Monthly Archives: April 2024

GOD’S WITNESSES

Apologetics, ,

Acts of the Apostles 14:16-17 NLT‬
[16] In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, [17] but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts.”

No matter how bad the people in the world are, God is always speaking.

  1. David said that God speaks from the sky.

‭Psalms 19:1-4 NLT‬
[1] “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. [2] Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. [3] They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. [4] Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world…. “

Science has even discovered, through radio telescopes, that some of the stars are beating out their message with sounds that echo throughout the universe.

  1. Paul said that God also speaks from the world around us.

‭Romans 1:20 NLT‬
[20]”For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”

God speaks of His power and divine nature through His creation. Despite man’s abuse of creation, we see beauty and order everywhere when we choose to acknowledge God.

Only human foolishness, moral corruption, stands in the way of seeing God’s signature on everything. People do not believe in God because they choose to deny the evidence of His work. They do not want to believe.

‭2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT‬
[4] “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe….”

  1. God speaks from inside of us.

‭Romans 2:14-15 NLT‬
[14] “Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. [15] They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.”

Every child is born with a moral compass in his conscience. Instinctive guilt points to wrongdoing without his having to be taught right and wrong.

  1. Jesus is God’s last and final word.

‭Hebrews 1:1-2 NLT‬
[1]”Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. [2] And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe.”

Despite sometimes wellmeaning (but still) false prophets who claim they speak from God, God has spoken His complete and final message to the world through Jesus. He has nothing more to say to us because Jesus has said it all. Jesus is His personal and living Word to the world. Much of modern prophecy adds to God’s word and is irrelevant at best and dangerous at worst.

‭John 1:1-2, 4-5 NLT‬
[1] “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He existed in the beginning with God…
[4] The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. [5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”

‭John 8:12 NLT‬
[12] Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

  1. God speaks through His written Word.

Since God’s Word is light…

‭Psalms 119:105 NLT‬
[105] “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”

…and Jesus is the Word, we find the clearest and most powerful witness to the Father and His plan by ‘reading’ the Son. Everything Jesus said and did is God speaking to us. When we read Jesus, we discover that He is the only way to the Father.

  1. The Holy Spirit speaks through and about Jesus.

‭John 16:7, 12-15 NLT‬
[7] “But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you….”
[12] “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. [13] When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. [14] He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. [15] All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’ “

The Holy Spirit also testifies to us that God has done His work in us through Jesus.

‭Romans 8:15-16 NLT‬
[15] “So, you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” [16] For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.”

  1. God speaks through His children.

We are Jesus’ witnesses.

‭Acts of the Apostles 1:8 NLT‬
[8]” But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

God speaks to the world through the changed lives of His children.

‭2 Corinthians 3:2-3 NLT‬
[2] “The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. [3] Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.”

‭Matthew 5:14-16 NLT‬
[14] “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. [15] No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. [16] In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

  1. He has covered the earth with His Word.

‭Habakkuk 2:14 NLT‬
[14]”For as the waters fill the sea, the earth will be filled with an awareness of the glory of the Lord.”

We live in an age of technology so marvellous that it is no longer possible to eradicate the Bible from the earth as people have tried to do in the past. The Internet guarantees that God’s Word is able to cover the earth. Everyone on earth, except those who remain in primitive isolation, has access to the Bible, mostly free of charge, via a smartphone. A tap on Playstore, or its equivalent, puts the Bible in our hands in almost any language in a few minutes.

So, the world is without excuse. Anyone can read, in the sky above, the world around, in the Son who came, in the book God gave, or in the the people who believe, or in the convicting work of the Holy Spirit through His witnesses, the message of God’s mercy in Christ Jesus. His rescue plan is for everyone who believes His message. He delivers from death and guarantees eternal life, if only people will read!

“LORD, WHAT NOW?”

Christian Life, ,

Romans 8:14 NLT‬
[14] “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.”

My thoughts, in recent days, have been repeatedly drawn to this verse. My question is, “Is it possible to be so in fellowship with the Holy Spirit that I can be led by Him in everything I say and do, every moment of my day?”

I look at Jesus, a man, yes, but a man filled and led, every moment, by the Spirit in all He said and did.

‭Luke 4:1-2 NLT‬
[1] “Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, [2] where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry.”

It’s difficult to imagine that the Holy Spirit would lead Jesus straight to the wilderness. Here, Satan would be let loose on Him to test Him in the extreme circumstances and dangers of the wilderness as well as physical deprivation. Yet, that’s what the Bible says the Spirit did.

Jesus was so close to the Father and to the Holy Spirit that He literally did nothing without them. Can I live like Him?

‭Matthew 12:28 NLT‬
[28] “But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you.”

I often recognise the Holy Spirit’s leading on hindsight. Sometimes I follow a prompting and later realise, to my relief, that the Holy Spirit had protected me from a foolish decision or action. On other occasions, I have doubted a prompting, ignored it, and and found out, to my frustration, that the Holy Spirit was leading me away from a mistake or a time-wasting incident I could have avoided. Instead, I was angry with myself for not listening.

‭John 10:27 NLT‬
[27] “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

The next question I ask is, “Does the Holy Spirit lead me only in matters that relate to my spiritual safety and wellbeing? Can He also lead me in everyday decisions and activities? Can He be so intimately involved in my life that everything I say and do is Spirit-controlled and Spirit-directed?”

I believe that the Bible says “Yes, ” and that the goal should be to hear and follow the Spirit’s voice all the time. After all, it is we, not the Bible, who make the distinction between “sacred” and “secular”. In fact, the Apostle Paul urges us to glorify the Lord in everything we do.

‭1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT‬
[31] “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

Stories about King David astonish me because I read about a man who got it right most of the time. Even when he allowed his flesh to dominate him so much that he committed gross sin, David did not run from God. He ran to Him for forgiveness and restoration.

‭Psalms 51:1-4 NLT‬
[1] “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. [2] Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. [3] For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. [4] Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just…
[10] Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. [11] Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.”

Did God respond to David’s plea? Yes, God forgave and restored him, although there were unavoidable consequences.

On many other occasions, when David was in danger or in trouble, the Lord led him out of them as he called on Him and obeyed the Holy Spirit’s directions.

Sometimes those direction came directly from God…

‭1 Samuel 30:1-2 NLT‬
[1] Three days later, when David and his men arrived home at their town of Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites had made a raid into the Negev and Ziklag; they had crushed Ziklag and burned it to the ground. [2] They had carried off the women and children and everyone else but without killing anyone….
[6] David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the Lord his God….
[8] Then David asked the Lord, “Should I chase after this band of raiders? Will I catch them?” And the Lord told him, “Yes, go after them. You will surely recover everything that was taken from you.! “

… and sometimes they came through a person. For example, Abigail begged David not to kill her family because her husband, Nabal, refused to provide for David and his men in exchange for their protection.

David recognised God’s intervention and stopped the raid.

‭1 Samuel 25:32-34 NLT‬
[32] “David replied to Abigail, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you to meet me today! [33] Thank God for your good sense! Bless you for keeping me from murder and from carrying out vengeance with my own hands. [34] For I swear by the Lord, the God of Israel, who has kept me from hurting you, that if you had not hurried out to meet me, not one of Nabal’s men would still be alive tomorrow morning.”

Time and again, David sought God’s help. God rescued him, won great military battles, and ruled over the kingdom of Israel through him, expanding the territory to its greatest extent during his reign.

If this was possible through a man who lived under the Old Covenant, how much more we, who have the Holy Spirit within us, have the potential to live daily under the Spirit’s leading.

God promised, through Solomon, to make a straight path, uncomplicate our lives, if we acknowledge Him in everything we do. If this is His promise, then He will do it when we fulfil the condition.

‭Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT‬
[5] “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. [6] Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

Trouble is that we so often go our own way first, get into trouble, and then seek the Lord to get us out of the mess we have created. How much better to seek the Lord’s way and let Him lead us before we get into trouble!

So, my desire is to cultivate such a God-awareness that He is my first recourse before I make any decisions. Then I will become more sensitive to His leading in the ordinary things.

I know He wants to be intimately involved in my life because He even plants ideas in my mind when I am working on my hobby! When I ask Him, He is quick to show me new and better ways to achieve my goal.

“Lord, what now ?” will get a response because it is God who desires intimacy with us but it is we who initiate the process.

‭James 4:8 NLT‬
[8]” Come close to God, and God will come close to you….”

I need to stop waiting for the Holy Spirit to act. I need to expect and anticipate His involvement with me in the normal flow of my life as I live “in Christ” and He lives “in me”.

GOD’S “SCRATCH PATCH”

Apologetics, ,

Ephesians 1:4-6 NIV‬
[4] “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love [5] he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— [6] to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”

I love the scratch patch. In case you don’t know what a scratch patch is, let me tell you. A scratch patch is a big room, the floor space covered with semi-precious stones, agates, quartz, tiger eyes etc., all tumbled to silky smoothness, where one can search for and select stones, at very little cost, for whatever purpose you choose.

There are two places in the Western Cape where one can spend hours happily enjoying the beauty of these stones in a scratch patch.

Years ago, when I was holidaying in Cape Town with a friend, we chose to spend a morning at the scratch patch, collecting stones for which we paid R10. We were each given a tin which we could fill with stones of our choice. We spent happy hours sitting on the stones, admiring their beauty and filling our tins with whatever caught our fancy.

Remembering the scratch patch made me think of the Bible’s teaching on election. Many people are puzzled or even offended by the idea that God chooses some people for salvation and sets the rest aside. Some theologians try to justify God’s actions by explaining that God chooses those whom He knows will believe in Him. They understand ‘foreknowledge’ only as God knowing what will happen before it happens.

However, true as that is, there is more to God’s plans than simply rubber-stamping human choices. The Bible also teaches us that God’s choices are subject to His sovereignty, His mercy, and His purposes.

‭Romans 9:16-18 NLT‬
[16] “So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it. [17] For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.” [18] So,, you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen.”

Peter put his finger on this mystery when he preached his first sermon on the day of Pentecost, without trying to explain it.

‭Acts of the Apostles 2:23-24 NLT‬
[23]” But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. [24] But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip.”

So, before creation, God chose those who were suited to His plan. Like the stones I didn’t shoose because they simply did not suit my purpose, God had the right to reject all those who did not fit into His plan, and they have no grounds for complaint.

If I had decided to make a necklace of tiger eyes, all the other stones did not qualify. They could not complain that I was being unfair because my choice depended on the reason for which I chose some, not others.

God’s choices have nothing to do with justice and everything to do with mercy. Had He not chosen some for His ‘necklace’, none would have been saved.

What about people’s choices, then? Are we not responsible for what we choose to do? Yes we are but, in God’s mysterious ways, he blends His sovereignty and our responsibility together. The Bible teaches both God’s sovereignty and human responsibility although we cannot see where they meet.

God does not randomly choose people for salvation. All are doomed to destruction because of sin. Without God’s intervention, all would be condemned to hell. However, God had a plan before He created anything. He wanted a family of humans like His Son who would live in fellowship with Him and who would rule in God’s kingdom together with Jesus forever.

He would select the ‘stones’ that would fit together perfectly to create His living ‘temple’.

‭1 Peter 2:4-5 NIV‬
[4] ‘As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— [5] you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.’

Behind this plan is an even greater motive.

‭Ephesians 3:10-11 NLT‬
[10] “God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. [11] This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

‭Ephesians 1:6 NLT‬
[6]”So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.”

‭Romans 11:30-32 NLT‬
[30] “Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead. [31] Now they are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share in God’s mercy. [32] For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.”

In this passage, Paul refers ‘everyone’ as Jew and Gentle without distinction rather than everyone without exception.

How can we criticise God and call Him unfair when His glorious purpose in choosing people is to display His mercy? He shows mercy to some, not judgment to all. He put His mercy on display, especially to those spiritual powers that deliberately overthrew His authority and led the nations astray?

The scratch patch may be a simplistic way of trying to explain election without considering God’s inexplicable greatness in all He says, and does. However, perhaps it throws a little light on something too big to explain or understand fully.

We must bow before Him in submission and agree…

‭Deuteronomy 29:29 NLT‬
[29] “The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.”

ONE LAST WORD – 22

Bible Study, ,

Ephesians 6:23-24 NLT‬
[23] “Peace be with you, dear brothers and sisters, and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love with faithfulness. [24] May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians begins and ends with a prayer for grace and peace to permeate the lives of his readers. He also injects another word into his prayer than needs a little inspection… faithfulness, ( Greek – ‘pistis’).

Some versions translate ‘pistis’ as ‘faith’, others as ‘faithfulness’. According to Strong’s Concordance, ‘pistis’ is derived from ‘peitho’ which incudes the concept of credence, i.e., belief in a system of truth.

Our confidence in the gospel, which is the system of truth which brought us both salvation from sin and the transformation of our lives, results in faithfulness to that body of belief to which we hold.

When we study the records of Jesus’ teachings, we discover that faithfulness to Him and His Word is high on His list of priorities and has great rewards. Jesus counts faithfulness to Him to be the qualification for our position in His kingdom when He returns.

‭Luke 16:10-12 NLT‬
[10]“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. [11] And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? [12] And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?”

‭Luke 18:8 NIV‬
[8] “…However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith (faithfulness) on the earth?”

Again , ‘pistis’, translated ‘faith’, but could it imply ‘faithfulness’?

Jesus had much to say about faithfulness. He told parables to illustrate the importance of faithfulness. For example…

‭Luke 12:42-44 NLT‬
[42] “And the Lord replied, “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. [43] If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. [44] I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns.”

The story of Joseph clearly illustrates the value and reward of faithfulness.

‭Genesis 39:2, 4, 6 NLT‬
[2]”The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master…
[4] This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned…
[6] So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat!… “

Unfaithfulness is the name of the game in our day. Unfaithfulness is rife on every level of family life and society. I don’t need to go into detail since we have all felt the effects of unfaithful people in our lives, AND we have all taken part in the tidal wave of unfaithfulness that sweeps over our world.

How can we remain faithful to our human family as well as to our Master when the pressure is on? Paul gives us a simple answer.

‭Galatians 5:22 NLT‬
[22] “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, FAITHFULNESS…”

To qualify for the great prize at the end of our days on earth, we must heed the instruction of our Lord Jesus. We must trust the Holy Spirit to grow the fruit of faithfulness that only He can produce in us as we walk in the Word with Him.

PEACE BE WITH YOU – 21

Bible Study, ,

Ephesians 6:23-24 NLT‬
[23] “Peace be with you, dear brothers and sisters, and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love with faithfulness. [24] May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Paul writes this letter, ‘book’ we call it, between two bookends… peace. The left ‘bookend’ includes a prayer for ‘grace’, the foundation of all God’s dealings with humans. The right ‘bookend’ adds ‘peace’, the outcome of God’s grace… ‘shalom’ in Hebrew, ‘eirene’ in Greek, two words rich in meaning.

Three words encompass the environment of God’s presence in heaven… love, joy, peace. There is nothing that can change or neutralise these three attributes of God Himself in the heavenly realm.

Adam chose, however, in the garden of Eden, to forfeit God’s presence in him for his own way. The result was hell into his soul, a life without God.

‭Ephesians 2:12 NLT‬
… “You lived in this world without God and without hope.”

Jesus came to change everything, to restore what Adam threw away… God’s love, joy, and peace in the soul. This is His legacy for all who believe in Him through His death.

Look what He gave His disciples before His departure.

‭John 15:9 NLT‬
[9] “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in MY LOVE. “

John 15:11 NLT‬
[11]”I have told you these things so that you will be filled with MY JOY. Yes, your joy will overflow!”

‭John 14:27 NIV‬
[27] “Peace I leave with you; MY PEACE I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Jesus is God. He gave to His disciples His own attributes!

‭John 14:16-18 NLT‬
[16]”And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. [17] He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. [18] No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.”

Think of that! He gave Himself back to them through the Holy Spirit’s presence in them, the fruit of His own life at work IN THEM.

‭Galatians 5:22 NLT‬
[22]”But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace…”

Why is God’s peace so important to us? Why should it be the prayer Paul uttered in every letter he wrote?

God’s peace in our hearts and minds has two great functions.

  1. God’s peace guards our thoughts against deception.

‭Philippians 4:6,7 NLT‬
[6] “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
[7] Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Worry and anxiety are the symptoms of fear. Fear is the product of unbelief – the devil’s way of dealing with the insecurities and uncertainties of life. God’s peace is the antidote to fear.

How do we receive and live in His peace?

Paul’s answer is simple – trade fear for peace by developing a thankful heart in all circumstances. We must choose fear or faith. It doesn’t just happen.

‭1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT‬
[18] “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

When we choose to believe God by unloading our cares onto Him, all flavoured with fear, He responds with His peace – an indescribable experience of security, calm, and confidence to face anything with Him. Paul says that this peace is real but it make no sense outside of God Himself. This peace shuts out every deceptive thought producing unbelief and fear, and shuts in an unshakeable confidence in God’s love and faithfulness to His promises.

  1. God’s peace guides us in our choices and decisions.

‭Colossians 3:15 NIV‬
[15] “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

Here we have it again… a thankful heart is the environment in which God’s peace works. Every day we are confronted with choices and decisions…to think this not that… to do this, not that… to go here, not there. Every decision and action carries a consequence. How can we know that our decisions are right or wrong? God’s peace! Like the referee in a game.

A thankful heart pushes us towards right decisions, creating the environment, the motivation for doing what works.

For example, I have a prompting towards generosity. I weigh it up. Shall I give or keep for myself? Gratitude to God for His goodness to me pushes me towards supplying another’s need. I give and God’s peace confirms my choice. His peace is actually His Spirit actively producing His fruit in my heart as I do what’s right.

God’s peace also acts, when we go off the path. I do something that is counter to a grateful heart. I speak a harsh word. I believe a lie and act on it. I do something out of selfishness… God’s peace goes. Restlessness, insecurity, inner turmoil replaces the peace.

How can I regain the tranquility that ruled in my soul? Stop! Think back! Where did I lose my peace? Together with the Holy Spirit, I remember. He shows me where I deviated from truth. I repent, turn from my wickedness, make right with another if I trespassed on someone else’s territory. My peace is restored. Peace acted in me to correct my wrongdoing and took over, once again, to rule in my heart.

How essential and powerful is God’s peace in us. His peace helps us navigate, safely, all the hazards we face from ourselves and others in this life. We need His peace to bring us to the haven of eternal peace in His presence.