Tag: the peace of God

Traveling In The Dark

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I enjoy reading about the origins of words and phrases; for example, do you know the origin of the phrase, “good night, sleep tight?”  In times past, there were no box springs as we have today.  The mattress would lay across a myriad of thin ropes which, after every night’s sleep, would have to be pulled tight before a person crawled into bed the next night.  If they didn’t, the mattress would sag, making for a very uncomfortable sleep.  Hence, the saying of well wishes for the person to have a,  “good night and sleep tight.”

I read of something else very interesting to do with the verse found in Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”  During Bible times, when caravans would travel, perhaps from Egypt to Jerusalem, bringing their goods for sell and trade, they would travel day and night to get to their destination.  In order to travel at night they would have their servants go before the teams of wagons and horses carrying lamps to light the road ahead.

At times when individuals traveled through the night they would actually attach lamps, by way of a leather holder, to the front of their legs while carrying a lamp in their hands as well.  This helped the traveler to better see the potholes or large stones in their way.  Without the lamps they could easily fall and get hurt or lose their way altogether.

When the writer of Psalm 119 wrote, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path,” the reader of that time would know exactly the importance of that verse.  Just as lamps were a requirement for safety to the night traveler, God’s Word offers the same safety as we travel through the darkness of this world.  How easily we can fall when temptations roll onto our path, like a huge stone on the road, ready to trip us and cause us harm.  Often times we don’t know which way to go in our lives, what decisions to make, but with the light of God’s Word, we can better see the direction we should take.

God’s word is the light that reveals truth, that shows us the way, that points to peace, that shows us how to obtain the very strength of God when our own resilience fades away.  When we are in the darkness of despair or sorrow, God’s word lights our difficult path, guiding us to find the answers, granting us wisdom on what we should do, filling us with a holy comfort that the world alone cannot give.  God’s Word is the only light that can pierce any darkness found in this world.

We must all walk through the dark, but we don’t have to walk without the light.

 

 

What Does A Thief Want?

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It stands to reason that a thief would never attempt to rob anyone who had nothing of value.  Breaking and entering only takes place because the thief wants the something of value that you possess.  John 10:10 informs us of two things:  First, it tells us that “The theif’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.”  The Christian will know who the thief is; the thief is our arch enemy, Satan.  Since we are categorically told that his purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy, that fact is enough to let us know we need to pay attention.

When soldiers prepare for battle, a part of their training is to know the enemy.  Be aware of tactics used.  Know what they want.  It’s no different in spiritual warfare.  What does our enemy want to steal and kill and destroy?  He wants to steal your joy, kill your inner peace, and destroy your effectiveness in God’s Kingdom.  He will do whatever it takes to accomplish his purpose to steal, kill and destroy.  He lies and deceives.  He whispers words of hopelessness.

When one of God’s children blows it, our arch enemy doesn’t want you and me to dwell on the truth of God’s grace; He whispers that God’s wrath will create a living hell for us for the rest of our days.  He whispers that life’s circumstances are nothing more than God’s anger; belying the fact of God’s love and forgiveness.  The arch enemy doesn’t want you walking in the daily strength of God; he wants you wallowing in self pity.  The arch enemy doesn’t want you focused on God’s plan for your life which leads to contentment no matter life’s troubles; he wants you blaming God for your woes, leading you away from your Father rather than snuggling secure in Father’s arms of love.

Satan hates you because He hates Jesus.  He will never be anything to you and me but a thief with the sinister purpose to steal, kill, and destroy.  His constant attacks on our mind is tiring, causing us, in times of discouragement to want to throw in the towel.  I urge you, don’t dare surrender to the master thief.  Don’t give victory to his purpose; concentrate instead on God’s purpose, which is the second part of our verse.  Let’s read that verse in its entirety:  “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.  My purpose (God is saying) is to give a rich and satisfying life.”  While the arch enemy seeks to steal away all that is good; your Father seeks to give you riches of satisfaction for all the days of your life.

When we want to keep out a thief, we lock the doors.  It’s no different in our spiritual world.  Lock  the door with declaring the truth of God’s Word, with praises for His goodness, and with prayer that calls upon God’s strength.   When we lock the door to our mind and heart with God’s truth, the lies of the thief cannot enter, rendering him useless in his goals to steal, kill and destroy.  When the Christian chooses God’s truth; the arch enemy’s lies cannot take a hold on our inner peace.

Let’s lock the door to the enemy and walk in God’s purposes.

God’s Circle Of Truth

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Have you ever found yourself in a tough spot; it seems there’s no way out, and you find yourself wondering, why isn’t God helping me? You certainly wouldn’t be alone if those thoughts have entered your mind. It can be hard to understand why God seemingly leaves us to our own devices to get out of our troubles. Let’s take a look at that and delve into some truth.

You see, truth or the promises of God, is what we must determine to stand on at all times. For example, when you feel that God is not helping and has left you alone, then remind yourselves of His promise in Hebrews 13:5 where He says clearly that He will never leave us. It’s easy, but not the best, to rely on our “feelings” rather than on God’s truth, but it’s relying on God’s truth that helps keep our faith strong. Our feelings have nothing to do with faith. Pastor and writer Ron Dunn once said, “Emotion is but the echo of an experience and destined to fade into nothingness.” Don’t rely on wishy-washy feelings: rely on the truth of God.

Did you know that God actually gives us our faith? It’s not something we emotionally whip into being. II Peter 1:1 tells us, “I am writing to all of you who share the same precious faith we have, faith given to us by Jesus Christ, our God and Savior who makes us right with God.” It’s an interesting and vital circle to our spiritual effectiveness, to recognize God’s key to faith. God gives us faith. We may choose to initially receive that faith or not. When we choose to receive His gift of faith, then the next step to take is to get to know Him better. Peter tells us this, too, in II Peter 1:2, “May God bless you with His special favor and wonderful peace as you come to know Jesus, our God and Lord, better and better.” We get to know Him in the same way that we get to know anyone — by spending time with Him. Read His words of truth and promise, of comfort and guidance. Talk to Him about everything.

As we get to know Him better, something essential takes place: we develop a strong desire to do everything He says. We want to obey Him, and we find it a joy to do so, because we have learned to trust Him. How did we learn to trust Him? By knowing Him better. All of us find it difficult to trust someone we don’t know very well, but as we know a person and see their goodness and integrity, then we find it easy to trust what they say. God always has our best interests in His heart — always. As we come to know that as truth in our hearts, too, then we can do what He says to do with great joy, which will result in us following His guidance, which will result in our faith growing stronger. Do you see the wonderful circle of truth here? God gives faith to us, we accept His gift of faith and choose to learn more about Him. As we learn more about Him we discover that we trust Him and what He is allowing in our lives because we trust His love and His plans for us. Therefore, we do whatever He says to do, and what happens? Faith continues to grow stronger.

II Peter 1:3-4 says, “As we know Jesus better, His divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive His own glory and goodness! And by that same mighty power, He has given us all His rich and wonderful promises.” Isn’t God’s design to keep our faith strong absolutely wonderful? When we get to know Him, learn to trust Him, then our faith keeps us focusing on His goodness, rather than on our troubles of the day. The troubles of the day will fade as we grab hold of the truth that He will never leave us, nor forsake us. Get to know Him better and see for yourselves whether this is true or not. I know you won’t be disappointed because knowing God and trusting Him only brings peace of heart. When God’s peace reigns in your heart, you will never again ask, why isn’t God helping me, because you will see that He has planned a path that you can trust, even in the difficulties of life. God is love — all the time — that’s truth we can trust.