God Gives Peace..Craig Denison Ministries;

 God Gives Peace

Craig Denison Ministries;

Weekly Overview:

Our heavenly Father is the giver of every good gift. His mercies are vast, powerful, and real. His love has the ability to completely overwhelm and satisfy every one of our needs. Everything he gives us satisfies, transforms, and leads us to abundant life. As we spend this week stirring up our affections toward God, allow your heart to become soft and open. Allow his loving character to draw you close and provide life to every dry and weary place in your soul.

Scripture:“Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints.” Psalm 85:8

Devotional:

Peace is a commodity that can only be found with time spent seeking the face of God. The world can’t offer us peace because it has nothing in which to place its hope, trust, and security. Kingdoms come and go. Leaders move in and out of power. What societies value changes like the passing of the tides. Our only constant is God. He has been, is, and forever will be the Creator, Sustainer, and Lord of all. All authority has been given to him. He governs the change of seasons. He thwarts the plans of our enemy. And he longs to offer total and sustained peace to all who place their hope and trust in him.

Isaiah 26:3 says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”Our God has peace in store for us in every situation if we will choose to keep our mind stayed on him and trust him. The world says that peace can only come when you’ve worked your fingers to the bone and have finally attained all you want. You can only have peace when you have enough money, friends, the right job, or the right spouse. You can only have peace if friends, family, and bosses like you. God’s way is to draw you into himself and offer you peace in the midst of your circumstances. He doesn’t want you to wait until everything gets worked out before you can have rest—he’s offering you rest right now.

Psalm 23 says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul . . . . You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” (Psalm 23:1-3, 5). God longs to prepare a table for you in the midst of whatever trouble surrounds you. He is calling you to keep your mind stayed on him no matter what lies before you. And he is asking you to seek his face and find your rest in him rather than toiling and striving for circumstantial peace.

Romans 8:6 says, “To set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” It’s by the Spirit alone that you will find life and peace. Stop looking for your fulfillment in the things of the world. Stop asking the world to offer you what it never had to begin with. Look toward your heavenly Father for the peace that surpasses all understanding. May you be filled with rest and peace today as you spend time in prayer seeking the face of God.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the truth that God is your sole source of peace and rest. Allow God’s word to mold and shape your perspective.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.” - Psalm 23:1-3

“To set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” - Romans 8:6

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” - Isaiah 26:3

2. Where have you been running to for peace? Have you had much peace and rest in your life lately? Acknowledging your past pursuits will help you make present changes.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

3. Seek the peace that comes from placing your hope and trust in God alone. Ask the Spirit to fill you with peace in the midst of your circumstances. Let your requests be known to God, and receive the peace that comes from casting your burdens on the loving and capable shoulders of your heavenly Father.

“The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, 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 understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:5-7

You will be robbed of peace as soon as you turn your trust away from God and begin to live in your own strength. The only source of consistent peace is keeping your mind stayed on God. You can trust in the reality of God’s desire and ability to help you. You can wait on him if he tells you to wait. You can move when he tells you to move. Offer your understanding, actions, and emotions to him, and allow him to be Lord over them all today.

Extended Reading: Psalm 23

Our Caring and Able Father..Dr. Charles Stanley

 Our Caring and Able Father

Dr. Charles Stanley

2 Chronicles 20:1-4

Everyone faces challenges in life. Whether our struggles are financial, vocational, relational, or physical, we can be certain that nobody is exempt. Fortunately, we serve a God who is both interested in our problems and able to take care of them.

When trouble looms, prayer is always a good first step to take. But having a foundation upon which to build our prayers also makes a difference. Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah, faced an enormous challenge. Three different tribes--the Moabites, Amonites, and Meunites--simultaneously waged war against him. Most leaders would have crumbled under such pressure, or at the very least taken drastic measures, but Jehoshaphat was a wise king. Though afraid, he did not strike out against his enemies.Instead, knowing that God was interested in his dilemma, he "turned his attention to seek the Lord" and proclaimed a fast throughout the land (2 Chron. 20:1-3).

Jehoshaphat also knew that God, who was greater than any earthly problem, had done miraculous things for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and Daniel. That same God would help him, too, in his hour of need. We should never underestimate the Lord's interest in our affairs. He helped our ancestors in the Bible, and He can and will help His children today.

It's easy to think our problems are unimportant in the eyes of God, but He doesn't feel that way at all. Whatever concerns us concerns Him. If we, like Jehoshaphat, turn right to God and proclaim His power, He will intervene. And no matter how great our challenges are, God is greater.

Are You Building a Resume or a Legacy?..Whitney Hopler

 Are You Building a Resume or a Legacy?

By Whitney Hopler

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” - Proverbs 19:21 NIV

Staring at my maternal grandmother’s grave at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, I was struck by how inadequate the words on her tombstone were to summarize her life: “Pauline M. Dodson, His Wife, March 28 1912, January 26 2008.”

Beyond her birth and death dates, all her tombstone revealed to those who didn’t know Nana personally was that she had been married to Grandpa. His stone gave only a bit more information — the dates of his lifetime and his military resume basics: “Lieutenant (JG), U.S. Coast Guard, World War II.” The tombstones gave one story, but my memories of Nana and Grandpa presented a far different story.

Grandpa had an impressive resume, filled with accomplishments at top military and civilian jobs. Grandpa’s legacy, though, was unfortunately full of estranged relationships. He was often cold and distant, and he could be mean. He worked a lot yet invested little time in the relationships that matter most. After work, he often sat alone on a sofa watching TV and drinking beer, even though he had plenty of opportunities to live more fully.

Nana had very little to put on a resume other than “homemaker.” However, Nana invested her life in legacy values. She became known as someone people could confide in — someone who would listen well and care. No matter what else was on her schedule as a mom of four children and grandmother to many, Nana made it a top priority to help people. She generously gave her time, energy, and money when she could. She was a peacemaker, too, helping people resolve conflicts with each other. Her tombstone doesn’t say any of that.

When I reflected on both of their lives, I didn’t think in terms of facts that would appear on a resume, such as dates or occupations. Instead, what naturally came to mind about them were the different legacies they had left behind.

Legacies are all about love since love is what matters most in life. In Matthew 22:37-40 NIV, Jesus describes how love is what’s most important for people to focus on: “…‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

We can fulfill God’s purposes for our lives well by simply doing our best to put love into action. Day by day, as we let God’s love flow through our lives, we can build strong legacies. So, what will our legacies be? If we’re too busy building our resumes, we won’t have time and energy left to build our legacies. 

Too often, our society celebrates resume values — work accomplishments — over everything else in life. We’ll likely be asked first when meeting someone new: “What do you do?” as if our jobs are our identities and our value will be measured by the number of our work achievements. We’ll encounter pressure to spend our limited time and energy working so hard that we’re too exhausted to do much else. We can easily find ourselves alive, yet not fully living.

It’s by pursuing legacy values that we can really thrive. The values that build strong legacies are those that involve living fully with God and other people, like: praying and meditating, enjoying adventures in nature, helping each other, expressing gratitude, passing along grace and mercy, pursuing joy, and worshipping with wonder.

We may be accomplishing a lot in our careers — or not. Regardless, what truly matters is whether or not we’re relating to other people with love. That kind of choice, repeated every day, will point us toward our purposes and help us build positive legacies. It’s our legacies, not our resumes that matter most.

Intersecting Faith and Life:

As you reflect on pursuing what matters most in your life, consider these questions:

• Have you been focusing mostly on resume values or on legacy values, and why?
• What changes can you make to your schedule to focus less on work and more on love?
• How can you prioritize building the legacy you’d like to leave behind?
• What are some ways you can plan to express love to people regularly through your words?
• What are some ways you can plan to express love to people through your actions? 

Further Reading:

• Ephesians 2:10
• Psalm 138:8
• Romans 8:28
• Jeremiah 29:11
• Proverbs 3:5-6

What Godly Grandparents Should Tell Their Children..Rhonda Stoppe

 What Godly Grandparents Should Tell Their Children

 Rhonda Stoppe

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “For this reason, I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things…” - 2 Peter 1:12

Getting older brings a clarity to what’s important. While we want our grandkids to remember their times on Papa’s farm, we want to leave them with a godly legacy. With this goal in mind, let’s look at what every grandparent should tell their grandchildren.

I'm so glad God made you.

Our grandkids are growing up in a world that does not acknowledge God as their Creator, so it’s vital that parents and grandparents regularly remind them how God carefully designed them in their mother’s womb.

God loves you.

Kids learn best how they are loved when it is demonstrated to them through loving actions. Saying “I love you” without showing love can feel like empty words to a child––or anyone really. In the same way, God, who is the perfect loving Father, displayed the depth of His love by sending his only Son whose sacrifice would pay the price for our sin. Reminding your grandchild of how God lovingly offers new life in Christ to anyone who would turn from their sin to follow Jesus is a great way to help them realize how great the Father's love is for them.

The Bible offers many reminders of God’s display of adoration for us. You would be wise to memorize some of these verses and regularly share them with your grandchild:

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God.” ( 1 John 3:1)

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” ( John 3:16)

“But God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” ( Romans 5:8)

In this way you’ll train them not to grow overwhelmed with anxiety, but rather to ask God to use them as a light shining like a star in a crooked and perverse generation ( Daniel 12:3, Philippians 2:15). For in this, your grandchildren will find purpose in life and hope for the future.

A Prayer to the Guardian of Your Soul..Meg Bucher

 A Prayer to the Guardian of Your Soul

By Meg Bucher

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” Genesis 50:20

Listening to an old song, the lyrics speculated what the year 2000 would be like. Singing along, I laughed about how far away the current millennium was when the songwriter first hummed that tune. The world is kind of crazy. As I read the headlines about what’s happening in Ukraine, the Southern border of my own country, and listen to the suffering of humans trafficked around the world …empathy rises in my heart. Every generation fears for the next generation. Yet, if we study the history of humanity, every generation has a story of suffering to tell because suffering is a part of life here on earth.

In my generation alone, we watched the Challenger space shuttle explode live on tv in our grade-school classrooms. On September 11th, 2001, two planes crashed into the World Trade Center in NYC, and again, we watched it live on TV. In 2020, the global pandemic hit. These are just the first few significant moments I can recall. No matter what we go through, in our personal lives and on a grander scale alongside our generation, God doesn’t change. He is the Guardian of our souls.

Genesis 50:20 records the faithful words of Joseph; the man sold into slavery … by his brothers. “The principle that God ultimately overrules human sin for his glory and the good of mankind is important in Scripture,” the ESV Global Study Bible explains. Acts 3:13 says, “For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of all our ancestors—who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. This is the same Jesus whom you handed over and rejected before Pilate, despite Pilate’s decision to release him.” The Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28) Because of who God is and the sacrifice Jesus made to rescue us eternally, we can wholeheartedly proclaim: 

“Let all that I am praise the LORD.” Psalm 104 :1

The theme of Psalm 104 is “appreciating God through his creation,” the NLT Life Application Bible explains, “He not only creates but also maintains his creation. The Lord’s care is the source of our joy.” Joseph wasn’t the only human to endure unfair trials and tribulations. Besides what he had personally gone through, the world as he knew it was experiencing a famine, which would affect his entire generation. God is the guardian of our souls. The plan has always been to rescue us through the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus. Jesus went through the Old Testament Scripture with His disciples, pointing Himself out to them in the text!

Let’s pray: 
Father,
You are the Guardian of our souls. Thank You for rescuing us through Jesus. Scripture says, “He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.” (1 Peter 2:24 NLT) Regardless of what the world throws at us and the trouble we create for ourselves as sinners living on a cursed earth, You are the Guardian of our souls. Our souls will live on past our humanity on this earth and on to eternity with You, our Father and Savior. Your Word says, “Once you were like a sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:25 NLT)

You, O God, are the guardian of our souls. When we turn to You through Christ Jesus, we have a safe place to hide when life is hard. We are not hidden away from trouble and pain but carried through it by Your compassion. You see us and guard us. When we fear our current situation or that of the world we are living in, we can pray the words of Psalm 17:8:

“Guard me as you would guard your own eyes. Hide me in the shadow of your wings.”

God, You will always be the Guardian of our souls. By the guidance of Your leadership, protection, wisdom, and love, we want to walk out our days on this earth. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.