I am hosting In Other Words today: True Peace

Peace is not an easy concept to grasp. It sounds like the ideal state for which to strive...so much so that the political fad of the day is brokering peace accords--agreements between nations to live, if not in harmony, at least without war. This very tenuous kind of peace depends upon the signers of the accord keeping their promises. While I am sure not all such accords are signed out of political expediency, this peace - "as the world gives" - is not lasting. It can be broken over the most trivial of events: a change of political office holder; a perceived slight or insult. The world gives a temporary peace.

The Woman's Study Bible ( 1995, Thomas Nelson Publishers) says this:

Peace...is much more than the absence of conflict; it is an objective reality that brings harmony to life. Those who have not experienced the new relationship with God are subject to His wrath (Romans 1:18; 8:7, 8). The relationship between God and His creation is restored through faith in Christ, dissolving all enmity. The result is peace.

This peace is not between people. It is a restoration of the relationship between Creator and creation. With peace established, joy follows because there is joy in the presence of the Lord.

Practical Application:

I must admit I have let circumstances overwhelm my sense of peace these past few months. It seems that worry is a great thief of peaceful living. No worry is harder to overcome than that for our children.

When our son left for USMC basic training, my peace seemed to shatter all around me, but that was really an illusion caused by me diverting my eyes from the One in whom is perfect peace and joy.

Evidently while I was ready for my children to move into their adult roles, I wasn't totally ready to relinquish my protective tether. As of this posting, our son has been at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot on Parris Island, South Carolina, for 108 days instead of the 89 days we expected.

He graduates at the end of next week, 3-1/2 weeks longer than is typical due to some medical issues that occurred right as he entered the final phase of training. To say I worried is a gross understatement. With communication limited to letter writing, the need to know how he was doing consumed my waking moments--made longer by sleeplessness, caused of course, by out-of-control fretting.

This preoccupation with circumstances not under my control caused me to become very ineffectual as a Christian in all aspects of my life. Tearing up every other minute was not a very good testament to my faith.

The turning point in my transformation from fear to trust was caused by two things: 1) Our son made an off-hand comment about how he was getting more letters from Dad than Mom; 2) In an effort to rectify that and to encourage him during the toughest week of boot camp, I have been collecting and handwriting for him, devotions that reveal the steadfast love of God in times of difficulty and testing. Each one I copied and mailed to him helped chip away at the icy fear around my heart.

I can't say that I'm basking in the warmth of God's peace as I write this--too much is still to come before our son returns home--but I am finding myself pausing to feel the heat of His love for increasingly longer periods.

Let us give His love full scope. Nothing happens by itself, and every sorrow, every trial is part of the plan of love, part of refining.
Love meant it.
Love sent it.
Love will bless it. ~Amy Carmichael (1867-1951), missionary to India

For Further Study:

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers, The Great Life
Back to the Bible Radio Program, Where Can I Find Peace?
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Steps to Peace with God

Please leave a link to your blog post here.

I am hosting In Other Words today: True Peace

http://typingone-handed.blogspot.com/2009/10/i-am-hosting-in-other-words-today-true.html

IOW & WFW: No Shame

We deny Jesus every time we disregard His truth and put ourselves down. That hurts us. We deny Him every time we fail to see our value in Him. That hurts us. We deny Him every time we continue to hang on to our self-condemning thoughts and lies. That hurts us too. And then, it's as if Jesus turns and looks straight at us with His eyes of love and compassion, and something dawns on us. We have, in a sense, denied our Lord Jesus, and I wonder if that hurts Him."

~Shame Lifter by Marilyn Hontz~

There is a liar amongst us.

He slithers silkily into our lives to drape softly around our shoulders and whisper gently into our ears,

"Remember when you..."

"Who could forgive that...?"

"When that person hurt you, didn't you feel..."

"Do you really belong on this hallowed ground?"

"Since you've already messed up, why don't you..."

Shame is not of God. Shame says that we are bad, valueless, unworthy, defective, unlovable, inferior... Shame takes the wrongs, abuses, and neglect done to us and absorbs them into our self-image. We see ourselves as hateful, nasty, unworthy of love or simple kindness.

Satan is the father of shame. His desire is to twist every hurt or regret into a wedge that drives believers from staying close to our heavenly Father. He takes every word meant for encouragement and twists it into stabs that wound our fragile hearts, bleeding our joy from us...pouring into its place sorrow and fear and anger.

Beautiful lovers of God, we can defeat this liar with the Truth!

First, identify the lies we have believed about ourselves.

Second, confess to the Lord these lies.

Third, replace those lies with Biblical Truth about who God is and who we are as His beloved children.

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. ~ Romans 8:1 NKJV

Look now at ourselves through the eyes of His love.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written:


“ For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,

nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
~ Romans 8:31-39 NKJV

We must grab and hold to the Truth with everything within in us.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
~ 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

Our acceptance of His Truth will lead our eyes from ourselves and point them to the Lord Jesus. Once we are focused on Him, we will be useful for His purpose.

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
~ 2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV

Rejoice now in the righteousness of God we have through Jesus Christ. God made us to be His Beloved ones. Do not deny the Lord the joy meant for Him through a close, intimate, and true relationship with us.

In You, O LORD, I put my trust;
Let me never be ashamed;
Deliver me in Your righteousness.
Bow down Your ear to me,
Deliver me speedily;
Be my rock of refuge,
A fortress of defense to save me.
~ Psalm 31:1-2 NKJV

Beautiful lovers of God, rejoice!

These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. ~ John 10:11 NKJV

Strength to see ourselves rightly through Love's eyes comes from a close, enduring relationship with Jesus Christ. He assures us of His love and gives us the power to live as He desires us to live:

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
~ Romans 15:13 NKJV

Now, dear friends, if you have read this and find that you cannot understand what these words mean to you...perhaps it is time to start at the beginning with trusting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Please go here: Steps to Peace with God, read the wonderful words of Life. Come back and share with me how God has changed your world from the inside out.






<-- Loni at Writing Canvas is hosting this week's In Other Words. Visit her to view more posts and to add your own take on today's quote.


-->Susan at Forever His is hosting Word-Filled Wednesday. Visit her to view more posts and to add your own.

IOW & WFW: No Shame

http://typingone-handed.blogspot.com/2009/09/in-other-words-word-filled-wednesday-no.html

Saturday Selah

I truly enjoy Saturday mornings. It is the quietest morning of the week for me. No need to rush to wake anyone and begin the hustle through the day.

On Saturday mornings I can pause (Selah) amidst the melody that is my life... Pause and wait for the peace of God to drench me like the falling dew.

"I will be like the dew..." (Hosea 14:5)

"The dew is a source of freshness. It's natures provision for renewing the face of the earth. It falls at night, and without it vegetation would die.

Dew will never appear while there is either heat or wind. The temperature must fall, the wind cease, and the air come to a point of coolness and rest - absolute rest - before the invisible particles of moisture will become dew.

Quietness and stillness bring the dew. At night when the leaves and grass are still, the plant's pores are open to receive the refreshing and invigorating bath.

And spiritual dew comes from quietly lingering in the Master's presence. The grace of God does not come forth to bring rest and renewal to our soul until we completely reach the point of stillness before Him.

Wait before God until you feel saturated with His presence."

selections from Streams in the Desert by Mrs. L.B. Cowman

Learning to be still takes practice. With that in mind, and in the spirit of the Titus 2 woman, I hope you will join me for a little while on Saturdays and share how the Lord is teaching you to

Be still and know.

[If you want to leave a link on Mr. Linky this week, please feel free. Be sure to join me next Saturday with what the Lord has taught you about being still this week.]

Saturday Selah

http://typingone-handed.blogspot.com/2008/10/saturday-selah.html