Elizabeth George's Blog, page 22

What Does God Say About Divorce?

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This may be a tender topic for you, but if your love has drifted … there is hope.

What if We’re Thinking About Divorce?

It may surprise you to know this, but there was a time in our marriage when we each entertained thoughts of divorce. We were the proverbial flailing couple who was going down…and taking two young daughters with us. We lost sight of our direction.

We see this with Isaac and Rebekah’s marriage in the Old Testament. Isaac’s love was directed full-on toward his wife Rebekah for the first 20 years of their marriage. But somehow it got redirected. After their twins Jacob and Esau arrived and the newness of having children wore off, their affections went from adoration to adjusting to an expanded family, then to choosing sides against one another. Somewhere in the rough seas of marriage, this couple drifted apart.

In the world of physics, matter is never lost—it simply changes its state. Love is like matter; it isn’t lost, it’s only redirected.

What Does God Say About Divorce?

And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” Mark 10:2-12

It is no secret that God does not like divorce. The issue is that we sometimes feel there is no other direction for us to go in. This can be remedied. The first step is to seek Him in prayer and actively listen and look for His response. Spend time introspectively seeking and assessing the who or what you’ve redirected your love to. Identify any potential threats that could cause division. Then, direct your love back toward your spouse.

Marriage is a work in progress. We can never think that our marriage has arrived, that we’ve reached the stage where bliss will reign without any effort on our part. We can keep our marriage alive, vibrant, and away from the brink of divorce when we direct our love toward and nurture oneness with our spouse. Make it a priority to find new ways to show your love.

RESPOND:

Dear Lord, my heart’s desire is to fully love my spouse and that there be no barriers between us. Please reveal my heart to me and show me where I’ve created the barriers. Guide us to keep our love directed toward one another. Amen.

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RENEWING RESOURCES:

A Couple After God’s Own Heart by Jim and Elizabeth George teaches the secrets to a great marriage by learning from biblical couples. Get started by taking our fun free challenge HERE!

Pick up this book for couples and workbook today!

REFLECT:

Is your love fully aimed at your husband/wife? What can you do today to redirect your love back to your spouse?

REMEMBER:

In the world of physics, matter is never lost—it simply changes its state. Love is like matter; it isn’t lost, it’s only redirected.

The Faith of a Mustard Seed

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Trusting God to Take Care of Others

We’ve all struggled at one time or another with our ability to fully trust God. I never truly realized the extent to which I wrestled with Him over even the simplest of things. Yet, I would hear Him whisper to my spirit, “I will protect them. Trust me.”

As the mother of girls I may have had misplaced faith in that fact. After all, girls tend to be more cautious. But, maybe you’re the mother of boys. You might hear God ask you to trust them to His care and immediately begin to think, “Yes, but God do you know how they are? One minute they are reading classic literature and the next they are trying to do a kick flip and a lolly on a skateboard.” I don’t know about you, but I don’t even know what a “lolly” is, but it doesn’t sound good!

Again, He says, “Trust me.”

“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” Matthew 17:20

Misplaced Faith

A friend once shared a story with me. As she meditated over scripture and asked for revelation of what God wanted to show her, she began to pace the floor and pray. Then she heard Him whisper to her spirit to sit down. Obeying God, she sat down in the nearest chair and that is when He dropped the revelation into her spirit.

Sometimes we have more faith in a chair’s ability to sustain us than we do in God’s ability to sustain us.

We never question whether or not the chair will hold us, or if it has a flaw in it somewhere, or whether or not it has secure footing. We certainly don’t question whether or not it loves us enough to hold us up. We just sit. We simply trust. We don’t walk around and test all of the chairs to see which is the strongest or which seems better for the job. We sometimes have more faith in a random inanimate object than we do in our loving and eternal, living God.

How big is that mustard seed?

The Root of Misplaced Faith

My friend also confessed that she now shakes and pushes on chairs almost every time before sitting in them just to make God laugh. God also showed her that another root of not trusting or having little faith, is pride. It is the pride in our own ability to make what we perceive to be better decisions than God; faster response times than God; and more love for our children than God. Yes, she admits, she truly thought, and said it often, that nobody loves her kids like she does. She didn’t mean for that to include God, but obviously, in her heart she had.

You see, the profound part about her chair shaking escapades is that she knew clearly that she didn’t worship a chair or put more trust and faith in it than she did in God. What she began to realize was that her faith was in herself. Her trust was in her knowledge. She knew the chair would hold her because she had sat in it before. She trusted herself more and that is why she now had a problem trusting God with other areas of her life.

RESPOND:

Dear Lord, forgive me for putting more faith and trust in myself than in you. You are my father, my creator, the love of my life. I want to have more than just the faith of a mustard seed. Please help me to do that. Thank you for being such an awesome and loving example. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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RENEWING RESOURCES: 

A Mom After God’s Own Heart: 10 Ways to Love Your Children by Elizabeth George is fresh help for you—a busy mom!—to make God an everyday part of your child's life.

REFLECT:

In what areas of your life have you misplaced your faith? Have you recognized it and repented for it?

REMEMBER:

We’ve all struggled at one time or another with our ability to fully trust God.

Honor Your Dad This Father's Day and Always

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The words, “honor your father,” appear many times throughout the bible. In fact, it’s one of the ten commandments right alongside, “honor your mother.” In fact, it is the first command that provides a promise, “… so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Ephesians 6:1-4

Honor is defined as, “To highly respect or greatly esteem.”

Seven Ways to Honor Your Father

Praise them publicly.
Tell him how much he means to you.
Thank him for all he is and has done for you and your family.
Point out his strengths.
Pray for him and thank God for him.
Forgive him if you hold any unforgiveness in your heart toward him.
Find little ways to serve him and make him feel special.

You can also find an expanded list of 26 Ways to Bless Your Dad in this previously written article. Blessing your father will not only bless him, but I think you will find it blesses you as well!

We Reap What We Sow

This principle of honoring your father isn’t only for young children still living at home. It’s also for adult children who may very well be fathers now themselves. The bible teaches us that we reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7). If you want your children to honor you, then honor your own parents. We should model by example anyway. Our children will imitate us whether we want them to or not. How much more of a blessing will it be to be honored because you first honored your own father?

 

RESPOND:

Lord, let me be a great treasure to my family, and You. Keep my ways godly, and help me in small and big ways to honor my own parent’s service to our family. Amen.

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RENEWING RESOURCES:

A Dad After God’s Own Heart by Jim George—in this fresh re-release, learn the basics for how to be a good dad with your kids, including...

letting your kids know you love and care for them
learning the keys to positive and effective communication
knowing the qualities kids need most in a dad

Art Prints — Check out these art prints HERE, designed to encourage you to be a dad after God’s own heart!

REFLECT:

Study God’s Word as it pertains to honoring your father. Put some of those teachings in to practice and watch as your children begin to follow in your footsteps.

REMEMBER:

This principle of honoring your father isn’t only for young children still living at home. If you want your children to honor you, then honor your own parents.

Remember the Wife of Your Youth

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“Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice in the wife of your youth.” Proverbs 5:18

We read this verse of scripture and sometimes wonder how can we accomplish such a thing? Does marriage really work like the Bible tells us? Life has changed. We’ve changed. Maybe there is some truth to that. However, I challenge you to consider why it has become your truth.

Have We Really Changed?

Many times in our lives we think to ourselves that it is the other person who has changed, but the reality is that neither of us have. We’re still the same people. We’ve simply become complacent with our priorities. When the marriage was in its early stages, I guarantee that you did many things differently that caused a reaction from your wife that you may no longer see in her today. We can’t demand that our wives react a certain way, but we can certainly provoke particular reactions by what we say and do.

Ask your wife to share some of the qualities that attracted her to you. I’ll bet one of those qualities was your fun-loving nature. You were both happy, laughed a lot, and had a good time no matter what. This was true for me in those dating years with Elizabeth. My nickname was “Smilin’ Jim.” I was completely happy-go-lucky and made sure every date was a blast! I have had to purpose many times to continue to cultivate that type of environment in our marriage.

Rekindle the Friendship

Getting back to those early days in your relationship with your wife may be all that’s needed to solve any problems you might be having. You started out as friends, became best friend, then finally committed to being best friends forever!

Well, it’s now time for you to remember what you did to initiate fun in your budding relationship with your wife. It’s time to bring that now-dormant “merry heart” out of hibernation. It’s time to recapture having fun with her and “rejoice in the wife of your youth”!

 

RESPOND

Dear Lord, thank You for the gift of my wife and our marriage. At times, it feels like we’re just going through the mundane routine of life and that we’ve lost touch with each other. Please help us rekindle our friendship with one another. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES

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A Husband After God’s Own Heart by Jim George points you to the little touches that can bring big results. They're based on clear and simple priorities found in the Bible.

REFLECT

What is one thing I can do today to rekindle my friendship with my wife? What things did I do early on in our relationship that I have stopped doing now?

REMEMBER

Getting back to those early days in your relationship with your husband may be all that’s needed to solve any problems you might be having. It’s time to recapture having fun with her and “rejoice in the wife of your youth”!

Parenting Adult Children

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When our children are growing up in our home, we train their spiritual sensitivity so they can “distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:14). We examine what’s going on in our home. Who are your children’s friends at school? Where are they spending their time? What are they reading and viewing? What music are they listening to?

Then they leave the nest.

Godly Adult Parenting

When our children first leave home it’s natural to struggle with our roles as their parent. While we must allow them to grow and mature on their own, we still feel a need to give guidance and direction. However, once your child becomes an adult, your relationship should change. We must trust that the Godly principles we’ve taught them as children will manifest in their adulthood; that those seeds we’ve planted in this good soil will grow and flourish!

As our children reach this stage, we would do well to remember that we are no longer the authority they use to look to. They must seek God and His authority. They must use the wisdom we’ve instilled in them to learn for themselves how to self-discipline and seek God for their direction in life. We can no longer impose our direction upon them.

Responsibilities of Parents of Adult Children

Even though our children are at the stage of life where they must make decisions themselves and face the consequences of those decisions, there are tangible things we can do to assist them.

Pray for them. Never stop praying for your children. Though the circumstances may seem dire at times, God’s word does not return void and it accomplishes what it is sent forth to do (Isaiah 55:11). We must trust God’s timing.

Adjust your expectations. Sometimes, our expectations are unrealistic. They don’t allow room for our children to grow into their own purpose and at times, will urge them to rebel against you. If you believe this is happening to you, seek God in prayer on your own behalf. Ask Him to remove the scales from your eyes so you are able to look at the circumstances through His perspective. Make sure your heart is open to this.

Rejoice in the little successes. While it may be bittersweet to know our child is able to afford his own apartment, rejoice in that. Especially if it is not the place or location you would have chosen. This is something they’ve accomplished on their own, and it is a stepping stone to something greater for them. Don’t be a stumbling block on their way to God’s plan and purpose for their life. We don’t get to define what their journey looks like.

 

RESPOND

Dear Lord, thank You for guiding and encouraging me with Your Holy Spirit … especially when I’m unsure of how to be a parent to my adult children. Help me to be a parent after Your own heart. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES [image error]

A Mom After God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George is fresh help for you—a busy mom!—to make God an everyday part of your child's life.

REFLECT

What expectations do you have of your adult child that can be adjusted to be more in line with God’s Word? What little successes can you celebrate with them?

REMEMBER

Once your child becomes an adult, your relationship should change. We must trust that the Godly principles we’ve taught them as children will manifest in their adulthood.

Being a Good Role Model

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It is a chilling thought to one day realize that your children are observing your life, logging your activities, and repeating your actions, whether good or bad. I know from personal experience that what I observed from my own father’s behavior served as both a positive and negative influence on my role as a husband and father.

As the father of two daughters, I've vowed to be an example of a Godly man. Their mother has vowed to be an example a Godly woman. As parents, we both have promised to teach them how to respect members of the opposite sex. We know that raising daughters is a bit different from raising sons. Though they are equal, males and females are vastly different from one another.

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22

Fathers of sons must repeatedly train them to think of others first and put aside their normal selfish tendencies. This must be done because one day these young men will find a young lady who catches their attention. Their curiosity and desire to get to know her will likely put him on autopilot unless he has been trained otherwise. What no father wants is for his sons to look upon a young lady as an object. Fathers of daughters don’t want her to be looked upon as such either. We can’t let our children forget that they will have to answer not only to us as their parents, but also to their heavenly Father.

Fathers of daughters must point them to God when they express insecurity through conversation, the covert shout out for attention, or by the way she presents herself. We must teach them that abstinence is the only way to honor God, prevent pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and the emotional turmoil that tends to come with pre-marital intimacy.

In-depth discussions must take place with them from an early age. The conversations should always be age appropriate and serious. Keep the conversation open and engaging by bringing it up at various times as they are maturing. We should always remind them they are God’s children, first and foremost.

Why share this today? Because this is a difficult subject. It's tough to battle teenage hormones and a loud, obnoxious world that says abstinence is for fools. As parents, we want our children to stand for more than they fall for. We want them to learn to love not only their future spouses, but love every person enough to not steal what isn't theirs to take. And I don't think we talk about it enough. I think we should have open, non-judgmental, helpful, compassionate discussions about how to get our teens through these years. We have to stick together in this. I want our daughters to respect your sons and I hope you'll teach your sons to respect our daughters.

 

RESPOND

Dear Lord, please help me control my personal purity and be a Godly role model to my children. Give me wisdom to teach them how to keep themselves pure in body, soul, mind, and spirit. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES [image error]

A Dad After God’s Own Heart by Jim George—in this fresh rerelease, learn the basics for how to be a good dad with your kids, including...

letting your kids know you love and care for them;
learning the keys to positive and effective communication;
knowing the qualities kids need most in a dad.

Pick up a copy of this powerful book for dads today!

REFLECT

Have you had this conversation with your children? If so, what worked for you? What didn't? Are you almost there and want some advice? If so, what do you want to know?

REMEMBER

Fathers of sons must repeatedly train them to think of others first and put aside their normal selfish tendencies. Fathers of daughters must point them to God when they express insecurity through conversation, the covert shout out for attention, or by the way she presents herself.

Tell it to Your Children

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Tell it to your children; let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. Joel 1:3

 

There have been many stories of the damage severe weather, flooding, and tornadoes have caused lately. We stand in prayer with each and every person affected. The Lord is with you!

While watching a recent news story about the devastation, I was reminded of a story a young father once shared with us.

He told us the story of how God gave him revelation in regard to his children. He said a few years back, during a tornado warning that was issued very close to their home, he hurried his wife, children and the family dog into an interior bathroom and settled in to wait out the warning. Within minutes he could see the fear sweeping across their faces. His five year old son looked up at him and asked, ”Dad, is Jesus going to let us die?”

He told us he and his wife reassured their little ones and then he began to pray. He needed God to grant them peace as well as protection.

The Power of Testimony

Midway through the prayer he said he started thanking God for all the times He had saved one or all of us them from an uncertain fate; illnesses, near-miss car accidents, wild fires, and other things their family had miraculously survived. Through her tears, his wife began to pray with him as well.

Here is where God intervened. He told us that when he said the final amen, he looked up to see confusion in the eyes of his children. That’s when the questions began. They wanted to know about all the events he and his wife had mentioned in their prayer. He couldn't believe they had never shared some of their own testimonies with them.

He and his wife sat in that hallway with storms surrounding them and told their children stories of all the times they knew God had intervened in some way. The kids were intrigued and before they knew it, they had spent nearly two hours in that bathroom and the storm was long gone.

God’s Faithfulness

Since then, he has seen a change in not only his and his wife’s faith and prayer life, but also in their children’s. They now come together often as a family to recount their testimonies and even share new ones. In fact, they now include the day in the bathroom as a testimony of God's faithfulness!

Wherever and whenever you and your child are together is God’s opportunity for you to teach your child about Him. So take advantage and be purposeful with the gift of such times. But, if they are too few and far between, plan, schedule, and determine to make them happen as if it were your most important job on earth—for it is!

 

RESPOND

Dear Lord, help me represent You, our heavenly Father, to my children. I desire to always remind them of the good you have done. I want to display Your love, devotion, discipline, and caring well. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES [image error]

In the A Man After God’s Own Heart-Devotional, Jim George provides quick devotions that will spur the dads in your life on to be men after God’s own heart!

REFLECT

What stories of God’s love, mercy and grace can you share with your children?

REMEMBER

Wherever and whenever you and your child are together is God’s opportunity for you to teach your child about Him.

Speak Life: How to Avoid Gossip

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Even though I knew God spoke specifically to women about not gossiping (1 Timothy 3:11 and Titus 2:3), I did it anyway. The Holy Spirit led me to change my heart and empowered the purification process I still continue to go through. I want to be known as a woman who is a friend of women; a woman who is for other women rather than being against them. What did that entail? Sharing words that are full of grace (Colossians 4:6), kind (Proverbs 16:23-24; 31:26), pleasant, constructive, and instructive. It also means having speech edify and minister grace to our hearers (Ephesians 4:29).

Have you ever sat down with a group of friends to have joyful, encouraging fellowship only to have the momentum start swinging in the direction of gossip? I think we all have. If you are a young lady then I believe it is pretty safe to say that you have at least once in your life entertained the thought of joining in or have actually participated in gossip. Some of us have even been clever enough to mask it as prayer or concern, haven’t we? Hopefully we have all allowed the Holy Spirit to change our heart. So what do we do when we are around those who still gossip?

Five Ways to Avoid Gossip

Speak life over the person who is being targeted. When someone becomes the focus of the conversation and is being projected in a negative light, speaking positive things about the person will usually cool down the heated discussion. Something as simple as, “Susie? Oh, I just love her heart for children. Don’t you?” can give you control of the conversation.

When approached by someone who is known to gossip, try to be the one to start the conversation. Some people still have a difficult time overcoming the battle of gossiping. When you are being approached by such a person it helps greatly if you set the tone for the discussion.

Be upfront about your convictions toward gossip. Sometimes you just have to know when to speak up. If you are constantly bombarded with gossip from a particular group of friends or a specific person then let them know that you have a hard time hearing things that you have no business knowing. Don’t be judgmental towards them but let them know where you stand .

Redirect the conversation. I know ladies who are awesome at the fine art of redirecting a conversation. I honestly think that in the spare moments of life, they think of things to say to redirect a discussion gone sour. In the middle of hearing, “Well did you see what Sindee wore to church on Saturday?” she interjects and says, “Oh forget that! Let me tell you what I did in the coffee shop the other day…” and of course, she regains control of the room and no one is worried about what was going to be said about Sindee anymore.

Pray. We can make it a point to pray before we gather with a group of friends and we can also make it a point to pray as soon as all of your friends arrive to the gathering. Speaking words through prayer such as: “Father, help us to keep our conversation pure, lovely, and of good report” are often all you need to prevent a friendly evening from getting ugly. If you can’t do that or if it is forgotten, praying silently helps to purge your heart and requests for God to intervene.

We have all likely been the targets of such gossip and most likely we have all been sharers of these so called “juicy morsels.” What we need to remember is that no one is perfect and we can’t expect them to be. The only person we can attempt to change is ourselves. If you work to modify your own mindsets in this area, then you will not only have saved your soul from these negative words but you could very well be a shining example to your friends.

 

RESPOND

Dear Lord, please help me make it my goal that, in every encounter, others are better off for having been in my presence. May I always speak life over your children. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES [image error]

In A Young Woman’s Guide to Making Right Choices, Elizabeth takes teens through the step–by–step process of making decisions that are life–affirming, godly, and wise.

REFLECT

What do you do to avoid gossip? Are you still tempted to gossip? Pray today and confess gossip as a sin. Ask the Holy Spirit to empower the purification process in your heart.

REMEMBER

The only person we can attempt to change is ourselves. If you work to modify your own mindsets in this area, then you will not only have saved your soul from these negative words but you could very well be a shining example to your friends.

5 Simple But Powerful Steps to Prayer

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When we view prayer as explained by God through the language in the Bible, we must keep in mind that prayer has always been the principle means by which man, created in God’s image, has evidenced sentiment toward Him. From the earliest times, prayer has been an integral part of the worship of God. Believers of all ages have expressed their hearts through praise, thanksgiving, prayer, and intercession to and before God. That’s why it is so important for God’s people to learn to pray.

“Lord, teach us to pray.”

As it is recorded in Luke 11:1-4, that request from one of his disciples prompted the Lord to share His prayer with us. We can find the full version of this prayer in Matthew 6:9-15 when Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount:

"This, then, is how you should pray:

" 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (NIV)

Nearly every person of Christian faith can recite this prayer from memory. The way Jesus taught us to pray is the perfect model to follow for our prayer time.

We’ll go through the steps and then give a sample for each.

Step 1: Adoration

“hallowed be your name”

The first line of this prayer is profound. The word “hallowed” means made holy, consecrated, or greatly revered and honored. His name is holy. In fact, all of his names are holy. In Psalms 103, David taught us to “bless His holy name and he then gives us five benefits that are all tied to one of His specific covenant Names: forgiveness, healing, redeemer, favor, and blessings.

We can enter into prayer through worship by revering His name. By calling upon Him by name, we recognize and honor Him for who He is.

Step 2: Consecration

“Your Kingdom come, Your will be done,”

After entering into worship, we should consecrate our body, soul, and spirit to the Father. This is when we whole surrender ourselves to God’s will.

Step 3: Supplication

“Give us today our daily bread,”

Supplication is when we express our immediate needs to God. Though He already knows, this is the part where we acknowledge our need for Him and ask Him to provide the specific things to us in order for us to do our part in moving the Kingdom forward.

Step 4: Intercession

“Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors,”

Intercession is when we stand before God on behalf of someone else. We must go before God with clean hands and a pure heart, so asking for our own forgiveness is essential. Seeking and extending forgiveness is a powerful thing. Acknowledging our sins before the Father and seeking forgiveness on behalf of ourselves and others is a freedom that can’t be described. Besides, it’s nearly impossible to hold on to unforgiveness toward someone when you’re asking for mercy on their behalf.

Step 5: Protection

“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,”

The struggles and temptations we face on a daily basis are real. Satan even tried to tempt Jesus Himself (Mark 4:1-11). We aren’t exempt from these daily trials, but we can seek God’s protection through prayer and the full armor of God (Ephesians 6).

 

RESPOND

Abba Father, there is none like you. I surrender my desires to you and ask that you use me as a willing vessel for your glory. Today I seek revelation and wisdom for my prayer life. Please forgive me for the times when I’ve failed to intercede for others and I forgive others who overlooked interceding on my behalf. Give me clean hands, a pure heart, and renew a steadfast spirit in me. Please spare me from the temptations of the evil one and keep me out of his grasp. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES [image error]

The Heart of a Woman Who Prays: Drawing Near to the God Who Loves You by Elizabeth George answers the question every believer asks--whether new in Christ or a seasoned veteran--, How can I be more effective in my prayer life? When it comes to talking to God about people and life-issues, there's always room for growth.

REFLECT

Have you memorized the Lord’s Prayer? If not, do so over the next few days. Pray it until it becomes a part of you.

REMEMBER

From the earliest times, prayer has been an integral part of the worship of God. The way Jesus taught us to pray is the perfect model to follow for our prayer time.

God's Perfect Peace

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There is so much devastating news coming through the media every day now. The tragedies of the Coronavirus and the subsequent shutdowns of entire countries including our own; the destructive storms and tornadoes; famine; unemployment; and so many more are or daily reality. How can we find peace in such turmoil?

How We Can Obtain This Peace

True spiritual peace comes with knowing that our heav­enly Father is continually with us — and indeed He is! God is omnipresent and therefore fully aware of every detail of our life at every moment and in every place. He knows our needs at all times and in every situation. As Psalm 139:7-12 teaches, we can never be anyplace, from the heights of heaven to the depths of the sea, where God is not present with us and available to us. The key to our peace then is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of God no matter the conflict.

Peace also comes with acknowledging that God will supply our every need as well as acknowledging His con­stant presence. The scriptures are filled with His promises that He is sufficient to face the circumstances challenge our peace.

Philippians 4:19 — “God [will] supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

God is In the Storm

Can you imagine having perfect peace when the sirens are signaling a storm or when you’re waiting to get a loved one's report from the doctor? That, my friend, is the kind of peace God makes available to you and me for the storms of life. Many people think of peace as the absence of problems, as the feeling that is experienced when all is well. But the peace of the Lord is not related to circumstances at all. In fact, God’s peace comes to us and endures…regardless of life’s circumstances.

Remember these truths about the peace of our Lord:

Our peace has nothing to do with daily challenges or crises, and everything to do with knowing that our times are in God’s hands.
Our peace has nothing to do with the conditions of our life, and everything to do with knowing that God is all-sufficient.
Our peace is an inward repose and serenity of soul that indicates a heart at rest — regardless of our cir­cumstances—as we place complete confidence in God minute by minute.

 

RESPOND

Lord, You lead me and You know what I need at every step along the way. Your peace is my refuge. I am blessed. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES [image error]

A Woman After God’s Own Heart Bible by Elizabeth George is filled with 365 devotions to draw you to God’s Word and give you hope, wisdom, and understanding.

REFLECT

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Have you turned to God for His peace?

REMEMBER

Many people think of peace as the absence of problems, as the feeling that is experienced when all is well. But the peace of the Lord is not related to circumstances at all. In fact, God’s peace comes to us and endures…regardless of life’s circumstances.