Peace

True believers are so blessed because no matter where we find ourselves we are never alone, the Lord is always with us.  Even in times of isolation when you may think that no one cares and you seem alienated from everyone else, even the Lord, He is still there with you and you cannot be separated from Him and His love.

Paul said this in Romans 8:35-39, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: for Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

All these things are something we should rejoice in as long as we keep short accounts with the Lord, confessing our sins and repenting, not holding on to any sins we have committed so we will have the Lord’s peace, love and joy within us.  We also have the Spirit of the Lord in our lives; that living water that Jesus told the Samaritan woman about at Jacob’s well in Samaria.  Think of this, every born-again believer has the power of the Lord’s Spirit and the mind of Christ dwelling in them.

All of us were slaves to sin at one time but now we have been set free from the hold that sin had in our lives.  We have all received Christ’s righteousness, His grace, mercy, unmerited favor, a measure of faith and all of His promises in His Word.  Some people say that a person has to die before they can become saints, but when we were born-again we became saints.  Read what Paul said about the Roman believers in Romans 1:7, “To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  (The word saint means ‘holy ones’ or ‘set apart ones.’  The New Testament designates all believers as saints because they are by position holy and set apart by God, check out Phil 4: 21, Col 1:2, taken from the footnotes in my Bible.)

We know his plan for us, God said this in Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

Remember this, no matter what happens to you, you can rejoice because of God’s promises.  Check these out:

Romans 8:28, “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.”

Isaiah 54:17, “‘No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,’ says the Lord.”

Isaiah 59:19, “So shall they fear The name of the Lord from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.”

1 John 4:4, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

These are just a few of the promises for the believers in the Word of God that should encourage each one of us and give us something to rejoice about, praise the Lord!  Maybe you haven’t read or heard these things lately and you needed to be encouraged today.  

Maybe you are discouraged and even frightened, aware of what is taking place in our country and around the world, please take heart, the Lord is on our side and when it is all said and done we will spend eternity with the Lord.  Being reminded of all these things, let not your heart be troubled or afraid, be at peace, for that is what the Lord wants for you.  You will be much better off doing what it says in Philippians 4:6-8, “Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Something to think about!  I hope you have a great day, and may the God of all peace bless you and yours richly!!