Tag: HOW TO FIND PEACE

PEACE THAT LASTS

Can you imagine the noise and confusion greeting Mary and Joseph? No peace to be found there.

Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright. …… sleep in heavenly peace. I love You Lord, I worship You. Hope which was lost now stands renewed; I give my life to honor this, the love of Christ the Savior King

BETHLEHEM’S CHAOS

Bethlehem was a loud chaotic mess that night. The Roman emperor, Augustus, demanded a census be taken throughout the Empire so all would register for a tax.  Under Roman law, thousands of people were ordered by the government to travel to their ancestral cities. Augustus forced a highly resentful captive people to travel in harsh conditions in order to hand over their hard-earned cash. Hope departed long ago for any lasting peace.

NO PEACE TO BE FOUND

When Mary and Joseph arrived at Bethlehem, they found a town not equipped to handle a huge influx of visitors. Both food and lodging were scare. Can you imagine the noise and confusion greeting these travelers? No peace to be found here.

A very pregnant Mary and Joseph finally lodged in a cave in the company of animals. No quiet birthing suite to be had. At the baby’s first cry, a giant chorus of angels began singing, inviting an influx of shepherds and sheep to the mix at the stable. So, “silent night” as we would normally picture, did not apply here.

CREATION NOW HAD A FUTURE

However, if one understands “silent night, holy night” as the Creator coming to the forefront, it is a whole different matter. God thwarts Satan before the face of all the universe by the birth of King Jesus in the manger. The Creator gives notice to the Evil One. God expresses His holiness in a tiny baby. Creation now owns a future.

WHY WE CAN SING

That’s why we can sing, quieting all our worries, troubles, tears, and woes. “I love You Lord, I worship You. Hope lost, now stands renewed.” God laid the way to permanently break the barrier of sin which separates us from a holy God. “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). The only honorable response from us can be: “I give my life to honor this, the (absolute) love of Christ the Savior King.”

HOPE LOST, NOW STANDS RENEWED

Peace with God; finally achieved. That is the calmness, the brightness and significance of this night. Chaotic Bethlehem births the major step toward eternal peace with God. Hallelujah! “Hope which lost, now stands renewed.”

Click to read more about the peace God gives

WHAT TO FOCUS ON

What amazing experiences are waiting for us once we hold tightly to the supernatural peace of Christ.

A recent diagnosis of Lyme Disease put me in a quickly descending tailspin of toxic thoughts.  Will there be long term side effects or permanent damage?  Will I recover 100%?  Is this going to impede the upcoming vacations that I’m eagerly waiting for?  What if, what if, what if….

HOLDING TIGHTLY TO THE NASTY

I find myself holding onto something, either positive or negative thoughts, but not at the same time.  And if you are like me that slippery slope into negativity can happen quickly. Have you ever noticed that our spiritual hands are never empty?  Holding on tightly to the nasty stuff like bitterness, offenses, anger, unforgiveness, fear, etc. can quickly become a huge burden.

SORT OUT THE JUNK

So, what’s the fix? Becoming doers of God’s word. In 2 Corinthians 10:5, Paul states, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”  This simple solution is harder to execute.  Fortunately, the Bible also tells us that Jesus will never leave us or forsake us.  Jesus offers to help us sort out the junk.

A beloved Bible story brings this principle to life.  Matthew 14:22-33 tells of Jesus calling Peter out into the water.  The familiar story begins with Jesus walking on the water toward the disciples in their boat.  The disciples are terrified, until hearing their master’s voice; “Take Courage! It is I.  Don’t be afraid.”  His comforting words calm their fears. 

PETER LETS GO

But, for Peter, the master’s words embolden him to try something new.  “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.”  Jesus calls him, and for a moment Peter lets go of all the trepidations that his natural mind screams at him and embraces the supernatural by focusing on the peace that only Jesus can provide

Though the experience is short-lived, Peter miraculously walks on water!  While he remained focused on Jesus, he was free to defy nature with a miraculous new experience.   But, as soon as fear crept in, he began to sink until he cried out to the Savior of the World; “Lord, save me!” Immediately, Jesus catches him.

So, we have the contrast of the positive versus the negative. When Peter focuses on Christ, he is free to walk on the water. When the negative thoughts enter his mind, he sinks faster than a bag of lead.  If Peter had released the negative thoughts, how much further could he have walked on top of the water? 

THE CHOICE

What about us; are we willing to release fear and negativity when Jesus calls?  Probably you do not have the diagnosis of Lyme disease, but you have other challenges in your life. Let go of the nasty stuff like bitterness, offenses, anger, unforgiveness, fear, etc. What amazing experiences are waiting for us once we release the negativity and hold tightly to the supernatural peace of Christ. Hold on to the Light.

RESTING IN THE STORM

When life rocks me to the core, there is hope.

Lately I have been having a rough time with a back injury. I’m so glad that Jenny wrote this piece:

This made no sense!  The Master never makes mistakes, but this is a big one!  He suggested we cross the lake.  Now, here we are on the verge of sinking.  In all my years of fishing, never have I seen a squall of this magnitude.  We are taking in water alarmingly faster than we can possibly bail out, yet there he is sleeping!  The waves rock violently almost tipping over the boat and yet he sleeps.  His soaking wet body rests on a waterlogged cushion, yet he sleeps.  We holler at each other just to hear above the howling wind and crashing waves. Yet he sleeps as peacefully as a well-fed baby in his mother’s arms.

OUR LOOMING DEMISE

When the wind first picked up, we realized a squall was coming and prepared for it.  Most of us were seasoned fishermen and know what to do when bad weather strikes.  But this was different. On the brink of disaster, we have no choice but to wake the Master and make him aware of our looming demise. 

HOW COULD HE BE SLEEPING?

We wanted to let him rest, knowing how exhausted he is.  Preaching and healing fatigues him at times.  But how can a person rest in the middle of a raging storm?    Frantically shouting and shaking him awake, we asked, “How can you be sleeping?  We are going to drown in this storm!  Don’t you care?”

WHERE IS YOUR FAITH?

His eyes blink open and realizing the magnitude of the storm, he stands up and rebukes the wind and the waves.  To our astonishment, immediately the wind stopped blowing and the sea turned to glass.   Our mouths still agape as he turns toward us and compassionately rebukes us with one question; “Where is your faith?” (As told by one of the Twelve)

NO MISTAKE ON BEING ON THAT BOAT

How often I ponder these events and think of how the wind and waves obeyed the Lord.  I understand there was no mistake about being in the boat that day.  That storm proves a valuable lesson.  We learn that Jesus, the creator of the universe, has all power and authority over nature.  In all circumstances we need to stay focused on Christ and not be shaken by what is happening around us.  Just as Jesus rested during the storm, we can rest in him and not be overwhelmed by life’s storms.  We can aim to rest as peacefully as Jesus did that day on the boat. 

HOW TO DEAL WITH YOUR STORMS

Read Mark 4:35-41 and ponder the wonders of Jesus.  What storms are you facing?  Are you looking at the storm through spiritual eyes or earthly eyes?  Do you stay in peace as life’s trials feel like waves crashing over the boat?  Picture being on the boat with the disciples.  Imagine the placid sea after Jesus’ rebuke. What a blessing to know the Savior who can calm all our storms.  The storms are real, but they no longer need to rock us to our core.

Click to listen to the Lewis’ story of being in the center of the storm

I HEARD THE BELLS ON CHRISTMAS DAY

Christmas Day 1862 Henry wrote in his journal “A merry Christmas” say the children, but that is no more for me.”

American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote these lyrics during a dark season. Two years previously his wife had been sealing envelopes with hot wax when the flame caught her clothes on fire.  Henry, burned badly as well, was too sick to attend her funeral.

NO MORE JOY FOR ME

For the remainder of his life, he covered up his facial scars behind a long beard. Christmas Day 1862 Henry wrote in his journal “A merry Christmas” say the children, but that is no more for me.”

GRIEF AT ITS DEEPEST

By 1863 the country was tearing itself apart in the Civil War.  Against Henry’s wishes (and fears) his son, Charles, enlisted in the army. No wonder Henry wrote: And in despair I bowed my head, ‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said, for hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men. In November, a bullet pierced Charles from back to shoulder, just nicking his spine. Henry traveled to Washington to retrieve his son from the hospital.  Arriving at home December 8th, Charles began his extended convalescence.  This was grief at its deepest. 

God loved Henry in the midst. His love had not run out. Slowly, Henry’s heart began to heal and turn back to God.  Along with everything else, he experienced a dry season in writing.  But then, sitting at his desk one morning he heard the church bells.  Henry’s heart began to resonate with the return of hope. 

THE RETURN OF HOPE

Hope for his son, hope for his family and hope for a nation torn apart by war.  God began to wake his heart when he wrote: Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: God is not dead; nor doth he sleep! The wrong shall fail, the right prevail. With peace on earth, good-will to men! God had not departed. The sinless One, Jesus Christ, came to bring hope: complete reconciliation between mankind and God. 

THE BELLS PEAL FOR ETERNITY

Because of this, Longfellow journaled: “I thought how as the day had come; the belfries of all Christendom had rolled along the unbroken song of peace on earth, good will to men.   That’s why the bells peal for all eternity.”  Will the bells peal for all eternity signaling that you have made peace with God via Jesus Christ?  Even when grief is at its deepest, God has not departed. The season of darkness can pass.  

In despair, I bowed my head. there is no peace on earth, I said, “For hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men.” Then pealed the bells, more loud and deep God is not dead, nor doth he sleep. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail with peace on earth, good will to men.