In our last post we spoke about joy being the evidence of trust in God. If joy was a pill, than peace would be the effect. You cannot have one without the other.
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”. Philippians 4:6 – 7 (KJV)
What we see here is a three-fold process. Joy brings forth peace, but both are bound through constant communication with Christ. In the case of Stephen, he was wrongly accused of speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God. When questioned, Stephen gave a speech which revealed a strong conviction in Christ. His response caused the people to be furious and stone him to death. Before Stephen was stoned, he looked up to God and asked for the forgiveness of his accusers. He did not fight back, or declare vengeance upon them. He was totally at peace with his fate. Such resolve did not come from regular church attendance, praying over meals or periodic scripture reading. Rather, this was a result of his consistent, intimate friendship with the Lord.
You cannot have peace if you are constantly robbing God of His supreme position. The control belongs to Him. Peace comes with the understanding that only God reigns over your life.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord”. Isaiah 55:8 (NASB)
Once you relinquish control, then everything that enters your life you give to God to handle. You do not have to be concerned for your well-being because you know there is One greater who has your best interest at heart. In other words, peace is not fighting your own battles, but being still and allowing God to work. Peace is the devil’s kryptonite (follow us on another tangent). We all know that Superman has the best powers, but even he has a weakness. Kryptonite paralyzes Superman. It may seem sometimes that the devil has so much power, but he has a weakness too. The devil’s weakness is our peace, which is our total trust in God.
Faith is the source of joy and joy is the source of peace. Faith comes from hearing and hearing comes from the word of God.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”. Matthew 6:25 – 27 & 33 (NIV)
To being wise,
Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”. Philippians 4:6 – 7 (KJV)
What we see here is a three-fold process. Joy brings forth peace, but both are bound through constant communication with Christ. In the case of Stephen, he was wrongly accused of speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God. When questioned, Stephen gave a speech which revealed a strong conviction in Christ. His response caused the people to be furious and stone him to death. Before Stephen was stoned, he looked up to God and asked for the forgiveness of his accusers. He did not fight back, or declare vengeance upon them. He was totally at peace with his fate. Such resolve did not come from regular church attendance, praying over meals or periodic scripture reading. Rather, this was a result of his consistent, intimate friendship with the Lord.
You cannot have peace if you are constantly robbing God of His supreme position. The control belongs to Him. Peace comes with the understanding that only God reigns over your life.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord”. Isaiah 55:8 (NASB)
Once you relinquish control, then everything that enters your life you give to God to handle. You do not have to be concerned for your well-being because you know there is One greater who has your best interest at heart. In other words, peace is not fighting your own battles, but being still and allowing God to work. Peace is the devil’s kryptonite (follow us on another tangent). We all know that Superman has the best powers, but even he has a weakness. Kryptonite paralyzes Superman. It may seem sometimes that the devil has so much power, but he has a weakness too. The devil’s weakness is our peace, which is our total trust in God.
Faith is the source of joy and joy is the source of peace. Faith comes from hearing and hearing comes from the word of God.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”. Matthew 6:25 – 27 & 33 (NIV)
To being wise,
Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa
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