Psalm 34:9 NIV
"Fear the Lord , you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing"
When we worship the Lord, we release the emotional or mental burden that weighs us down. It is swallowed up in the awesomeness of God. When we keep our eyes on Him and worship, we will always see His plan for our lives work out all things for our good.
The Bible says there is no lack for those who truly worship the Lord with godly fear.
Do you want to be sure all your needs will be met?
Then remember to worship, not worry.
Regardless of the difficulties you face, just keep praising God and giving Him glory. Faith will rise in your heart, and you will overcome.
I will not worry. Instead, I choose to worship.
God is great and mighty, and I know that my needs are met because of His goodness and love for me.
God's Care for His People
Psalms 18:2-3 NKJV
"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord , who is worthy to be praised"
God's protection of his people is limitless and can take many forms. David characterized God's care with five awesome symbols.
God is like ...
(1) a rock that can't be moved by any who would harm us,
(2) a fortress or place of safety where the enemy can't follow,
(3) a shield that comes between us and harm,
(4) a horn of salvation-a symbol of might and power, and
(5) a stronghold high above our enemies.
If you need protection, need guidance, need direction, need to know your purpose in life; if you need to know anything really, look to God. He is the author and finisher of your life. If anyone would know what you need and have the answer for; it ought to be Him. He created you. Amen?
Peace In My Soul
Philippians 4:4-7 NKJV
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Practice Peace
Living in God's peace is vital to enjoying life. I believe that one of the keys to living with peace in your life is taking small steps toward peace every day. Here are a few tips you can use to develop a more peaceful lifestyle.
1. Be selective with how you spend your time. You may be trying to do too many things and end up doing none of them well. Hurrying is the flesh trying to do more than the Holy Spirit is leading you to do. Be led by the Spirit.
2. Be prepared to say "no" nicely. Sometimes we take on things we shouldn't because we're uncomfortable saying no. Ask God to give you the words to say no when you need to.
3. Resist the spirit of procrastination. God's Word tells us to exercise self-discipline. Do what you know you need to do now so you can fully enjoy your times of rest.
4. Eliminate key distractions. If you know you are prone to certain distractions, such as watching too much TV, spending too much time on the computer, spending too much time reading, etc. set some guidelines for yourself. Allot yourself a time limit or certain times of the day for these things. Though in small increments these things can bring you a measure of peace- in large doses they can be frustrating. TV shows get canceled or go on hiatus, internet services is interrupted by storms or you are in the juicy part of a book and every 5 minutes something else needs your attention. Arrange your time so that you can enjoy these things.
5. Set appropriate boundaries for interruptions. Life is full of interruptions, but you can learn to set boundaries that help you manage them in healthy ways, such as scheduling times when you are "off limits." Schedule time to give yourself a break. It can be used by a power nap or just relaxing in the tub. Make it clear that during the hour of such and such has been designated your "quiet time" and you would very much like to not be disturbed.
6. Modify your life. Ask God to show you out-of-the-box ways to save time and trouble. For instance, when I know that I won't have time to do the dishes on a certain day, I use paper plates and cups. I have a list of daily chores that I want to see accomplished before I go to bed and I stick with my list. Instead of trying to do every single piece of housework that needs to be done all in just one day I break it up into manageable bits spread out over the course of the week. This frees me up to spend time with my family and with God and still maintain a clean house that I wouldn't be embarrassed for 'drop in' company to see.
7. Pray and listen. If you can see that your plan is not producing peace, go back to God, pray for peace in the now, and for the wisdom to make changes that will benefit your life and the life of your family. We may be Christians but we are still human which makes us prone to go running off into left field doing things our way or the way we want the direction of our lives to go. Our way doesn't always line up with what God wants for us and when we start hitting bumps in the road then it's time to go back to the drawing board and ask God for a better way.
The bottom line is to make peace a priority, take practical steps toward it. They say that it takes 30 days of doing the same thing continually to make a habit that then becomes a natural part of your life. Start today in forming a habit of peace. You'll thank yourself later for it. Let God lead you every day into His perfect peace that passes all understanding.
Father God,
Gently lead me into Your peace that passes all understanding. Show me the daily steps I can take to walk in Your peace for me. In this; both I and my family give thanks in advance. Help me to stick to this practice of peace until it becomes as natural to me as breathing air. It is in Your Holy Name that I ask for this and say Amen and Amen!
The God's Kind of Peace
John 16:33 KJV
"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world".
Having an attitude of peace and calm is priceless. It's an attitude that says, 'I'm trusting God,' and it speaks powerfully to people. But it takes time, focus, and the grace of God to be consistently peaceful.
Too often our stress level is tied up in our circumstances. You could be stressed because you're always busy or you're struggling financially or because you're not getting along with someone you love.
To conquer the stress in our lives, we need to learn to practice the peace that's been provided for us by the overcoming power of Jesus.
One way to develop consistent peace is to learn to live 'in the now.' We can spend a lot of time thinking about the past, or wondering what the future holds, but we can't accomplish anything unless our mind is focused on today. Today is what matters. Today is what counts. Tomorrow might not even come- so why would I waste precious time concerning myself about things that may not even happen?
The Bible tells us that God gives us grace for each day that we live. I believe God's grace is the power that enables and energizes us to do what we need to do - and He gives it generously, as we need it. Moment by moment and day by day.
I do not believe that He super charges us to face life a week or month or year in advance. But give each of us just enough grace to get us from this point to the next point and to the next point. I believe that He does this so that we can fully rely on Him to pull us through and so that He can reveal to us His Mighty, Mighty strength and love for us.
Every day when we awake we need to say, 'God has given me today. I will rejoice in that alone.' No matter what happens, no matter how many things go wrong (or go right)- I am still going to thank God because I woke up this morning with the ability to enjoy this day- this life; moment by moment. I will not get bogged down in the details of today but will rely on God's grace to give me the peace to endure whatever may come.
If you can learn to trust God 'in the now,' receiving His grace as you need it, you can become a truly peaceful person - and that's powerful!
Dearest God,
I know that You have overcome any and every obstacle that the enemy can, will and often does, throw my way so I ask You to help me live in the peace that You've provided for me. Show me how to trust You as I live 'in the now.' I give thanks in advance because I know it will surely come. Amen and Amen!
