PEACE IN HIS PRESENCE

John 14:27 NIV Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

A lovely friend gave me a booklet called ‘Night-Time Peace’ because she knows I have some struggles with sleeping!😊 

As I was thinking about peace at night time I realised afresh that Jesus also gives us peace in the day time, peace when we’re upset, peace in the troubles, even peace in our mistakes when we hand them over to Him. He wants us to have His peace in every moment of our day and night, regardless of the circumstances or the time.

His presence is what brings His peace and even when we don’t ‘feel’ His presence, by faith we know He is there. We can thank Him He’s with us just because He has promised to be! He is actually there in that moment, and how loving and powerful He is. He never leaves us and as we acknowledge Him His peace will be released in a greater measure.😊

When things pile in on us and we’re distracted, He tells us it’s going to be all right because He’s with us in the difficulty regardless of what the outcome is. We can still be at peace knowing He is holding on to us, steadying us when we feel wobbly. He is the solid rock beneath us when we’re fearful, no matter what is trying to shake our faith. He is the All Sufficient One who will never let us down and will show us the way forward.

When we’re tempted to be in turmoil and lose our peace we need to remember that nothing is going to happen that together with God we can’t handle. He has promised His grace will be sufficient to  deal with it, His wisdom will be there to know what to do and how to pray, and if we don’t have peace about doing something, it’s the Holy Spirit telling us not to do it!

We are so privileged because we know and have the Prince of Peace in our lives, every single moment. Don’t let’s forget, but find peace in His presence each moment.😊 Amen.

OUT OF OUR MIND

Mark 3:21 NLT When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said.

Have you ever been so busy you didn’t have time to eat?  Well, Jesus and his disciples were in that situation because the crowds were so great, demanding to see Jesus. So much so that His family decided to take matters into their own hands and wanted to take Him out of there because they thought He was out of His mind!

Sometimes when we do the things God asks of us it will look like we’re out of our minds to those who haven’t heard God’s instruction to us. Proverbs 3:5 tells us not to lean on our own understanding and there are times when we have to step out in faith and do what God says rather than what worldly reasoning is telling us.😊

We have to get ‘out of our minds’ into God’s mind, into His way of doing things. God says to love those who hate us when our ‘mind’ wants to retaliate! He says overcome evil with good.

Are there some things in your mind at the minute that you need to get out of? Maybe the Lord is wanting you to get out of your mind and into His Word instead, to see what He is saying.

When your mind tells you that you can’t do something that He has told you to do, it’s time to get out of your mind and believe God’s declaration that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

When your mind says you’re sick and you’ll always be that way, get out of your mind and declare, “God You said, You would restore health unto me, that with long life you would satisfy me, that as my days are so will my strength be.” It doesn’t say as my days are so will my weakness be!!😊

1 Corinthians 2:16 NLT For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. 

Be encouraged today to know you have been given the mind of Christ who has been made wisdom for us so let’s seek His wisdom in all we do.😊 Amen.

Illustration by Mila Okta Safitri on Unsplash