Category: Peace

Strengthened for Joy

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I don’t know about you, but I often feel weak. Life is filled with challenges (I think I may be sounding like a broken record – if there was sound to writing). Some days those challenges become overwhelming. Have you ever quit? I have.

When we feel weak, joy and thankfulness can be hard to come by. When I find it hard to be joyful or thankful I start with what verses 13-14 tell us. “He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves. In Him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” God’s undeserved gift is easy to be thankful for.

Today’s verses talk about being strengthened. We need God’s strength to have endurance to make it through the challenges. God knew there would be many and so he sent the Holy Spirit to help us. Here is another reason to be joyfully thankful.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the strength that You give. Please help us to look to You for the endurance only You can provide. Please help us to be joyfully thankful. We know You give good gifts.

I praise this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.

Encouragement

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Welcome to 2024. In recent years, I have chosen a word for the year. I don’t always keep my blog posts to my word, but I try to stay close to the theme.

We live in difficult times. There are some specific situations friends and family have faced, but I also know we all need encouragement. My hope with this blog has been to encourage others to look to God’s Word for everything we need in life. God has given us all we need (2 Peter 1:3).

I pray this year that we spend more time focusing on Who God is and see the peace and hope He gives to us. Today’s verse talks about peace in believing and hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. I don’t think I want to live this year with anything else in the front of my mind.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the peace and hope You give. Please help us to focus on Your Word and the help You give.

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.

Going Too Fast

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Is it just me or did you blink and this year disappeared? Some say that the older you get, the faster time seems to go. I concur. As time seems to fly, I find myself dismayed at how quickly the days disappear. I can “lose heart”.

However, as I have turned the pages of my calendar, God has brought to mind the fact that heaven is my ultimate destination. The more I think about the incomprehensible joys of eternity in the presence of God, the more I like the way time flies. I look forward to heaven. The “eternal weight of glory” is “beyond all comparison”.

So as the days speed by, I want to rejoice more that this life is not “it”. There is a beautiful eternity coming sooner than I know.

Dear Heavenly Father, as I see another year come to an end, please help me to look more to what You have for eternity. I find myself losing heart when I need to seek You to renew my inner being. Please strengthen me to face the “light momentary affliction”. I look forward to the the future glory You have prepared.

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.

Weak Groanings

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 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called he also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified.

Last week I talked about how I must believe that God will give wisdom. I know that can be a weakness for me. I am thankful for this passage in Romans that tells me the Holy Spirit intercedes for me when I don’t know what to pray. He gives support to help in my greatest time of need.

I know there are times that my faith can be weak. God has provided help for those of us who have trusted in Jesus Christ. God gives what I need.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Spirit to help me when I don’t know how to pray. I cling to that promise. May Your name be praised for this marvelous gift.

I praise this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.

Trust and Peace

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I have talked about different verses on peace. This verse reminds us that we need our mind “stayed” on God. According to Step Bible stayed means “to lean, lay, rest, support, put, uphold, lean upon”. I like the sound of that. Life can be hard. We need a lot of help. We gain much of that support through our Heavenly Father – through reading and studying His Word, praying and spending time with other believers.

We need a lot of help to keep our minds fixed on God. There are so many distractions. However, the more we work on keeping our focus on God, the more peace we will have.

Dear Heavenly Father, please help us to keep our minds fixed on You. We need Your strength to fight the distractions. Thank You that we can trust You.

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.

Where is Peace?

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We live in a world where peace seems illusive. I know it can be challenging. There are so many problems in the world (John 16) and then there are the struggles within (Romans 7). Today’s verse talks about the only way to obtain real peace. Through our Savior, Jesus Christ. God is the only way to survive the challenges of life. We do not need to be troubled or fear.

That is easy to say, but challenging to live. I’m thankful God gave us His Word and the Holy Spirit to help us along the way.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the peace You give. Please help us to study Your Word and submit to the ministry of the Holy Spirit as we seek the peace You have promised.

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.

Immeasurable

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This verse tells us about one object of the immeasurable power of God.  As a believer, I have access to this power.  This passage doesn’t give a lot of specifics.  I know God does this on purpose.  I walk by faith (2 Cor. 5:7).  I don’t always get to see the specifics.  I simply need to ask God as Paul did to learn “what is the immeasurable greatness of His power”.  Knowing how great God is, this power is amazing.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for giving Your immeasurable power to those of us who believe.  Please help me to claim that power in humility that I might serve You better.

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.