Peace in the Ups and Downs
Father, reading “Our Daily Bread” this morning connected it with a sermon You gave me a couple of weeks ago. Both dealt with John 14 where Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit indwelling us. This is something I realize but what comfort I find in being reminded of it. May Your presence in me this day influence my every word and deed. May the peace You give me be evident to all. “Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.”
Lord, I thought I was going to read a passage and write on it this morning but You have touched my heart in my opening prayer and I feel compelled to carry on.
In our world “peace” is elusive. Left to us, on a global scale, it is impossible but on an individual basis it is difficult but surely attainable. We all yearn for peace. But our problem lies in the fact that just about all of us search for it in every nook and cranny but fail to look to You – the Prince of Peace. Even Your children are hard pressed from time to time to find it.
Part of our problem is that we feel we have to take care of things ourselves – we shouldn’t have to ask anyone to help us. That would show that we are weak. We may not want to acknowledge it but that’s what we are! We are weak. In and of ourselves we cannot find peace – or we can’t hold on to it.
But probably the biggest contributing factor to our dilemma is the fact that our relationships with You are shallow. You desire deep relationships with us, but we are too busy. Or more likely, we fear giving ourselves over to You thinking that life as we know it will cease to exist – no more fun, just holed up with a Bible somewhere.
But, Lord, nothing could be farther from the truth! When we give ourselves over to You, there is freedom! And there is…peace.
This is a reality, Lord, for I have experienced it firsthand. I have followed You for most of my life but until I gave myself totally over to You, my life was a rotating course of ups and downs, ins and outs. And getting to this point is more than mental assent – it’s more than a wish. It is a deliberate, conscientious act…and I believe it comes with setting aside our precious time and investing it in a heart-to-heart, transparent, honest daily time with You. Only then can we find the treasured trophy of peace, hope and love that You have for us.
Help me, Lord, to stay the course. Thank You for calling out to me. Thank You for having the where with all to answer. Amen.
May 27th, Fri, 6:21 am
Baggage
What a privilege to sit with You this morning, Father. That You would want to take time to be with me, the fact that You love me enough to do so, is almost beyond comprehension. Thank You…
Hebrews 12:1 (<<click here)
“… strip off every weight that slows us down…”
Baggage…we all have this tendency to want to lug it around – at least spiritually. But why do we do that? It’s sure not something we enjoy in life! When I travel, and it’s time to move my suitcase, I sure don’t want to carry it or drag it any further than I have to. It’s heavy. It’s bulky. It’s cumbersome. It just slows me down and keeps me from experiencing my travels.
So why do I do it spiritually? Sometimes they’re not very big but I feel more comfortable having them with me – little security blankets. For example, it’s very easy for me to over analyze. Should I say this, do that, will they laugh with me or think I’m weird. Will it show I care or drive others away? Not a lot of weight but it sure slows me down.
“Unmentionables” can be a problem, too. They’re not something we want others to see but quite often they’re there. We get tangled up in them and they can cause us to fall. Addictions trip us up for sure – drugs, alcohol, porn, gambling.
“Collectibles” aren’t something we would normally take on a trip but spiritually we can make a habit of it. We can’t seem to let go of the guilt of our past – things we’ve done, things we’ve said, Lord, if we’ve asked You to forgive us then they are no longer of concern to You. Help us to cast them aside.
Lord, help us drop the baggage. We don’t need any of it for You provide all we need.
May 25th, Wed, 5:56 am
If Only
Good morning, Father. Thank you for once more having the opportunity to sit with You. May this day be Yours to use as You will – use me in whatever capacity to further Your kingdom.
Hebrews 11:29-40 (<<click here)
Lord, so many people throughout the ages have placed their faith in You and all of us, past and present, rejoice in the fact that we have done so. As today’s passage puts forth many overcame great things in their lives, finding great victory – others despite pain, suffering and loss may not have found everything we deem important in this life here but their victory was none-the-less.
Looking back over our lives it’s sometimes easy to be anxious about the “if onlies.” If only I’d applied myself more. If only I’d said “no” to this or “yes” to that, who would I be…where would I be. But, Lord, I am so grateful that You can take whatever we have and use it. The good, the bad, the beautiful, and the heinous – everything we have done makes us who we are. We cannot undo what has been done. We can only continue to move forward.
Lord, use me in my entirety. I have not lived a perfect life. There have been many ups and downs. But, Lord, they all have contributed to make me the person that I am. Purge from me what is detrimental to my service to You. Build up what makes me stronger. All-in-all, may I be the man You want me to be – Amen!
May 22nd, Sun, 6:33 am
Leave It All Behind
Lots of things traipsing through my mind this morning, Father, but I am glad that I can sit with You and that You can pierce through it all. Help me to zero in on what You have for me today. Love You…
Hebrews 11:24-28 (<<click here)
It is interesting, Lord, to think back to Moses’ early years and decisions he made in the light of our cultural mindset. Because he was taken in and raised by Pharaohs’ daughter as a baby, there was literally nothing that was not at his beck and call. But as he grew he saw who he really was – he saw Whose he was – and he turned his back no it all – wealth, power, control, prestige, ease.
I’m sure many today would think that he had lost his mind. He had everything the world strives for and walked away from it all. His focus was higher – his focus was You. What must have gone through his mind as he led the Israelites through the wilderness and all that they longed for was what little they had left behind in Egypt – cucumbers, leeks and fish? And they fought and rebelled against Moses and God because they wanted it so badly. I’m sure more than once Moses thought how foolish they were. He probably wanted to grab them by the shoulders and get in their face and yell, “What in the world are you thinking?! You hardly had a fraction of what I had and you yearn for it. But it is all worth nothing! God has freed You! You are no longer slaves. We are heading to a land that we can call our own. And God, our Father, will go before us. Our every need is met. “What are you thinking?!”
And, Lord, are we any different? We are so blinded by what we want…and it is empty, it is shallow and it will only satisfy us for a short time – then we will want something else. And that’s what we get with an earthly mindset. Here and now is our focus. But here and now is so quickly come and gone. Lord, may I keep my focus on You and help me to be able to encourage others to do the same. True fulfillment, true peace and satisfaction and love is only found in a relationship with You. Amen.
May 20th, Fri, 5:50 am
Who’s More Trustworthy than You?
Father, it’s a little earlier than normal but we’ve been talking for the last hour or so, so I figured I might as well get up. 🙂 I’m so glad that You are always there for me. I am never alone. Thank You for Your love.
Hebrews 11:17-23 (<<click here)
I must admit, Lord, that at least for us, having a child transition out of our watch and care into the relative unknowns of life was heart wrenching. I know not all parents feel the way we did, but Karen and I really struggled when Massey headed off to college almost 6 years ago. At that time, just thinking of him brought tears to our eyes.
It wasn’t easy but it was the right thing to do. As an infant we gave Massey over to You. We cherished our role as parents and still do but as time continues to roll along we have continued to give him over to Your watch and care. Who is more trustworthy than You, Lord?
In today’s passage Moses’ parents found themselves in a very difficult position, but they chose well and placed their faith in You. Throughout life we cannot avoid hard choices. For most of us, they will plaque us until the very end. But regardless, You will always be by our side. Lord, help me to conscientiously give myself over to You daily for truly, who is more trustworthy than You?
May 17th, Mon, 5:41 am