Tag : peace-2
Tag : peace-2
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
(Luke 10:38-42, NIV)
This past week has been extremely stressful for me. As I reflect on the things that are stressing me, I realize that I am distracted and spending less time with the Lord. Are you busy and allowing the noise and distractions of the world to cause your soul unrest? In a world of “busyness,” seek the Lord and His righteousness always and He will give you rest.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
(Matthew 11:28-30, NIV)
This weekend, at Gateway Church, my Pastor, Robert Morris, continued his series “Divinely Human” with the story of Mary and Martha. As I sat there and listened, I related to Martha. Martha was “distracted by all the preparations that had to be made” while Mary sat at Jesus’ feet listening to what He had to say. Jesus shares His “Divine Nature” with anyone who chooses to sit at His feet. Life can get very busy with our day-to-day responsibilities, but we must choose to spend time daily with our Teacher and Friend. As you spend time with Jesus, He changes you into His likeness. The change is gradual, little-by-little you become divinely human, reflecting His Light in this dark and busy world.
Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. Freedom from legalism, guilt, shame, condemnation, and self-rejection. True freedom from the power of sin; selfishness, manipulation, and control. Freedom from the fear of death and what others think about us. Freedom from comparing ourselves to others knowing with confidence that Christ dwells in us. Like Mary, we can rest at His feet with peace, knowing that we are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory. Everlasting glory which can only come from the Lord, Who is Spirit.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
(2 Corinthians 3:17-18, NIV)\
Categories: Blog
So do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).
It has been difficult to watch my beloved pet, Jewel, decline. Now approaching twelve years of age, she has arthritis and high blood pressure so we don’t know how long she will be with us. However, last night Jewel’s situation became even more dire when she suffered a seizure for the first time. She was lying peacefully on our bed when it came out of nowhere. There was nothing I could do to help except helplessly watch her and remain by her side, petting her and telling her it would be okay, even though I wasn’t sure it would be.
When Jewel came out of the seizure, she was disoriented and I was shaking almost as much as she had been during the event. I kept praying, “Help her LORD,” and “Give me strength!”
I felt like God answered my prayers. She eventually calmed down, and we were all able to go to sleep. After this scare, I don’t think I would have been able to rest on my own. I was certain it was God who soothed my fears, as well as Jewel’s, and gave us His peace. This morning Jewel seemed like her old self, eating normally and playing, and I thanked the LORD for getting us through a difficult and scary night.
In what situation do you feel helpless? What fears do you need to turn over to God? Trust in this promise. He is there for you and will help you have peace not only during the ongoing trials but also during the storms that blow in without warning.
He is with you.
Categories: Blog
Pearls of Promise is pleased to announce the addition of a new team member, Mayada Naami. Mayada will take on the role of Assistant Marketing Director and has years of marketing experience with large companies. She is a Christian Iraqi who was born in Iraq but grew up in Montreal, Canada. She is the author of two books: Spiritual Rebirth: Thirst No More and Let Your Light Shine Bright. She will also serve Pearls of Promise as a backup POP Talk Television and Radio Host as well as a teacher and blogger. Today, she blogs for the first time with POP.
Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Mathew 6:34, NIV).
In today’s world of uncertainties, it is easy to give way to anxiety or unease and allow our mind to dwell on potential problems. Do you find yourself lying in bed at night, eyes wide open, thinking and stressing about tomorrow? The Word of God tells us to not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. So, why do we worry? Why do some of us have trouble turning off our thoughts?
Worry is an anxious way of thinking about what might or might not happen in the future. It can be immobilizing when we contemplate what might happen if we make a mistake or a wrong choice. This spirit of fear or anxiety comes from not being able to put our trust completely in God. We must trust that no matter what happens, even if we make the wrong choice, God will always be there to lead us to green pastures.
I believe we tend to worry when we lean on our own understanding instead of trusting in our loving Father who created us. In our finite mind we cannot comprehend God’s limitless power. We will never truly understand God fully, yet we can trust that God is indeed limitless both in His power and His love for us. When we embrace that knowledge and put our hands up in worship, the peace of God will transcend all understanding. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7, NIV).
What is the benefit of worrying? Can you think of any? “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:27, NIV) The answer is no, and in fact, I can emphatically say that it has the power to take hours away from your life. Yet, we still worry and lose precious sleep when all we must do is surrender to God all our anxieties. How do we surrender? First, we tell Him our worries. Pray and ask Him to take over. Surrendering is an act of faith saying, “Lord, I trust You.” Secondly, notice when you start to worry and with absolute confidence give all your anxiety to Him.
As we begin this new year and lay in our beds, let us spend that precious time in prayer and worship. We can choose to worry, or we can choose to worship. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6, NIV) As believers, the more we spend time with Him, the more we love Him. The more we love Him the more we trust in the God who is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-wise. May the God of Peace comfort you always and in every way.
Categories: Blog