In Christ - I am a child of God

I am a child of God...

Psalms 68:5 A Father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. 

John 1:12,13 Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God--children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. 

Romans 8:14-15 Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.  For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry, <"Abba,> Father."  

I John 3:1  How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

April 20, 2010

Mary DeMuth, She Speaks Conference Graduate

 "For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God."

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 (NASB)

“I didn't know that when those older boys pinned five-year-old me to the earth, my backside poked by brambles, that someday God would choose that frightened little girl, sexually abused for a year, to shame the wise. But He chose a shattered me.

“I didn't know that as my childhood home filled with drugs and unsafe parties, God would rescue weak and scared me. But, eventually, He salved my fears.

“I didn't know that as I ran from other predators, the boys' marks on me like a beacon, I'd someday limp into the arms of a Savior. I felt debased, unworthy, ugly, dirty, ruined. But He welcomed me.

“I didn't know that as my earthly father slipped from this earth, my Heavenly Father stood nearby, open armed. Though my earthly father's death left me fatherless, my Heavenly Father didn't orphan me. He grafted me into His family.

“I didn't know that as I considered different ways to kill myself in junior high, as I faced a third parental divorce, that Jesus' own beautiful death provided a way of new life for me. He rescued me from taking my life.

“I was all the things the apostle Paul wrote about in today's key verse, and then some. Neglected, needy, pained, lost, small, frightened. And yet God took those negatives and beautified them with Himself. That's the great paradox God brings to all of us, no matter how "easy" or hard our upbringing. It's not that we're strong and sufficient and wise, it's that He is.

“Perhaps you've looked back on your past and shuddered. Perhaps you've questioned God about why He'd allow atrocities in your life. But consider this: God gets the most glory in the life fully surrendered to Him, and it's hard for a self-sufficient person to submit. He does the most work in our helplessness. (See 2 Corinthians 12: 9, 10).

“Our weakness and frailty are not merely places of desolation; they are dance floors—holy places where the God of the universe is allowed to freely move in our lives. Our own lack allows for and welcomes this sacred dance where God's talent outshines our capabilities, where only He receives the glory.

“Will you lay down your past today? Will you trust Him with the mess, the memories, the mayhem? If you do, He will take the marred pieces of your life, reassemble them, and make you fly. So you (because of Him) can shame the wise.

“Lord, I confess I've seen my own injuries as reasons to blame you and keep You far from my heart. I'm sorry. Help me instead to see my weaknesses as a place where You can demonstrate Your strength. I welcome You into the painful places. Do something new and miraculous. I don't want to be embittered. I want to be free. And I want to give You all the glory. In Jesus' Name, Amen.”

I know it can be really hard to see God as a loving Father if you come from a background like this – it doesn’t make sense, does it?  That’s where we have to exercise our faith and trust that God can see the whole picture, and He’s working something beautiful in us through those wounds.  Don’t believe for a minute, though, that your Heavenly Father didn’t care – He did – and He does – and He wants to heal you and set you free from all of that so that you can truly experience all of the blessings of being HIS – His precious, beloved child!  SO – if you’re struggling with a past full of hurt, shame and guilt – turn it over to the Father – let Him help you see the purpose and give you just a tiny glimpse of what He is working into your life.  Trust that He is with you through everything – He will never let you go – He loves you like no earthly Father ever could!  Sharon

In Christ - I am saved

I am saved...

I Thessalonians 5:9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Titus 3:4,5 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but because of His mercy He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit... 

Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.

Truth for Life Daily Devotion

June 12, 2012
We Are Saved

2 Timothy 1:9

"The apostle uses the perfect tense and says, "who saved us." Believers in Christ Jesus are saved. They are not looked upon as people who are in a hopeful state and may ultimately be saved, but they are already saved. Salvation is not a blessing to be enjoyed upon our dying bed and to be sung of in a future state above, but a matter to be obtained, received, promised, and enjoyed now.

"The Christian is perfectly saved in God's purpose; God has ordained him to salvation, and that purpose is complete. He is saved also as to the price that has been paid for him: "It is finished" was the cry of the Savior before He died. The believer is also perfectly saved in His covenant Head, for as he fell in Adam, so he lives in Christ.

"This complete salvation is accompanied by a holy calling. Those whom the Savior saved upon the cross are in due time effectually called by the power of God the Holy Spirit to holiness: They leave their sins; they endeavor to be like Christ; they choose holiness, not out of any compulsion, but from the power of a new nature, which leads them to rejoice in holiness just as naturally as when previously they delighted in sin. God neither chose them nor called them because they were holy, but He called them that they might be holy, and holiness is the beauty produced by His workmanship in them.

"The excellencies that we see in a believer are as much the work of God as the Atonement itself. In this way the fullness of the grace of God is beautifully displayed. Salvation must be of grace, because the Lord is the author of it: And what motive but grace could move Him to save the guilty? Salvation must be of grace because the Lord works in such a manner that our righteousness is forever excluded. Such is the believer's privilege—a present salvation; such is the evidence that he is called to it—a holy life."

From Morning & Evening revised and edited by Alistair Begg copyright © 2003.

There was a long time in my life when I didn’t know I needed to be saved – I was a “good girl” – and didn’t do the things that “those other people” did.  I loved God – don’t get me wrong – I just didn’t realize that I needed Him to save me from sin – because I really didn’t understand what it meant to be a “sinner!”  Sure – I knew the Bible says we’re all sinners – that no one is without sin – but I consciously didn’t apply that to myself, because I was a “good girl.”  When I look back at that time in my life I cringe!  How audacious of me to put myself above anyone else!  How useless I was to the Kingdom of God, too!  I could live like a “good girl” – but in my heart of hearts there was an evil that needed to be “outed” – and until I was willing to face it, God was unable to use me as His holy and sanctified vessel.

It took almost two years of living “in the gutter” to finally see the truth – I was a sinner very much in need of a Savior!  It was at that point when I truly understood the grace and gift of God – and when I faced up to my own sin nature and repented I put myself in the position of being useful to the Kingdom.  Now I choose to live a holy life – not because I have to be that “good girl” again – but because I want the world to know what God has done for me – and what He yearns to do for them! 

Are you saved?  If so, are you living a holy life?  Or – are you allowing darkness to creep in and pollute your heart and soul?  These are questions I have to ask myself often.  Just because I have a relationship with God that’s now based on the truth of who I am and what I’m capable of doesn’t mean that I don’t sin – or that I’m not tempted – or that I always make the right choice.  I have to seek the Lord with my whole heart – every day – and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal those things that still need to be refined.  The result of that will be a holy life that others will see.  Not a “holier than thou” life – a HOLY life – a life set apart for service to Christ!  Sharon

In Christ - I am crucified with Christ

I am crucified with Christ...

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me. 

Wednesday, November 10th Update from Joni:

“November in sunny California is an odd season -- the roses and purple sage along my back fence are expiring in one last burst of color, as if to stave off the coming cold. Not even flowers like to die, I guess. Neither do we Christians, yet lately when I flip through the New Testament, I keep reading "... unless a seed falls to the ground and dies" or "... put to death, therefore" or "... I have been crucified" and finally, "... take up your cross." It seems from the moment we are born, we need to learn how to live and die.

“None of us, in our culture of comfort, know how to prepare ourselves for dying, but that's what we should do. As I shared in a recent Christianity Today interview, every day we are called to die a thousand deaths -- not just walking through the valley of the shadow of death when we get a bad medical report; but when we say 'no' to our selfish desires or 'yes' to trusting God when it's hard. And nothing helps us learn how to die better than suffering. My struggle with cancer and chronic pain is teaching me on a much deeper level how to yield to Christ and embrace both His cross and mine -- at times it's so hard the only thing I can do is give in and groan alongside my Savior, ‘Father, into Thy hands I commit my spirit.’

“When I was 14 years old and a new Christian, I wanted my life verse to be Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." I may not have understood it at 14, but that's how to die -- and it brings power, joy, peace and contentment. May God give you and I the strength to lose our lives for Christ's sake... because that's when real living starts :-)!”

Joni’s right – no one wants to think about death – or dying – but it’s something we will all experience – no one escapes death.  Some of us may live longer than others – but in the end, there is death.  For the Christian that doesn’t have to be a scary thing – it can actually be quite comforting – death means that our struggle here is over and our eternal life with Jesus begins.   She’s also right about our need to die daily – to our sin – to our flesh – to our own will – to see ourselves crucified with Christ.  That’s hard to do – it’s so much easier just to do what I want - but God wants us to CHOOSE death to self in order that He might work the character of Christ into our lives.  Do you want to see yourself as that “new creature in Christ?”  Then die to yourself – live the truth that you have been crucified with Christ, and live wholly – and holy - for Him.  Sharon

In Christ - I am a new creature in Christ

I am a new creature in Christ...

II Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 

August 4, 2010

Freed to Start Anew

Sharon Jaynes

Friend To Friend

“Laura lived in a small town with parents who were morally sound and family oriented. She went to church from her earliest remembrance and was baptized when she was twelve-years-old. In high school, she began dating Barry. After Laura went off to college both of Barry's parents died. He was lonely and missed the close-knit family he had once enjoyed.

“After Laura's first year of college, Barry began talking marriage. He had not gone to college and wanted her to come home and be his wife. Laura was torn, but made the decision to marry Barry and continue working toward her degree.

“Laura and I held hands and prayed together before she walked down the aisle. It was a beautiful day as I stood with her and the two were united as man and wife. However, after the wedding comes the marriage - something that neither the nineteen-year-old Laura nor Barry were prepared to face.

After five years, Laura was bored with the marriage, restless in her job, and disappointed in her husband. While working in a medical office, Bob, a salesman for an international medical supply company, took on their account. Bob was older and lived what seemed like an exciting lifestyle. It started as friendly bantering, which progressed to enticing flirtation. Laura found herself looking forward to Thursdays - the day the rep made his weekly visits.

“A touch here, a lunch there, and soon an affair ensued. Laura packed her bags, left her marriage, her job, and her hometown to move to greener pastures. But the greener pastures weren't so green. Thorns infested the relationship. Bob wasn't interested in anything long term. Laura was just a young plaything he toyed with on weekends. What promised to be an exciting life away from small town America, away from a mundane, monotonous marriage, turned into a deep, dark pit of regret and remorse. Laura discovered Bob wasn't anything special. He was just someone different - a diversion. And she was his flavor of the month.

“After her divorce was final, Laura was left all alone in a strange town. What have I done? She cried.

“Laura's husband remarried and put the broken pieces of his life back together. Laura, on the other hand, was just broken.

“Laura turned away from our friendship when she headed down the road to self-destruction, but after she came to her senses, she called me - full of remorse and sadness. I welcomed her in my arms, held her close to my heart, and brought her to my hometown. My husband and I found her a job, helped her get her finances in order, and directed her to a great Bible-based church. That's what it looked like on the outside, but here's what really happened.

“Laura, in her own words would tell you that she stood before Jesus like the woman caught in adultery. She felt the stares of her accusers and recoiled at the rocks that would surely fly. In her own mind, she stood naked and ashamed before her community, her childhood church body, and her lifelong friends. But more importantly, she stood in shame before Jesus.

"’I didn't think God would forgive me,’ she began. ‘I had hurt my family, my husband, and my witness. What would God want with someone like me?’

"’Laura,’ I began, ‘we are all sinners. We are all saved by grace. None of us deserve it. That's what makes grace, grace. You made a terrible mistake, but so did the woman caught in adultery that the Pharisees brought to Jesus. What did Jesus do with that woman? What did He say?’

"’He told her to go and sin no more.’

“’Exactly. He told her to leave her life of sin. That doesn't mean that she never sinned again. But we can safely believe that she left this lifestyle, this sinful relationship, and began a new life. That is what Jesus will do for you. That is what He does for all of us.’

“God promises: ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness’ (1 John 1:9). Another translation uses the words "cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (NASB). I love the picture of God washing away all our sins, erasing the list of offenses, throwing our sins into the deepest of seas - all gone.

“Laura did begin again. She repented of her sin, immersed herself in Bible study and ministry, and began a new life totally committed to the One who forgave her and set her free from condemnation. And that my friend, is what Jesus does for each and every one of us who come to Him with a repentant heart ready to start anew.

“After Laura began her new life, she followed hard after God. She was so grateful for a chance to start again, and she gave her life to serving and honoring Jesus.

“Sometime during her fifth year at her new church, she met a wonderful Christian man, Peter. After they were married, Laura and Peter committed their lives to serving God wherever He led. After a missions trip to Eastern Europe, they both felt God calling them to return on a more permanent basis. Now, for over ten years, Laura and Peter have been serving God in Eastern Europe, planting churches and loving people to Christ. She has agreed with Paul when he wrote, ‘This one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining toward what lies ahead’ (Philippians 3:13). But friend, it is a choice.

“See, God doesn't just set us free from our past. He sets us free to an exciting future. And Jesus showcased the woman caught in adultery in John chapter 8 and my friend, Laura, to show us how.

“Let's Pray - Dear God, thank You for being a God who allows u-turns. Not only do You forgive me of my sin, You allow me to start anew.  In Jesus' Name - Amen.

Now It's Your Turn

“Did you know that God allows u-turns in your own life?

“Is there an area that you need to make a u-turn and head back toward God?

“Are you ready to repent of your sin, accept God's forgiveness, and begin a new life filled with purpose? If so, it is only a prayer away.”

Change IS a choice – God does the work of setting us free from our pasts and giving us a new identity – but we have to CHOOSE to live in that new reality.  That’s hard – especially if we’ve lived a life where we did whatever we had to do to survive.  Habits are deeply ingrained – and it’s so easy to go back to what once “worked” for us.  But GOD wants us to be different – to live the truth of our new identity in Christ.  That means we have to keep our eyes open to things in our life that we are not consciously aware of – if we ask God to show us, He will – and He’ll give us the strength and willpower to change – but we have to be willing to take those first few steps – no matter how uncomfortable they are.  If you know that you’re still living like that old “dead man” – make the u-turn God offers and ask God again for a fresh start – and He’ll give it to you!  Keep moving forward – and eventually you’ll be able to look back and see just how far you’ve come!  Sharon

In Christ - I am the temple of the Holy Spirit

Joni and Friends/June 3, 2010

"One of my favorite summertime activities is to tent camp. There's nothing like a campfire in the morning when you get up. And the smell of those sizzling eggs and bacon... yum.

"Shortly after breakfast my husband, Ken, will let the fire die down. Then, at suppertime, Ken has to start the fire again. But this is an economical man. Instead of starting from scratch, Ken will poke the coals, searching for the tiniest spark of life. Sure enough, way down in the ashes there will usually be a glowing coal left over from the morning campfire. He nurtures it with dry grass and leaves until it's roaring once again. It seems that no matter how small the spark or how dim the flicker, Ken can bring a fire back to life.

"It's the same with the Spirit of Christ in our lives. Sometimes the spark may be small, but if there is the tiniest ember, the slightest hint of obedience in our Christian life, it's not too late to be revived.
God has given us light, knowledge, and a new heart. He has given you and me grace and a new nature -- and he has deprived us of every excuse if we do not live for his praise. So, if we are not holy, whose fault is it but our own? If we do not appear sanctified, who can we blame but ourselves?

"How about you? Do you feel the ashes smoldering, even if faintly? Do you sense life within, even if feeble? Nurture it. Gently fan the spark - follow through on the nudge to obey, spend a little time in prayer, revive yourself in God's Word. Don't neglect the grace, the heart, and the new nature God has given you. Poke around and get the fire of the Spirit going in your life."

There was always to be light in God’s temple – it was the job of a specific family from the tribe of Levi to make sure that the lights burned through the night. Our God is a God of light – and light exposes things that the darkness hides. Maybe that’s why some of us are drawn to the darkness – we don’t want our sins to be discovered. BUT – if you are a true child of God there’s NO hiding from HIS light! There will always be a small ember burning somewhere in our spirit – and just as Ken could coax life back into a campfire, the Spirit is able to fan that ember into "red-hot sold out living for Jesus" – if we let Him. When we come to God – on HIS terms – we become HIS – forever! WE are His temple now – not a building of sticks and stones, mortar and cement – but a living, breathing temple where the Spirit of God resides, just as He did in Solomon’s temple. Keep your light burning brightly – experience His presence – and His power – every moment of every day! Sharon

In Christ - I am dead to sin

I am dead to sin...

Romans 6:1-4,17,18
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
Daily Word with Pastor Jack Graham
May 5, 2011
"History books tell us that when the slaves were liberated at the end of the Civil War, many of those who had formerly been under the bondage of slavery refused to leave their slave masters and pursue a life of their own. They chose to remain under bondage because it was the only thing they’d ever known!

"There are many Christians today who are still under the bondage of their past. That’s why every believer must always ask himself as he considers doing something: ‘Is this thing becoming my master? Is this controlling me? Does it have the potential to control me?’

"In my years of ministry, I’ve seen pastor after pastor lose his job and his congregation because of this very issue. So many believe they’re above becoming a slave again to sin and they simply refuse to acknowledge their potential weakness.

"So when it comes to sin, don’t buy into the lie that you’re immune to falling back into old patterns of behavior. But when that temptation does come, remind yourself that you’ve been freed already through the death and resurrection of Christ. Live each day on the offensive knowing that, while the enemy prowls around, you have victory in Christ!

"LIVE ON THE OFFENSIVE AGAINST SATAN SO WHEN TEMPTATION TO SIN COMES YOUR WAY, YOU CAN KNOW THAT YOU’VE BEEN FREED FROM SLAVERY TO SIN"

One of the most heartbreaking things I have to deal with daily is hearing Christian after Christian telling me that they are sexually involved with someone – and they’re not married. They’ve somehow convinced themselves that it’s "OK" – that God doesn’t really care that much – that His COMMAND to be sexually pure "isn’t something that’s possible in this day and age." What they don’t realize is that they are IN BONDAGE to the sin of promiscuity – and God DOES take it very seriously. He won’t "wink" at it – He won’t ignore it – and He won’t tolerate it. The Bible says that God is not mocked – we can’t practice sin and think we’re getting away with something. Just because we don’t see immediate consequences (although many of the women I talk to ARE facing the consequences of their choice) doesn’t mean we won’t pay the price at some point.

Now – God WILL forgive – praise be to the Father of Mercy! But He requires something – repentance. To be forgiven we must sincerely agree with God about our sin – and when we can do that, He will forgive us. "Agreeing with God" will be evidenced by a change in behavior. That means that we no longer give in to the temptation to sin – that we flee from those temptations and rely on Him to be the strength we need to live a holy life. How does someone do that? They make plans to avoid the temptation! If you’re a drunk, you don’t hang out in a bar! If you’re struggling with sexual sin you don’t hang out in places where it will be easy to fall! Thank ahead – create and ENFORCE boundaries! Seek accountability – find a mature Christian who will hold you accountable for what you’re doing. Be in fellowship – you can’t thrive in your relationship with Christ if you’re doing your own thing – in your own strength and wisdom! That’s a recipe for disaster! We all need to be accountable to someone – we all need to be surrounded by fellow believers who will pray for us – love us – encourage us – speak the hard truth to us.

Jesus paid the ultimate price for our freedom – and He deserves – and DEMANDS our allegiance! He has vanquished sin – why would we CHOOSE to live in bondage to sin anymore? He LOVES you – and He has GOOD plans for you! Don’t let the enemy rob you of all that God has in store for you! Live a holy life, in full submission to Him! Sharon
__________________________
Sharon Pearce, Director
Silent Voices International
www.silentvoices.org
svoices@pacbell.net
619-422-0757

In Christ - I am at peace with God

I am at peace with God...

Romans 5:1,2 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Psalms 29:11 The LORD gives strength to His people; the LORD blesses His people with peace. 

Psalms 85:8 I will listen to what God the LORD will say; He promises peace to His people, His saints--but let them not return to folly. 

Psalms 119:165 Great peace have they who love Your law, and nothing can make them stumble. 

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You. 

Isaiah 54:10 "Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet My unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor My covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, Who has compassion on you. 

August 31, 2010

KPRZ – Girlfriends in God

May She Rest in Peace

Mary Southerland

Today's Truth  

Friend to Friend

“We often associate the phrase ‘rest in peace’ with death and the loss of a loved one. In fact, these words of comfort are often spoken at some point in most funerals I attend or are included in the inscription on many headstones.

“Today, I want us to associate the words ‘rest in peace’ with life instead of death.

“Yes, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sin so that we can rest in peace when we die, but God also gave His one and only Son so that we can rest in peace every minute of every day. Does that sound like your life? Would the people who know you best describe you as a peaceful person? As I ask myself that question, the words ‘not so much’ come to mind.

“The Mayo Clinic once stated that the illnesses in 80 to 85% of their caseload were caused by stress. An article in a leading medical journal entitled ‘Is Stress the Cause of All Disease?’ It said that at the beginning of the century, bacteria were the leading cause of illness but today stress has replaced bacteria.

“We all long for an inner calm - especially in the valleys of life. We all want, pray for and pursue peace. At the point of desperation, some people pursue peace by numbing their pain with alcohol, drugs, sex ... food ... success ... the list is endless. Remember the old country song that says we look for love in all the wrong places and on the wrong faces? The same can be said about peace.

“Some people tend to believe that peace is simply the absence of problems, valleys and trials. Not so! Peace is a calm confidence that the Lord of the mountains is still on the throne - no matter how deep the valley may be. Peace recognizes Jesus walking on the water as He calms the crashing waves and stills the howling winds in your life. Trials become opportunities to trust God when peace reigns in a heart. That kind of peace can only be found in God.

“Notice that I did not say we can find peace in church membership, in doing good things, in giving large sums of money to a charity or ministry, or even in being a really good person. Peace is a gift. When we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, we enter into true peace.

“Romans 5:1 (NCV) ‘Since we have been made right with God by our faith, we have peace with God. This happened through our Lord Jesus Christ.’

“We cannot bargain for or earn peace, girlfriends, but we will experience peace when we are willing to move away from our sin toward the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, in a personal relationship. Then, and only then, will His peace become our peace.

“When John Paton was translating the Bible for a South Seas Island tribe, he discovered that they had no word for peace. One day, a native who had been running very hard for several miles came to the missionary's house, flopped down into a large chair and tried to catch his breath. ‘It's good to rest my whole weight on this chair’ the runner said. Paton thought for a minute before replying, ‘I'll translate peace as the result of resting one's whole weight on God.’ Exactly!

“We hear from so many women around the world who would give everything they have for just one minute of peace. I know the list of trials and storms is long. I honestly do not know how some people get out of bed each morning to face the trials and hard times in their life. I understand that the problems we deal with every single day can weigh us down; but I also know that every problem can be given to God. When we surrender the weight of our trials and pain to Him, we will experience peace. As we allow God to carry the weight of worry, the burden of anxiety and the penalty of every sin in our life, peace will reign and leave no room for the deadly trap of stress. Today, girlfriend, I pray that you will rest in Peace.”

The Bible says that Jesus is our peace (Ephesians 2:14 - For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility”) – so Believers can now find their peace in a person – the Person of Jesus, God the Son.  Our Peace isn’t in our circumstance – they can change daily and randomly – and it’s not dictated by our feelings – because these, too, can and do change.  Since our Peace is in the Person of Jesus, we can rest knowing that since He never changes we can never lose our peace with God!  The challenge is choosing to line up what we know intellectually with what’s going on in and around us – and that requires effort and discipline.  But – dear sister – it’s worth the effort!  You don’t have to be tossed to and fro by your circumstances – YOU CAN KNOW and EXPERIENCE the peace of God that surpasses knowledge if you choose to!  Don’t give up trying – keep pressing in to your Savior, even when everything around you is falling apart, and His peace is yours!