of what I would be sharing with you this morning but that all changed. I must have awaken at least 3 or 4 times with the words of this song rolling out of my heart and my head.

“Holy, there is no one like You
There is none beside You
Open up my eyes in wonder
And show me who You are
And fill me with Your heart
And lead me in Your love to those around me

I will build my life upon Your love
It is a firm foundation
And I will put my trust in You alone
And I will not be shaken
And I will build my life upon Your love
It is a firm foundation
And I will put my trust in You alone
And I will not be shaken”

The main thing that stuck with me all night long was “I will build my life upon Your love It is a firm foundation. And I will put my trust in You alone and I will not be shaken.”

There is so much worry and anxiety in the world. People, good people, are being overwhelmed by everyday stress, not to mention the state of our world condition.

This last weekend the Lord reminded me of His peace. We had two very windy nights. I was concerned about the stability of the roof top tent. I know what it’s like to have high wind in an RV and also in a ground tent, so those concerns were not unfounded. However, they were unnecessary.

The tent was solid. Solid as a rock!

That’s the image the Lord brought to mind with the words, “a firm foundation”.

“ ‘Whoever hears these teachings of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house. But it did not fall because it was built on rock...’ 28 When Jesus finished speaking, the people were amazed at his teaching. 29 He did not teach like their teachers of the law. He taught like someone who has authority.” Matthew 7:24-29 ERV

“ I have told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have troubles. But be brave! I have defeated the world!” John 16:33 ERV

“…for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!” Hebrews 13:5b AMP

The Lord is as deeply concerned about our mental well-being as He is about our spiritual. He died for our entire person, spirit, soul and body. He does not want us to be overwhelmed.

“ Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy].

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.” Isaiah 53:4-5 AMPC

Whatever gusts of worry and distress blow at you today, remember that Christ and His amazing love has given you a firm foundation and you do not need to be shaken! Trust the foundation!!

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It’s a Beautiful Morning!

Beautiful morning – the sunrise is clear, the doves are cooing and the quail are talking. The little red headed finches are flitting back and forth from the ocotillo blossoms to the branches of the mesquite tree.

Perfect time for sipping my coffee and praising the God of all creation.

When I was little we sang a chorus in Sunday School…

“The birds upon the tree tops sing their song;

The angels chant their chorus all day long;

The flowers in the garden blend their hue,

So why shouldn’t I, why shouldn’t you praise Him too?”

So join with me in praising the King of King and Lord of Lords. My Father and my God is worthy of praise.

“The heavens keep telling the wonders of God, and the skies declare what he has done.2 Each day informs the following day; each night announces to the next. 3 They don’t speak a word, and there is never the sound of a voice. 4 Yet their message reaches all the earth, and it travels around the world. In the heavens a tent is set up for the sun. 5 It rises like a bridegroom and gets ready like a hero eager to run a race. 6 It travels all the way across the sky. Nothing hides from its heat.” Psalm 19:1-6 CEV

He is worthy of all praise. His glory shines over the whole earth. Let the mountains stand majestic, let the rivers and oceans roar, let the trees of the fields clap their hands and let all creation praise Him.

“Rain and snow fall from the sky and don’t return until they have watered the ground.
Then the ground causes the plants to sprout and grow, and they produce seeds for the farmer and food for people to eat.
11 In the same way, my words leave my mouth, and they don’t come back without results.
My words make the things happen that I want to happen. They succeed in doing what I send them to do.

12 “So you will go out from there with joy. You will be led out in peace. When you come to the mountains and hills, they will begin singing. All the trees in the fields will clap their hands. 13 Large cypress trees will grow where there were thornbushes. Myrtle trees will grow where there were weeds. All this will happen to make the Lord known, to be a permanent reminder of his goodness and power.” Isaiah 55:10-13 ERV

Praise the Lord with me today and make known His goodness and power!

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Overwhelming Joy

Place yourself, if you would, with the disciples.

Yesterday, they had seen their friend, their Rabbi, their Messiah return from the grave! Their joy was overwhelming but there was still an undercurrent of fear.

The soldiers said the disciples had stolen the body. Would anyone believe them? Would the religious leaders come to their homes with arrest warrants? Would they be hauled off to prison?

Oh, but the joy!

This morning they are having their coffee and biscuits. In their excitement, no one really took time to cook and prepare for today. I imagine them sitting around a big table, deep in their own contemplation of the day’s events, looking up and seeing their friends doing the same and the burst into spontaneous laughter.

Jesus, who had died, was alive and He had appeared to them. There are so many they need to tell of this great miracle. People need to know. Thomas needed to know.

“After Jesus had greeted them again, he said, ‘I am sending you, just as the Father has sent me.’ 22 Then he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. 23  If you forgive anyone’s sins, they will be forgiven. But if you don’t forgive their sins, they will not be forgiven.’

24 Although Thomas the Twin was one of the twelve disciples, he wasn’t with the others when Jesus appeared to them. 25 So they told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’

But Thomas said, ‘First, I must see the nail scars in his hands and touch them with my finger. I must put my hand where the spear went into his side. I won’t believe unless I do this‘!” John 20:21-25 CEV

But let’s not be too hard on Thomas. For we often express some of the same doubt when it comes to things of the Lord. We doubt the things we haven’t seen or those we can’t understand. And, in spite of our doubting, Jesus meets us where we are and reveals Himself to us in our time of need.

“ We know what love is because Jesus gave his life for us. This is why we must give our lives for each other.” I John 3:16 CEV

Today’s not just another Monday. It’s the Monday after we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord! Make today a celebration filled with overwhelming joy!

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