Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Peace be with you

One of my favorite hymns written by Helen H. Lemmel is Turn your eyes upon Jesus. 

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in his wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of his glory and grace.”

In one of the most desperate moments of my life, when I was distraught with everything I had to deal with, the Holy Spirit particularly ministered to me through these words. Since then, this hymn has been a favorite, and I like to sing this in my personal meditation time. What these words remind us is an exciting truth that an “unshakeable peace” is available to all who turn the eyes of their heart away from the world and towards Jesus.

When life’s trials strike us as horrible blows, how does a Christian maintain a sense of calmness and spiritual balance? The portion of Scripture where the disciples lose all hope in the middle of the storm at sea while finding their Master, Jesus, calmly sleeping used to amaze me. Often at times, we, too, are just like that; we throw our hands up in the air and ask our Savior, “Do you really not care for me?” We need to remember that the One who controls the winds and the waves is with us. He carries us and can calm every raging storm in our life. The key is found in a close, abiding relationship with Jesus Christ.

No one outside of God is capable of handling our life’s problems. All human beings have limitations, and God never meant for us to be strong on our own. He wants us to look to Him for strength, courage, and hope. In the current times, many around us deal with severe anxiety. We need to recognize anxiety as the opposite of peace. Being chronically anxious can leave us bundled up in worry and fear. We tend to lose our spiritual focus and slowly de-align ourselves from the will of God for our lives.

In Philippians 4:6-7, Paul admonishes us to “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”. For us to be able to give EVERYTHING to God, we need to abide in our Savior; otherwise, the enemy will easily sow seeds of doubt and fear in us. To dispel rising anxiety, we need to accept God’s sovereignty and trust Him to provide what is best for us in His time. A child of God who abides by God and His Word is not easily frazzled by the unexpected events of life. He rests in His Master, “being confident that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Psalm 57 was written by David at one of the most difficult points in his life when he had fled from Saul into the cave. It reads, “ Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me…. God sends His love and faithfulness.” (Ps 57: 1-3) The only reason David could write with such confidence about His God is because He had an unshakeable peace within His heart that God would protect His life and fulfill His promises.

My friend, does something trouble you today? Has any situation, conflict, or sickness escalated beyond your control? Do you feel anxious about tomorrow? Jesus’ words in John 20:19 are a comfort to us – “Peace be with you.” Remember always that God’s peace is unshakeable because there never has or will never be a time or event when God has felt unsettled or panicked.

Let His peace overflow in your hearts today. He understands that life can be difficult –but He has a solution for us in Him. He is the giver of supernatural peace. Let us tap into this unexhausted resource. Remember to keep your focus on God. Only then can we accomplish great and mighty for our Master.

Time-Out

Time-out is a term most parents are super familiar with. It is defined as a method of discipline that involves removing a child from social ...