A Place of Perfect Peace
I will shout for joy and sing your praises,
….for you have ransomed me.
I will tell about your righteous deeds
….all day long, Psalm 71:23-24a NLT
John 16:29-33 (<<click here to read the passage)
Just a few moments ago I finished reading Alex Trebek’s memoir, The Answer Is…Reflections on My Life. A very dear friend shared it with me some months back. It contains short pithy chapters. He speaks of his childhood, his family – both from youth and his wife and children. Of course, he shares the many points of his career, and believe it or not, he was not always hosting Jeopardy!, though he did so for 37 seasons.
In the final chapter, entitled The Answer Is…Life, he shares that in his final days he would be perfectly content with sitting on the swing out in his yard. From that vantage point, he can take in a large portion of his property. He paints a picture of peace, nothing extravagant, just simple peace.
He died on November 8, 2020, at age 80, after a 20-month battle with stage IV pancreatic cancer.
We could all probably describe what we would say is our perfect place of peace. I have a friend whose one place of peace is on her deck on a cool morning with a cup of coffee clasped in her hands. Maybe yours is curled up with a book by a crackling fire, book in hand. Or it could be sitting in your favorite spot by the open water of a beautiful pond with a bright blue sky overhead.
No matter how good all those things may be, there is only one place of perfect peace, and that is in Christ.
He said in verse 33,
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.] – emphasis mine
We all need peace and far too frequently, those times are way too far and between. We don’t always have the opportunity to sit in our swing or on our deck or by the fire or pond, but no matter where we may find ourselves, no matter what tribulation or distress or suffering we may be engulfed by, if we are in Christ, we can find that perfect peace. Then, and only then, can we be courageous, confident, undaunted, and filled with joy. Christ has “overcome the world” and that is where we find our peace.
Oct 11th, 2021, Mon, 7:08 pm
A Leaf Falling in the Early Morning Fog
It’s been a busy weekend, Father, and I am weary. Speak to my heart and mind, keep me on the right track, may it all align with where You would have me be. Amen.
********
Oh, I have been yearning for something in nature to catch my eye! I love writing about things I see and what our loving Creator God can teach me.
This last week we had several foggy mornings (the fog was so bad one morning we had a 2-hour delay because of it!) On one of the latter mornings, the fog wasn’t as widespread, but my middle/high school route tends to be a bit foggy a lot of mornings anyway. Sitting behind the wheel of my big yellow bus, I glanced to my left and in the semi-darkness, I witnessed a solitary leaf falling to the ground in the fog.
What are the chances? That leaf at that moment, what with watching for deer, and traffic, and kids to pick up, and kids already on my bus – a lot of things are continuously clamoring for my attention. And that I would just happen to see that single leaf falling in the fog to the ground is pretty amazing! At least to me…
How many leaves fell that day throughout our region – thousands, maybe millions!
How many did I see? How many did anybody see? Much less in the twilight of that foggy morning.
Now maybe others saw leaves fall but they did not catch their attention.
But I will tell you this, there was Someone who noticed every single leaf fall that exact second, no matter where it fell…our loving Creator God.
At 6:55 this evening, according to www.worldometers.info, there were 7,898,942,269 people on this planet. And I – and you as well – are one single person among those billions. And no matter where you are, or who you are God knows you. He knows every single thing about you. He knows what you’re thinking. He knows how you’re feeling. Everything.
You may feel like that leaf I saw…alone…unnoticed…insignificant. But to God, you are important. You are loved by Him who created you!
In Luke 12:6-7 Jesus spoke of sparrows,
Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? Yet not one of them has [ever] been forgotten in the presence of God. Indeed the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are far more valuable than many sparrows. AMP
But honestly, leaves would fit here just as well. Bear with me if you will.
…not one leaf has [ever] been forgotten in the presence of God. Indeed the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are far more valuable than many leaves.
So, take heart today! You – a single person amongst the billions – you are known. You are loved…by the Creator of all that is!
Oct 10th, 2021, Sun, 6:32 pm
God Is Great, God Is Good
Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens.
….You have done such wonderful things.
….Who can compare with you, O God? Psalm 71:19 NLT
John 16:23-28 (<<click here to read the passage)
There are so many simple things that we learn as children which drive home many important points of truth.
The prayer I and my sister repeated as children at mealtime was,
God is great
God is good
Let us thank Him
For our food
By his hands
we all are fed
Thank you for
Our daily bread
Anybody with any church connection as a child at all probably committed this song to memory,
Jesus loves me—this I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to him belong,
They are weak, but he is strong.
Yet there are other things that early on became a habit, and for many, we continue to do those things even today. For example, how many of us conclude our times of prayer with the phrase, In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
I couldn’t find where the God is Great prayer came from and Jesus Loves Me has a very interesting story of origin that I might delve into at a later time. Maybe you’ve never realized it but the closing of our prayers in Jesus’ name came from the mouth of Jesus Himself! In today’s passage, Jesus said,
In that day you will not [need to] ask Me about anything. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name [as My representative], He will give you. Until now you have not asked [the Father] for anything in My name; but now ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy may be full and complete. vs23-24
Whatever we ask the Father in Jesus’ name, He will give us!
We learned this at an early age from others praying the same thing because it is the core mindset of the family of believers. It is not a magic incantation. It is not attempting to get the genie out of the lamp. It is requesting the Father’s action because of our relationship with His Son. Because we are reconciled with Jesus, we can go straight to the Father – no middleman required!
But we must keep in mind that it is far more than flipping out our wish list with the expectation that our every request will be fulfilled. It is all done in the encompassing love of God’s will.
Verse 27 further expounds upon why the Father will respond to our prayers, for He surely has in the past and surely will in the future!
For the Father Himself [tenderly] loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from the Father.
Once again, we circle around and find ourselves in the loving arms of our Father and His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Oct 7th, 2021, Thurs, 5:45 pm
From Pain to Joy!
Father, I would ask that Your hand would be upon our extended family. There is quite a bit of pain and in our own strength and wisdom, it is not going to improve any time soon. May we yield to You. Amen.
John 16:16-24 (<<click here to read the passage)
Almost 30 years ago, a life began. We had to wait nine months to hold him and cater to his every cry, but a wonderful life came into being. Most of Karen’s pregnancy was a time of excitement and expectation. It is recent enough in history that we could have known the gender of our child beforehand but mutually chose to be surprised!
I’m sure the latter months were more uncomfortable in that they took place in the heat of summer but again the joy of it all took precedence.
When it came time for him to make his grand appearance, he took his good ol’ time. Karen ended up having two epidurals and they were on the verge of taking him by C-section, but at the last moment, he decided he was ready. Altogether she was in labor for 27 hours. And as any mother will tell you, it was a hard 27 hours full of pain and a fair amount of suffering.
Karen has teased Massey about it over the years but once the birth took place and she held him in her arms for the first time, all the pain and suffering became a thing of the past. Joy took its place and continues to do so!
Jesus likened his pending death and resurrection to a mother giving birth. Obviously, His pain and suffering culminated in His death, causing those who loved Him to weep and mourn. Oddly enough the world rejoiced in His death, thinking they were victorious over this interloper who they saw as too full of Himself and not enough benefit to fulfill their aspirations for what they thought He should be.
But, and we can surely praise the Father, that was by no way the “end” but just the beginning of eternal victory! Within three short days of His death, their grief turned suddenly to wonderful joy and Jesus emerged as conqueror of death and the grave. Sin no longer held sway but fell to God in all of His strength and might never to hold the power it once did over all of creation! Jesus’ resurrection showed that which was already truth – Jesus is sovereign over all! Nothing…absolutely nothing! …can take that away. Jesus Christ – the Messiah – reigns for always! And all of creation, like it or not, bows at His feet in acknowledgment of Who He is!
Oct 6th, 2021, Wed, 7:05 pm
Do You Know It All?
Chaos. Division. Selfishness. Oh, Father, these are running rampant. But is the situation any different now than at any other time since time began? No…just different points of interest and argument. Help us to hear Your voice despite all the noise about us. May we hear Your truth amongst all the clamor. Amen.
John 16:12-15 (<<click here to read the passage)
So, do you think you know it all? Do you think you know better than a lot of other people? Most of us in our initial reactions would probably say something like, “Of course, I don’t know it all!” But do our actions speak louder than our words?
Especially when it comes to our pride, many are quick to defend their thoughts or actions. Even when we are proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are in error, many of us are still hesitant to accept another point of view.
Maybe it’s our view of our current political climate. Maybe it’s our view of everything that has to do with COVID. Maybe it’s hard and fast mindsets about what we believe about God, the Church, and what we as His followers are called to be and do. Even at this moment, I would dare say that some have gone into a defensive mode just waiting for me to speak regarding a certain point of view. They are ready to pounce, expounding their point of view and why it is right and mine is wrong!
Put on the brakes for a moment. Let’s back up and think – not react…but think.
Verse 3 of today’s passage from the Amplified Bible states,
But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth [full and complete truth].
Far too often we are lured down one particular line of thought. We are enticed. We are seduced even. Our interest is piqued and there may be a few questions, but we journey a little further down the line of thought…then a little further…and a little further. Our questions seem to be answered and whatever hesitations we have had no longer exist.
But in the midst of this journey, have we taken any of it to the Spirit of Truth for verification? Or is it that once we are thoroughly convinced, we just assume that it is the truth because the Holy Spirit would have stopped us…right? Not so fast.
One point of concern is the importance of the time we spend with the Holy Spirit. Do we make a point of spending time in His presence on a regular basis, or do we feel that as we go along with the flow of life that His influence on our thoughts – and our actions – just sort of happens? Do we take time to sit and listen to Him? Do we deliberately bring our questions and with open hearts and minds listen to Him? Or is it just easier to come with our preconceived notions and believe that His silence is equal to His seal of approval?
If it is new information or information that has been passed down through the generations, we must be cautious. We need to ask, and we need to listen if we are to know all the truth [full and complete truth].
It’s sort of like cleaning house. Ofttimes, we begin to overflow with all kinds of things. We accumulate innumerable trinkets and baubles, and it seems too overwhelming a task to go through it all and question the legitimacy of having it at all. But it needs to be done…and not just in our homes but in our hearts and minds, as well. Lord Jesus, help us. Your will be done. Give us ears to listen and the courage to act! Amen!
Oct 5th, 2021, Tues, 6:56 pm