Philippians 4:19-20 - The Faithful Supply for Our Needs

Philippians 4:19-20

19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Message: The Faithful Supply for Our Needs

What the Lord is Saying: 

Our pastor gave this message on October 23 and I decided to take a deeper dive into analyzing the texts and also looking at some of the other texts leading up to this one. I started looking at this the day after and now it is a month later and I still am not finished with it. I taught Sunday School yesterday and this is what I taught on or really spent time with the class, wrestling through it and what this text really means to me, at this point in my life and then asking the class for their opinion on it. 

To start with, I find it amazing that Paul has written these texts from jail as he was apprehended for sharing his faith. He speaks of being content and speaks of having an abundance - in prison. I wonder if in prison it is easier to see those types of things because your needs are perhaps less. Your responsibilities are less. Your necessities are less maybe in that situation. 

This letter has been described as a thank you to the church at Philippi. He is thanking them for their kindness in reaching out to him while he is in prison. And also thanking them for other times in which they ministered to him. I was reading about the conditions of Philippi at this time. So the people that he was saying thanks to were not well to do or rich or having a plentiful amount of things. Yet they lived in a military colony, a thoroughfare between Asia and Europe - most likely a traveling destination. The church there was young, having started through the conversion of a few. There was a small remnant. 

And thinking about people with little, they have much to give. I remember driving down a road and seeing a man in a modest truck reach over and grab his jacket and hand it to a homeless man begging for money on the corner. Yesterday, a man was asking for money where I was eating with my brother and our response is that we will buy him a meal. He clearly wanted money, not a meal, not food. My brother went and bought him food. He came out and admitted, he wanted money for a beer. He was homeless, but articulated well. He was nice. His name Eric. I told him about places to go, to try out. Things he could do to try and get work. I gave him ideas. I think he was making excuses. You could tell there was some comfort in his condition, a matter of fact way of life he lived. There was an apprehension to move beyond that. 

In verse 3 of chapter 1 of Philippians Paul starts by saying, "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you." This following week is the week of thanksgiving and I am challenged to take time to simply thank God for one another. 

As I come back now to this text, there is a tension I suppose in reading this. I wonder, what is it that God does in taking care of all people's needs in an equal manner. Or does he? Does it really mean this that everyone's needs are equal? Because the verse is specific to a person - "your" needs. The fuller meaning of this verse is God will fill-up all your needs. Yet there is a context to this verse. It is a promise and our pastor described it as a conditional promise. The conditional promise is found in the preceding verses and it is based upon the hearer or the church and their giving. The idea is that when a person gives, then they receive what they need. There is a return to their giving. Paul actually says in verse 18 that he has an abundance and in verse 17 the issue is not that he needs but that people need to give.  

The tension I have in this lesson, is this promise. And perhaps how it applies to every Christian. My dilemma is the people I have in my life. Not the people that are the "have's" but rather those that "have-not." The people that are in need. At last what I perceive as being in need. 

The idea of fill-up is the dog desiring to fill up your need. Dogs. Dogs provide me so much in life. They have this unconditional love. Our dog is at the door when you arrive. And he makes these noises when you arrive. He barks and is simply so excited you are home. It does not matter what kind of day I have had. I could have been mad at him the night before for getting into the pizza box and snagged a slice of pizza. It doesn't matter. He loves to see me. And Paul I think is telling us the same thing here. God will fill-up all your needs - down from His riches. 

As I look at the Bible, I see a God that has taken care of people throughout history. And there are many ways in which He has provided for us, materially. "Go to the Land I will show you." This took a while. not through Moses did it happen, but rather Joshua. And He provided the land. Along the way, it was not all easy. It took hundreds of years and in that time there was starvation, difficult times. The people that enjoyed the provision eventually were many, but along the way others died. 

Prior to this message was a message from a guest speaker from 2 Peter and in those verses I saw how he talked about His or God's promises (2 Peter 1:4) but I left the message wondering what these promises were exactly. Here is the text: 

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

The promises mentioned were not clear to me. It seemed like a general statement that Peter's audience maybe knew and understand. Now, this week the lesson is His riches. "God will fill up all of our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." I see a similar theme here - God's providence. 

The providence of God to me is a huge lesson in Scripture. Throughout scripture we have lessons of God's providence - or something He did for us, basically simply because He is God and He loves us. 

How is that God will fill up everyone and fill up their needs? I read an article on Madagascar recently and the fact that this country is one of the countries that has the least amount of money. The life expectancy of this country is 63. And many there make the equivalent of $100 a month. Nigeria is another place where the average wage of people is about 130,000 Naira which is about $90. These are third world countries, so I wondered, for these people, how is it that God is supplying their needs. Do they get to experience this promise. How is that myself and others that are in Christ and live such different lives can their needs filled up? 

I asked my Sunday School class to discuss this and offer suggestions. One thing people said in the class and I see as well is the focus of the text is actually on giving rather receiving. Verse 17 is a key verse in that we need to give. So there is a promise in receiving and it is often found though in giving. But people also mentioned a need to have gratitude. And also that we need to remember our focus and maybe our needs for each person are a little different. They also mentioned that in verse 11 Paul talks about being content and he even mentions a contentment of suffering need, of having little as well a contentment of having much. So there must be a contentment that even a person that may from my vantage point of having little economically, that person can still be content. 

There is a thought that God grants us to have a peace. That we recognize what Paul said in Philippians 1:21, "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain." And in Philippians 4:13 in response to the words in verse 12 of the secret of living in every type of circumstance - being filled and going hungry -- that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." 

This doesn't mean that me as a person is not to give. I am to give. I am to seriously consider the people around me and their needs. I believe I do. A homeless guy came up to me on Saturday. I bought him a meal when all he wanted was change for a beer. He admitted. I also showed him how he can actually get a job - showing him all the steps and giving him a road map to this. I think there is a responsibility we have in this - to help others. But it isn't my responsibility to solve all of the needs of this world. So even as I am helping, there is also me trusting God through this. 

In Chapter 4, there is a new paragraph that begins in verse 10 and continues through verse 20. Paul mentions that he has "learned to be content in whatever circumstances" he is in (v. 11). Whatever circumstances then would mean poor or rich, having things or not. Being sick or not sick. Having a job or not having a job. Being in prison rather than being free. He has learned "the secret of being filled and going hungry" (v. 12). There is a secret. This is a verb or an action. He also mentions having "abundance and suffering need." Thus, this contentment is not based upon what we have or don't have. 

As such, the next verse -- "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" is speaking about "whatever circumstance." It is not necessarily speaking of what I am accomplishing in the future, but rather it is speaking to my present circumstance which may include hunger and suffering need. Thus, when I read the verse the most compelling part is not doing all things but rather Him strengthening me.

I took a moment and looked at the interlinear Greek word for word on this verse. It says, "all things I have strength in the [one] strengthening me." Christ is not written in this verse, but inferred. 2 Corinthians 1:9 has the same Greek word with the [one]. The word is dative masculine singular. Scholars believe this is pointing to Christ as the one giving strength. Philippians begins 1:1 and ends 4:23 with Jesus Christ. Thus the one points to Jesus Christ. We find strength because of our relationship in Christ. I do all things not because of my own strength or capability, but Christ's strength - that in an amazing and somewhat secretive way passes onto me. 

Christ took on a strength in living a perfect life, responding to temptations not with sin, but fleeing from them, seeing people and what they are feeling on the inside, and ultimately going to the cross to die on it in order to redeem mankind for their sin. His death transfers his righteousness to mine and my access of this is by faith. This is all that the Word of God says and speaks. So if His righteousness can transfer over to Me, then so can His strength. 

Thus, being in Christ transcends the events of my life. Because of His strength which strengthens me. That's the point of verses 10-13. Verse 14 mentions then Paul having been encouraged by the Philippians believers. They have come alongside Paul in the affliction and being in prison it would seem would be the affliction. There was sympathy. There was sending someone to visit him. There was a sharing. Paul was not left alone. The people came to him. We are not islands, but instead we are people to help others and be there for them. Thus, Christ strengthens people, but the people of God also strengthen people. 

And with Paul in prison, what he received was a gift to meet the needs that he has. Verse 16, "you sent" and also in verse 18 "what you have sent." 

And so in verse 19 is Paul's conclusion that God shall supply all your your needs or in whatever circumstance you are in because of being "in Christ Jesus." Thus verse 19 helps speak to the idea of verse 13 and Christ being the One who strengthens. It is all about being in Christ Jesus. 

We are in Christ and that gives us strength but we are also a part of a community that provides for one another. God supplies our needs through His Son Jesus and His strength and through other people. This is the supply. God works in Christ and works through others. 

Every need is an opportunity to trust God.

Every provision is a reason to worship God.

Every blessing is a call to Give Him Glory. 

This is how the pastor on that day ended the message. 

Prayer: God, thank you for these lessons, for taking me through them. For your journey with me this entire year. I have been low but thank you for picking me up and not letting me waste this trial I have been in. Keep helping me help others. Keep me aligned with others and what is going on with them. Help me to know how to meet their needs and when to step back. O God, you are rich. I know I am rich in comparison to them. Give me a peace that transcends it all. 

2 Peter 1:3-8 - The Right Tools

2 Peter 1:3-8

3 His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, 6 knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, 7 godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Message: The Right Tools

Time: Written by Peter, he being influenced by the writings of Paul to Ephesus (Ephesians) somewhere between 62 and 63 AD. 

What the Lord is Saying: We had a guest speaker this morning at church and he did a message from 2 Peter on Right Tools. He used an example of fly fishing throughout his message to basically talk about the fact that God has given us Christians all the right tools that we need to carry out godliness in our lives. 

As is my pattern, I looked at the text and went back to verse 1 to understand a little bit better the context of this passage. Peter's message is written to those Christians that have the same understanding of faith or belief that he does. 

I noticed verse 1 says this faith is "by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ." I wondered with that verse if Peter is linking God and Jesus or if God and Jesus are separate. On one hand, it sounds like he is stating that Jesus the Savior is God. But could he be stating that faith is of the righteousness of God and the righteousness of Jesus Christ?

In verse 2, he asks that "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord." Here again, Peter is mentioning grace and peace because of those (verse 1) having a knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 

Even if Peter is not stating that Jesus is God, he is linking characteristics that are the same of the two - righteousness, grace, peace - all found in the knowledge of God and Jesus. 

Verse 3 - "His divine power." When I read this, that's what made me go back to verse 1 and 2 and think about who's divine power He is speaking about for His is singular and yet so possibly it lends itself to think that verse 1 and 2 and the words of God and Jesus are unified rather than separate. Yet, His divine power could be the last name spoken in verse 2 (remembering that punctuation and verse divisions were added later). But also here we then have Jesus being the one with divine power and God also has divine power. Thus, there is another linkage here with Jesus and God having the same attribute of divine power. 

This here is the point of the pastor's message yesterday morning and initially the first point of the text of 2nd Peter. That to the Christian, the fellow believer and Peter - that through Jesus, his righteousness and our knowledge, those Christians have "everything pertaining to life and godliness." The everything we have is because of the faith we have, the grace, and the peace. This is indeed a compelling statement. We have everything pertaining to life because we have faith "through the true knowledge of Him." 

And later in the text it states therefore, with the qualities mentioned in verse 5-7, namely "moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love -- we are neither useless nor unfruitful." Thus we have everything we need for life an godliness and because of that we will be fruitful and useful. 

This sounds like a promise. This takes me back to verse 4 - "For by these" where these seems to be "everything pertaining to life and godliness." Peter says, "these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature." 

Again, we have everything we need pertaining to life and godliness. We have qualities that we will supply to others and throughout life to be of use and fruitful. Thus, we become divine-like. 

But in this text then is a mysterious statement to me - "He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises." Promises. What are these promises? 

2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness..." There is a promise. 

2 Peter 3:13 says, "But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth." 

We have everything we need for life and being Godly. We are those that have faith and knowledge of God and Jesus. We have been given qualities. We will be useful and bear fruit. We will be divine. And this is all according to His precious and magnificent promises. 

I find this interesting because Peter explains all of these outcomes which we have because of our faith, but doesn't specify the promises, and so his audience must have understood these promises. 

I don't know exactly what these promises are right now. I could look at commentaries and review the different ideas. I suppose for now I will focus on what I know - I have everything I need.

Prayer: God, you have done it. Through faith, I have everything I need to do everything pertaining to life and godliness. I want to discover this Lord. And believe this and trust in this. And help me to share this with others to encourage them. Give us all hope. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

John 20:19-22 - Jesus Appears to His Disciples

John 20:19-22

19 So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit."

Message: Jesus Appears to His Disciples

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)." 

What the Lord is Saying: Jesus has resurrected - Mary, and other women, and the disciples have seen he's not in his grave. Jesus has appeared to Mary and told her to tell others. In verse 19, I found out that the disciples are hiding in a room, fearful that after Jesus has been sentenced to death that they may be next. Jesus arrives to them, at this room and speaks words of comfort, "Peace be with you." He lets them know that they do not need to fear. 

He proceeds in verse 20 to show the disciples his hand and his side to verify and confirm that it was indeed him who had been on the cross. Then in verse 21, he repeats the greeting of "Peace." And commissions them to the world, "I also send you." 

And in verse 22 mentions the Holy Spirit to them. He breaths on them letting them know they are now endowed with the power of the Holy Spirit. The Father sent Jesus to this earth and Jesus now send them forth, sealing them with the Holy Spirit. In this Jesus shows that the Father and the Holy Spirit are part of the Godhead. 

Summary: Jesus comes to the disciple to bring them peace and send them forth with the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

Promise: God always equips those whom He calls (1 Cor. 12).

Prayer: Thank you Holy Spirit for being in my life and equipping me for Your work in this world. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

John 14:27-28 - Peace from Jesus

John 14:27-28 

27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. 28 You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

Message: Peace from Jesus

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."  

What the Lord is Saying: Leaving off the last lesson and the comfort of Jesus words to abide with us always even as He mentions to His disciples that He must leave (v. 31 - The Son of Man glorified; v. 33 - Where I am going, you cannot come; v. 36 - Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; 14:2 - I go to prepare a place for you; 27 - I leave; 28 - I go away), He brings them comfort that He is with them and His helper as well is sent to them. 

Upon Jesus saying He is leaving is Him giving words of comfort. He is leaving them with Peace. But this isn't simply peace that people have in their lives but this is "His or My peace" as He names it, "My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you." This is Jesus peace. This is different from the peace that the world attempts to give people. There is piece that the World tries to give people. People do walk around often thinking they have this peace.  It is a manufactured peace. It is a peace that each person might define for themselves or come up for themselves based upon their circumstances or situations. In other words, it is often a selfish peace. 

When I speak to people about faith and what matters, invariably people come up with their definition of how things are and in the process they are working through a process sometimes to define peace in their life. It seems money is a desire or having things or having the right people in one's life. They define life based upon what they can accomplish or what they can do in their free time. They might momentarily have joy in their kids achievements. 

Numbers 6:24-26 reads, "The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace." Everything the Lord provides culminates in peace. 

Romans 5:1 says, "Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Jesus leaves us peace and the best peace we are to have is with God, our creator, the sustainer of life. We have a peace that cannot be matched. And the peace is through our Lord Jesus. He gives us peace and in the process we have peace with God. He provided the means or way for us to be justified. Our simple act in the process was having faith. 

With this peace is Christ saying also, "Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." I like the words he says, "Do not let." A troubling heart and fearful heart I think are normal. As we stare at the situations of life - death, suffering, trials, misfortune - we can allow ourselves to be troubled and fearful. We can allow the circumstances of life to dictate our well-being, our quality of life, but Jesus tells us we have peace. We have a peace that surpasses understanding, guarding our hearts (Phil. 4:7).  

Jesus then offers a little bit of a rebuke to the disciples. He has spoke to them and given them promises. He has assured them of truths that despite leaving He is with them, will return again and sends His spirit to them to confirm all that He has said. He promises to come again. They have nothing to fear. He asks them continually to love Him. 

He also makes mention that they should have joy for him going to the Father and says, "The Father is greater than I." In his current state on this earth, the Father, never having come to earth as a man, lives in a greater state, Jesus will ascend, but for now he is God in a different capacity, fully man. Jesus speaks his equality but as a man, as a servant could say the Father was greater than Him. 

Summary: Jesus leaves his disciples with His peace, asking them also to rejoice because Jesus goes to the Father. They are to have no trouble or fear. 

Promise: Let the peace Christ gives you grant you confidence this day that He is with you, that He loves you, and that He is working for your good and His glory. 

Prayer: O Lord God in heaven you are creator and all of life and time and this universe is for Your glory and Yours alone. Thank you for granting me peace that surpasses all understanding. Thank you that I don't have to fear or be troubled. And thank you for showing me your equality with God the Father. You are holy and I can trust You. Spirit of God you share with me truth always about You and keep defining peace in my life and giving me that confidence in You. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's. 

Leviticus 7:11-15 - The Lord's Supper and Fellowship

Leviticus 7:11-15

11 ‘Now this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings which shall be presented to the Lord. 12 If he offers it by way of thanksgiving, then along with the sacrifice of thanksgiving he shall offer unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, and cakes of well stirred fine flour mixed with oil. 13 With the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving, he shall present his offering with cakes of leavened bread. 14 Of this he shall present one of every offering as a contribution to the Lord; it shall belong to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the peace offerings.

15 ‘Now as for the flesh of the sacrifice of his thanksgiving peace offerings, it shall be eaten on the day of his offering; he shall not leave any of it over until morning.

Message: The Lord's Supper and Fellowship

Time: There is sufficient evidence that Moses penned Exodus and Leviticus including references to Leviticus by New Testament authors. Its name means "pertaining to the Levites" and its purpose was to instruct the Israelites on right living and proper worship. The most likely time for this is 1446 BC. The book communicates that receiving God’s forgiveness and acceptance should be followed by holy living and spiritual growth.

What the Lord is Saying: There has been disagreement among Roman Catholics and Protestants about the Lord's Supper. Some in the Roman Catholic church believe that the Lord's Supper is a propitiatory offering. But there is no support for this in scripture and instead one has to then say that this is an extra-biblical teaching. Propitiatory offering means:

The mass is said to be something more than a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. It is properly a “propitiatory sacrifice” - that is, a sacrifice offered “for sins.” “The Sacrifice of the Mass is offered to God…to appease Him, make Him due satisfaction for our sins, and to help the souls in Purgatory, and hence it is called Propitiatory” (Catechism of St Pius X).

The Old Testament sacrifices are varied -- a few examples are peace offerings, thanksgiving offerings, burnt offerings. The Burnt offering is mentioned in Leviticus 1 "that he may be accepted before the Lord" (v. 2) and "to make atonement on his behalf (v. 4)". Thus, a propitiatory offering that foreshadowed the final wrath-satisfying atonement of Christ. In this offering the entire animal is offered to the Lord and none of the animal was eaten. 

Peace offerings however included eating of the animal. And the peace offering could also be a thanksgiving offering. This would bring a parallel then between the New Testament Lord's Supper and these offerings as in the Lord's Supper today we feed on the body and blood of Christ. 

Thus, like the peace offering and thanksgiving offering we are remembering the goodness of God for our redemption and offering up praise to Him of thanksgiving and worship. We eat of the animal or eat of unleavened cakes and wafers as today's passage mentions. And eat of the body and blood of Christ in today's Lord's Supper, and thus the parallel. Thus our fellowship with Christ is confirmed. 

Summary: The Lord's Supper is an offering to the Lord of thanksgiving, peace, and fellowship whereby we partake of the body and blood of Christ in remembrance of his goodness and redeeming us. 

Promise: From Tabletalk: We do not fellowship over food with our enemies but typically only with our friends and family. Christ invites all who believe in Him to His table. If we have faith in Him alone for salvation, then the eating and drinking signifies that we are at peace with Him and impresses the reality of this peace and fellowship on our souls.

Prayer: O Lord, thank you for the goodness of Your Word and the parallels between the Old and New Covenants and weaving it all together. May I be a person that continually remembers You and the Goodness of Your Sacrifice for me. Thank you for dying for me and granting me new and forever life in You. Help me to continue to celebrate and remember You as I engage in the Lord's Supper, thanking you for the union I have with You in Christ. Thank you for making the Lord's Supper distinct and special. 

Matthew 5:9 - Blessed are the peacemakers

June 19, 2022 - Lamar Morin - Hoffmantown Church

Matthew 5:9

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Peacemakers - We all want peace

4 Identifiers

• Personal Peace - one who has personal peace (shalom - an overall sense of wholeness and completeness); this is an absence of trouble and trials; wholeness; absence of trials. 
• Personal Pursuit - it is not to love peace, but to make peace. This is one who is making peace. Face it. Deal with it. Solve it. 
• Romans 14:19 - So then [This is a command:] we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.
• Pain and Purity - Willing to risk pain and not let things slide. Is it worth the fight? Be honest with oneself. Purity of motive. 
• Jeremiah 6:14 - “They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ But there is no peace."
• It is not enough to want peace. Peace must be fought for. [Personal - is this why we go to war? There is unrest and we want peace.]
• Price to be Paid - It is not easy. Must be willing to pay a price. 
• Colossians 1:19-20 - 19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
• The Father made peace through the blood of the cross. God wanted peace with man. It was achieved through the blood of the cross Jesus bore our sins on. There is pain in the process. 
• Ephesians 2:14 - For He Himself is our peace. 

Peace Robbers

• Sin - Until sin changes to righteousness there can't be peace. We are blinded by sin. Sin stains and strife follows. 
• Isaiah 48:22 - “There is no peace for the wicked,” says the Lord.
• Arguing - The elder/pastor qualifications are to be peaceful, not quarrelsome. We don't want to be a people that stirs up fights. But, we are also tempted to always be right. 
• Anger/Bitterness - Our anger will get the best of us. Hebrews 12:15 - See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;
• Worry - I Peter 5:6-7 - 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Peace Promoters

• Look to God - I Cor 14:33 - for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
• Language - Prov. 15:1 - A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. Mentioned a Fort Worth pastor from the early part of 20th century, J. Frank Norris, who in the pulpit criticized people. 
• Learn - We need to learn to pray for peace. 
• Lead - Lead with selflessness and sacrifice. 
• Look On - Look on to God's Word
• Lovingly - lovingly seek forgiveness

Peacemakers are called sons of God. We don't become sons of God by making peace. There is also the word "they" meaning our peace making affects more than one person. Nothing compares to being a child of God. 

My Utmost for His Highest - April 3rd - If Thou Hadst Known

 saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. - Luke 19:42

Jesus had entered into Jerusalem in triumph, the city was stirred to its foundations; but a strange god was there, the pride of Pharisaism; it was religious and upright, but a "whited supulchre. (Matthew 23:27)"

What is it that blinds me in this "my day"? Have I a strange god-but a disgusting monster; but a disposition that rules me? More than once God has brought me face to face with the strange god and I thought I should have to yield, but I did not do it. I got through the crisis by the skin of my teeth and I find myself in the possession of the strange god still; I am blind to the things which belong to my peace. It is an appalling thing that we can be in the place where the Spirit of God should be getting at us unhinderedly, and yet increase our condemnation in God's sight.

"If thou hadst known" -- God goes direct to the heart, with the tears of Jesus behind. These words imply culpable responsibility; God holds us responsible for what we do not see. "Now they are hid from thine eyes"--because the disposition has never been yielded. The unfathomable sadness of the "might have been!" God never opens doors that have been closed. He opens other doors, but He reminds us that there are doors which we have shut, doors which need never have been shut, imaginations which need never have been sullied. Never be afraid when God brings back the past. Let memory have its way. It is a minister of God with its rebuke and chastisement and sorrow. God will turn the "might have been" into a wonderful culture for the future.

Oswald Chambers - From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

- Underlines and highlights are courtesy of Mom from her Print Edition

Mark 5:30-34 - The Compassion of Christ

Mark 5:30-34
30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

Message: The Compassion of Christ

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

As Jesus is headed to Jairus to see his daughter, in the crowds a woman suffering from a bloody hemorrhage condition wants to get to Jesus, just to touch him. She knows that this is all she needs, to touch Jesus and she will be healed. This section of the passage provides further detail to the compassion of Jesus in healing this lady.

On this day, I continue to think about the horrific act of violence that happened the other day, in our country, at a high school in Parkland, Florida, where a young man, with firearms, went to a school he attended and had been expelled, with the purpose of hurting others. He had been hurt and had felt like he had been failed. His livelihood, evidently, was that school and being there, and I'm guessing that since he couldn't be there anymore, he wanted the administration and other people to experience his pain and anger. So, in an effort to achieve the most deaths, he shot and killed 17 people. What a huge number and yet not the biggest school shooting, but rather the 2nd biggest in deaths.

We are a people struggling to know how to deal with issues when they don't go as we had planned. My son is in the process of coming off of a drug that has controlled him for many years. He is struggling right now with anger issues and seeing how little things can set him off. He has no outlet for his anger anymore or he has no way to harness it as the drug was calming himself down and providing him relief. O God, help our country, our young people, us, to find comfort and solace and peace in You. Peace is found nowhere else.

This woman in the crowd had complete confidence in Jesus and him being the one that could bring comfort and healing to her. You rescued her God and you can rescue others. I hurt for this community, these families that now will have to experience their lives without a child that meant the world to them. Bring comfort to the families for their pain will not be momentary, but will be lifelong. Help people to heal. Thank you for the police chief that called on the community, the nation to pray. Help us to be a nation that does pray. As a nation, after 9/11 we did so much to guard ourselves from the terrorists that would come into our country and yet, we now continue to struggle with terrorists within.

And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” At first, I see this as an odd statement, like the power that enveloped Jesus, he had no power for the way it left him. Yet, I think Jesus knew what had happened, but his question was for the benefit of the woman who thought that perhaps she go unnoticed by Jesus. And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” The disciples look at it from my perspective - how could Jesus single out one touch when multiple touches were occurring. The question seems strange and unnecessary by Jesus.

And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. Jesus, in looking around for the woman, had compassion and interest. But the woman, at that moment, almost like the fear that Eve might have had in the garden when she and Adam hid themselves with loin cloths, realizing for the 1st time that they had done something wrong -- this woman, at this moment, wonders if she also has done something wrong. She has been noticed. Perhaps she thought she could just anonymously grab a hold of a garment and then get away, be healed, and no one would notice. But, she didn't flee from him when she saw Jesus looking around, instead she came before him, fell down and told him the truth. Does not Jesus have this effect on people? IT is like a child not running from his parent, but instead falling down before them. Yet, this woman had not done anything wrong, but she didn't know that. But perhaps her appearance in public, due to her uncleanliness and the rules related to that, was her fear. There needed to be an acknowledgement from Jesus. She told him the truth. It is not enough for her to steal a touch, her lips must acknowledge before Jesus her condition and what she requests. Her words are not detailed, but it is said she told him the whole truth. She confessed to him.

And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” And Jesus remarks to results: one, that her faith has made her well. But, this is mentioned separate from the healing of her disease. He also calls her daughter, a word of affection. He wants to show all these people that this unclean woman is a not simply another woman, but Jesus has affection for her. Who saved her? Jesus. How did this happen? Through faith. And now she can go forth in peace. There is no more stain on her, no more blemish, no more uncleanness. She is clean and healed.

Promise: God is all-powerful. Yet, he is tender to those who trust Him. He is powerful, but also a loving Father. He has tender care for His children.

Prayer: Lord God, I love this story. I love the faith that this woman has and shows us. She has confidence in You, a confidence that I want to have daily in my life. Thank you for caring for me and desiring to be close to me and showing me continually that you do want what is best for me. Sometimes that best hurts, but in the long-term you are growing me. Help me to continually trust You no matter what occurs. And help me to encourage others. We are a people in need of grace, your grace. Thank you for healing me and making me whole.

Psalm 144:9-15 - The Blessings of Having the Lord God

Psalm 144:9-15

9 I will sing a new song to You, O God;
Upon a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,
10 Who gives salvation to kings,
Who rescues David His servant from the evil sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me out of the hand of aliens,
Whose mouth speaks deceit
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
12 Let our sons in their youth be as grown-up plants,
And our daughters as corner pillars fashioned as for a palace;
13 Let our garners be full, furnishing every kind of produce,
And our flocks bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields;
14 Let our cattle bear
Without mishap and without loss,
Let there be no outcry in our streets!
15 How blessed are the people who are so situated;
How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!

Message: The Blessings of Having the Lord God

Time: Based upon authorship and subject matter, Psalms cover a range of centuries. David is mentioned 73 times, Solomon 2, Moses 1, and 50 designate no specific person. It is believed they were compiled around 537 BC. The psalms deal with such subjects as God and His creation, war, worship, wisdom, sin and evil, judgment, justice, and the coming of the Messiah.

What the Lord is Saying:

In review of the first 8 verses of this Psalm, David is crying out to the Lord recognizing first that God is great and the reality that he is small. God is the reason people see him as great. God is the reason he is a warrior in battle and is the reason he is the leader over his people. David also can't quite understand why God would even consider him of value. I know many times I have wondered why God would choose me. The peace I have seems almost unfair to what others have in our world. In light of this perspective, David calls on God to work in a mighty way.

This perspective or view point of God being the one that is capable of delivering and rescuing David continues in verse 9 forward.

His Determination
I will sing a new song to You, O God; upon a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You. Here is David's crescendo proclamation that the Lord God is in charge. His song, his new song, his forever song to he Lord is to sing his praises. Victory is in Jesus, now and forever.

His Discernment: Destroys Them
Who gives salvation to kings, who rescues David His servant from the evil sword. David had been in many battles and yet he is not ever testifying of his own greatness, but all of his praise of being rescued from the evil sword resides in the Lord.

His Discernment: Defame Them
Rescue me and deliver me out of the hand of aliens, whose mouth speaks deceit and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood. David has clearly seen the evil present in many people's lives. It is no fun to witness evil, but it is there. He may have even been thinking of the murder of Amasa by Joab recorded in 2 Samuel 20. Joab was a cold-blooded murderer. Just as there are truly good people we want to emulate their are bad people we detest. But being rescued and delivered belongs in the hands of God.

His Desire: For A Magnificent Population 
Let our sons in their youth be as grown-up plants, and our daughters as corner pillars fashioned as for a palace. David envisions a nation of youth drawing their strength from the Lord. These are people sure of their foundation. May we have youth in our country proud of our country, proud of our nation.

His Desire: For a Manifest Prosperity
Let our garners be full, furnishing every kind of produce, and our flocks bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields; Let our cattle bear. He thinks of a nation with a healthy economy, where production is high and the gross national product beyond all normal expectation. In many ways this is modern day America.

His Desire: For a Meaningful Peace
Without mishap and without loss, let there be no outcry in our streets! Here there are no invasions of our country by a foreign foe. Are we a nation of peace? Unfortunately, we have lost our way as a nation from this with the many killings that occur at our schools, our military bases, businesses -- there is nothing that is truly safe now. 9/11 also showed that we can be attacked. For a moment, after that, people returned to the Lord, but it was momentary. Afterwards, they returned to their ways. What is missing from people? A right relationship with the Lord.

His Desire: For a Mirthful People
How blessed are the people who are so situated; how blessed are the people whose God is the Lord! We have all the resources to be content, but somehow we aren't. We are often a people still wanting more or being told we need more. And being taught that our economy is focused on people getting more. We have a lot but in order to get it we must borrow. It's amazing where we are at.

Here is the statement that should be the hallmark of our lives -- How blessed (happy) are the people whose God is the Lord. We think we have made it on our own, but actually, our praise belongs to the Lord. We need to return to this.

Promise: David recognizes in this Psalm that the secret to life is no secret. It is very apparent that God is to be our Lord and King and we are happiest in all of life with him at the center. This psalm declares that everything good about man is from God. Our positions, our roles, our jobs, our families, our money, our possessions is all there when we place him in charge. Evil men will continue, but we an rest in the Lord being our rescuer and deliverer.

Prayer: Thank You God for saving us. Thank you for choosing me. Thank you for giving me life, abundance life, and peace, abundant peace. Help me to declare you and praise your name and acknowledge you as the reason for it all. I pray that you would be our peace. I pray that you would train us in how to be content and not simply focused on having more. Daily, bring back the joy of our salvation so we never lose that perspective of making you known in our world. Save me and save my family and friends. I praise you. And I thank you for what you have done so far. You are great.

Luke 2:22-35 - Our Divine Vocation

Luke 2:22-35

22 And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

25 And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, 28 then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,

29 “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace,
According to Your word;
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation,
31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 A Light of revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”

33 And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed— 35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Message: Our divine vocation

Time: The Gospel according to Luke was probably the last Synoptic Gospel to be written, thus penned around 60 AD. The words salvation are in Luke, though not in Matthew and Mark. Luke, a gentile physician, wrote more than any other NT writer, writing primarily of redemptive history.

What the Lord is Saying: There is a continuous theme in the Old Testament that is carried forward in the New Testament because it is a theme that occurs in the lives of Jews and Jewish Christians. That theme is cleanliness versus being unclean. Many of the sacrifices that were set up in Leviticus were for the purpose of someone becoming clean again. The most common source of uncleanness was the stain of sin in a person's life. But there are other things as well. One of those things is a woman giving birth. After the birth, they were considered unclean for 7 days and then would have to stay home 33 days more, and then for having a girl these periods were doubled. And then they were to present in the temple an offering of purification: a burnt offering of a lamb a year old, and a young pigeon or turtle-dove as a sin offering. But if someone is poor then the lamb can be replaced with a young pigion or turtle-dove. This is what Mary brought for Jesus (v. 24).

And then there was Simeon, who we know nothing about, but that he was waiting for the Messiah, and the Holy Spirit came upon him, perhaps for a moment, rather than continually; but he was clearly a holy man. At some point in Simeon's life he had been told by the Spirit that he would not die before first seeing the Lord's Christ. It would make sense then that Simeon was very old.

Mary and Joseph bring the baby Jesus into the temple to carry out the custom of the Law in making and Simeon takes the baby in his arms to thank or praise God (v. 28).Simeon here recognizes that in this infant something special. God had told him through His spirit to wait for this baby, and this is indeed a special moment in the temple where Simeon, an older and wiser man sees that he can now depart from this world because he has seen the salvation of God's people, namely Jesus. Jesus is a light to the Gentiles and a glory to Israel. Thus, Jesus covers all people.

Joseph and Mary hear this, amazed once again. If anything this is also for their benefit, what Simeon has voiced, for them to hear that this baby is indeed different. There have already been so many signs of Him being different but these words from Simeon are the clearest.

Simeon speaks to Mary and Joseph with a prayer or a command and blesses them. They are blessed to have the honor of being related to this child and were entrusted to bring Him up. Jesus will be a savior of death to some (unbelievers) and a savior of life to still others (believers). But these words had to be hard to hear by Mary and Joseph that this baby would be rejected by many, would receive lashings and be opposed, but all of this is ordered by Providence as Jesus will reveal the actions of men. Jesus' suffering would hurt Jesus but also hurt Mary. But his suffering is necessary, as is our suffering.

Here we have the prophecy of Jesus and his life, by a man, Simeon that is really not mentioned anywhere else in Scripture and Luke records him. Jesus is set apart. He is indeed unique.

Promise: Suffering is a necessary part of life. The reality is suffering hurts and it is hard, but we remember it is necessary.

Prayer: Lord, I have seen that suffering is real. It does indeed hurt for it to occur in our lives. We have suffered for pain that our children experience or hurt that comes upon us from their actions. It is tough to be a parent, to experience all of the sacrifice and the things that we do to help make our kids great and then along the way, we hurt for them. It is a joy but it is also a difficult part of life. God, I thank you for what you do in our lives and for bringing us along in life the way that you have. Keep our eyes focused on You. Thank you for the prophecy of Jesus and that he is salvation for all people. We need You and we need You every hour.

Jesus Calling: December 31

As this year draws to a close, receive My Peace. This is still your deepest need, and I, your Prince of Peace, long to pour Myself into your neediness. My abundance and your emptiness are a perfect match. I designed you to have no sufficiency of your own. I created you as a jar of clay, set apart for sacred use. I want you to be filled with My very Being, permeated through and through with Peace.
     Thank Me for My peaceful Presence, regardless of your feelings. Whisper My Name in loving tenderness. My Peace, which lives continually in your spirit, will gradually work its way through your entire being. 

Isaiah 9:6
English Standard Version
For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
 
2 Corinthians 4:7
English Standard Version
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
 
John 14:26-27
English Standard Version
²⁶ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

My Prayer
Jesus, Father, Spirit, thank you for this year and guiding me through it. You are showing me more each day that you are in fact in control of me, my life, my world, this world and I can trust you for it all. There have been many different challenges this year, that you have brought our way. But, through them all, you sustain us and keep us with You. Many challenges remain but thanks for the simple reminder that you are with us, you are near, as we are your treasure.    

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Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: December 2

I AM the Prince of Peace. As I said to My disciples, I say also to you: Peace be with you. Since I am your constant Companion. My Peace is steadfastly with you. When you keep your focus on Me, you experience both My Presence and My Peace. Worship Me as King of kings, Lord of lords, and Prince of Peace.
     You need My Peace each moment to accomplish My purposes in your life. Sometimes you are tempted to take shortcuts, in order to reach your goal as quickly as possible. But if the shortcut requires turning your back on My peaceful Presence, you must choose the longer route. Walk with Me along paths of Peace, enjoy the journey in My Presence. 

Isaiah 9:6
English Standard Version
For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
 
John 20:19-21
English Standard Version
¹⁹ On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. ²¹ Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

Psalm 25:4
New King James Version 
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.

My Prayer
Lord God, show me your ways, teach me your paths. I want to live according to your plans. Help me to understand that as I read your word and then I suppose I will have a decision whether to do it. Work in me life, through your Holy Spirit, to put a new way of thinking in me, so that my ways are all about bringing glory to You. You are the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.
 

Jesus Calling: November 4

Walk peacefully with Me through this day. You are wondering how you will cope with all that is expected of you. You must traverse this day like any other; one step at a time. Instead of mentally rehearsing how you will do this or that, keep your mind on My Presence and on taking the next step. The more demanding your day, the more help you can expect from Me. This is a training opportunity, since I designed you for deep dependence on your Shepherd-King. Challenging times wake you up and amplify your awareness of needing My help.
     When you don't know what to do, wait while I open the way before you. Trust that I know what I'm doing, and be ready to follow My lead.  I will give strength to you, and I will bless you with Peace. 

Exodus 33:14
English Standard Version
And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Deuteronomy 33:29
English Standard Version
Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you,
a people saved by the Lord,
the shield of your help,
and the sword of your triumph!
Your enemies shall come fawning to you,
and you shall tread upon their backs.”

Hebrews 13:20-21
English Standard Version
20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 29:11
English Standard Version
May the Lord give strength to his people!
May the Lord bless his people with peace!

My Prayer

Lord, it feels like, life, trains us at times to resist problems. We are trained to not deal with any difficult circumstances, but instead to remain in a state of ease, comfort, and being entertained. Lord, your Word tells us to count it joy when we encounter various trials. Lord, I want to be trained by you to respond to adversities in a way that honors You. As I do this, I'm sure I will stand out and you will get the glory. You have told me that your presence will go with me and you will give me rest. You will give me rest in the midst of struggles. You will give me peace. You will give me strength. You can keep me happy even as a traverse through struggles. Train me God, O train me. Thank you God.


Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: January 24

My Peace is the treasure of treasures: the pearl of great price. It is an exquisitely costly gift, both for the Giver and the receiver. I purchased this Peace for you with My blood. You receive this gift by trusting Me in the midst of life's storms. If you have the world's peace--everything going your way--you don't seek My unfathomable Peace. Thank Me when things do not go your way, because spiritual blessings come wrapped in trials. Adverse circumstances are normal in a fallen world. Expect them each day. Rejoice in the face of hardship, for I have overcome the world.

Matthew 13:46 
New King James Version
...who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
 
James 1:2 
English Standard Version
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds...
 
John 16:33 
English Standard Version
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
 
My Prayer
Your word says in Romans that there is peace in Christ. This peace was not cheap. It came at a great price; the death of Jesus on the cross for each of us. Lord, too often the peace I seek in life is not your peace. I seek peace from my own decision making. Help me to know what it means to have my peace be in You. Lord, deepen me in Your Word each day so that your Words are in my life.

Help me Lord to be thankful for even the tough times or the hard times. Lord, it happens every day to me. There are expectations I have often of other people and how they are to act toward me and so there are unmet expectations. Those are trials for me. There are challenges with my job and getting work done or not getting work done because there is so much work to do. Those are trials. There are employees that do not do a level of work needed. Those are trials. Lord, I find that many of those trials right now are unmet expectations. Teach me Lord if what I want is out of line and perhaps not really waiting on You for patience. Like my children not being assertive in their future goals but instead it often seems they are content to just watch another television show or be entertained one more time. My son wants to quit soccer when soccer is a trial to him. He isn't getting the feedback that he used to get. I suppose I have these expectations and they are not getting met, but I suppose I am also concerned that they are making unwise decisions.

Lord, I do think of my mom and the trial she is going through of getting a cancer diagnosis for the 3rd time now in the last 10 years and contemplating surgery for a 3rd time and whether it is worth it to go through that again, given the last surgery had such a difficult and long-lasting recovery. That is definitely a trial.

But, Lord, throughout all these events, we can count these as joy? Throughout all these events our eyes need to be centered on You realizing that Peace is not found simply in getting all of our messes fixed. But Peace is something you purchased for us. True peace is bigger than all of these trials. It is knowing that I will always be in Your presence and eternity with You is always in the cards and I never have to question my eternal outcome. Lord, help me to be defined by that sort of peace and not simply the unrest that occurs with these momentary events. Granted, Lord, you care for these events and I thank you for caring, but help me walk through them, realizing you are by side and you will do as you desire. And through that I can have peace.


Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author. 

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: January 26

Give up the illusion that you deserve a problem-free life. Part of you is still hungering for the resolution of all difficulties. This is a false hope! As I told My disciples, in the world you will have trouble. Link your hope not to problem solving in this life but to the promise of an eternity of problem-free life in heaven. Instead of seeking perfection in this fallen world, pour your energy into seeking Me: the Perfect One.
It is possible to enjoy Me and glorify Me in the mist of adverse circumstances. In fact, My Light shines most brightly through believers who trust Me in the dark. That kind of trust is supernatural: a production of My indwelling Spirit. When things seem all wrong, trust Me anyway. I am much less interested in right circumstances than in right responses to whatever comes your way. 

John 16:33
English Standard Version

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

Psalm 112:4,7
English Standard Version

⁴ Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.

⁷ He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.

My Prayer
Father, help me to know that trials are a part of life and they are not to be avoided, but counted as joy, as James says. Trouble will happen, as you have said, before You come again. Thank You for sending the Spirit to help us through those troubles. Keep my focus on You and my Hope in You at all times. My kids, they are each experiencing trouble right now in their lives; they are at a difficult place with 2 in college and 1 in high school. But, we all need to trust You through these difficulties. Pamela and I struggle along with them. I come back from a weekend getaway and notice that my stomach starts hurting again. Are my pains due to stress and heartache related to work and my kids' issues? Lord, I need to put my trust in You and You alone. I do not have to be in control of situations. I can trust You for the outcomes.

Lord, I am downcast and looking unhappy, like I have a right to, as I experience these difficulties. But, how quickly I forget that it is possible to continue to enjoy You and glorify You while I go through these difficulties. I do not need to be downcast or gloomy. I look at that 7th verse in Psalm: He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. Wow. 

I can trust in You, Lord. I can rely on Your strength and the indwelling of Your Spirit. You make me glad.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author. 

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: August 26

Trust Me in the midst of a messy day. Your inner calm--your Peace in My Presence--need not be shaken by what is going on around you. Though you live in this temporal world, your innermost being is rooted and grounded in eternity. When you start to feel stressed, detach yourself from the disturbances around you. Instead of desperately striving to maintain order and control in your little world, relax and remember that circumstances cannot touch My Peace.
     Seek My Face, and I will share My mind with you, opening your eyes to see things from My perspective. Do not let your heart be troubled, and do not be afraid. The Peace I give is sufficient for you. 

John 16:33
English Standard Version

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
 
Psalm 105:4
English Standard Version 

Seek the Lord and his strength;
    seek his presence continually!
 
John 14:27
English Standard Version 

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

My Prayer (2019)
Lord, I love the quiet of the morning, rising, seeing the breaking of the dawn. The day is quiet and peaceful. It is fresh and untainted. It is a sweet time to be with You God. I start this day anew with You. O Spirit, forgive me for so often fighting with You - You simply want me to rest with You always as you reveal the new life that You have placed in me - to make me like Jesus not simply in these few minutes with you in the morning but throughout the entire day as I engage in obstacles, trials, uncertainties - as I encounter people that are also following You but also those that are going the opposite way. The world does not give this peace, yet so many around me are seeking to find it in the world. It is only in You Jesus. I have it.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author. 


Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: August 7

Understanding will never bring you Peace. That's why I have instructed you to trust in Me, not in your understanding. Human beings have a voracious appetite for trying to figure things out, in order to gain a sense of mastery over their lives. But the world presents you with an endless series of problems. As soon as you master one set, another pops up to challenge you. The relief you had anticipated is short-lived. Soon your mind is gearing up again; searching for understanding (mastery), instead of seeking Me (your Master).
     The wisest of all men, Solomon, could never think his way through to Peace. His vast understanding resulted in feelings of futility, rather than in fulfillment. Finally, he lost his way and succumbed to the will of his wives by worshiping idols.
     My Peace is not an elusive goal, hidden at the center of some complicated maze. Actually, you are always enveloped in Peace, which is inherent in My Presence. As you look to Me, you gain awareness of this precious Peace.

Proverbs 3:5-6
English Standard Version

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.

Romans 5:1
English Standard Version  

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
2 Thessalonians 3:16 
English Standard Version 

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

My Prayer
Lord, you remind me that having peace means having You. You are the reason I have peace. It's not through my own doing but rather through surrendering. I tend to be about wanting control and wanting understanding. I think safety is found in these things and what I can hold onto. Train me Lord to trust in You, as I make decisions, as I make choices, as I navigate life. Through those decisions I want to acknowledge You and believe that You are capable of making my paths straight. In Christ alone. 

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author. 


Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Jesus Calling: July 31

Trust Me in the depths of your being. It is there that I live in constant communication with you. When you feel flustered and frazzled on the outside, do not get upset with yourself. You are only human, and the swirl of events going on all around you will sometimes feel overwhelming. Rather than scolding yourself for your humanness, remind yourself that I am both with you and within you.
     I am with you at all times, encouraging and supportive rather than condemning. I know that deep within you, where I live, My Peace is your continual experience. Slow down your pace of living for a time. Quiet your mind in My Presence. Then you will be able to hear Me bestowing the resurrection blessing: Peace be with you. 

Colossians 1:27
English Standard Version

To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Verse thoughts
Christ in you, the hope of glory: This is the Christian’s hope of glory. It isn’t our own hard work or devotion to God, or the power of our own spirituality. Instead, it is the abiding presence of Jesus: Christ in you. 

Matthew 28:20
English Standard Version

teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Verse thoughts
Bishop William Beveridge (1637-1708) - Bishop of St Asaph, Diocese of Church of Wales states - “I am with you; I, the eternal Son of God; I, who have the angels at my command, and make the devils tremble by my frown; I, who in your sight have caused the storms to cease, the blind to see, the lame to walk, the dead to rise, only with the word of my mouth; I, who have all power in heaven and earth committed to me — am with you; not, I will be with you, but, I am with you, and that always, all the days, or every day: Wheresoever you are, and whensoever you do any thing toward the executing of the commission which I have given you, I am with you in the doing of it, and that too to the very end of the world: that is, so long as I have a church upon earth, which shall be till my coming again to judge the world, all this while I promise to be with you, and consequently as long as the world shall last.” 

John 20:19
English Standard Version

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

My Prayer
O Lord, thank you for the magnificent reminder, to observe all that You have commanded me. Keep the Words of Your Truth fresh on my mind, not simply for my own gratification, though I am forever grateful for You saving me, but also remind me that I am commissioned as your bond-servant to teach people the gospel of Christ. Thank you that I am not justified by my adherence to these commands, because you know the only good in me is because of You in me. Now, also, thank You for being with me always. That I can go to You, that You are with me - every step. I do not have to call on your presence to be with me, for you are there always. You never leave.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author. 

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.