Promises About Joy and Peace

Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us.

Isaiah 26:12

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.  His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

2 Peter 1:2-3

May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in very way.

2 Thessalonians 3:16

I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 4:8

Jesus Gives Joy and Peace

Jesus is the one who offers us the confidence that no matter how risky life becomes or what tragedy befalls us, he will be our peacemaker.  That adds to my security.  No matter how devastating my fall, or even how debilitating my crash, he will be there for me.  Our safety is not in the Lord preventing all our falls, but in the net of peace he spreads beneath regardless of what befalls us.  He will ultimately use our slips and spills.  When we fall, he helps us begin again.

God's peace isn't fragile.  Not only can't it be broken; it is powerful.  It isn't the absence of problems that demonstrates peace, but being able to rest in the midst of turmoil and threat.  That's when we exemplify the "peace that passes understanding."

Patsy Clairmont

The Star of the Show

I need to be reminded of who takes care of me and who is in charge of all the events in my life.  When I'm congratulating myself on my confidence and skill, it's easy to forget who my safety net is.  Fortunately, God doesn't let me be the star of the show from start to finish.  Sometimes he turns things completely upside down so that what is happening does not make sense to me at all!  I'm forced to cling to him and rest in his peace that passes understanding.

You may find yourself in the middle of circumstances that don't make sense to you.  You may be surrounded by people who would never be your choice.  Possibly God is reminding you that "the battle is the Lord's" and the way he wins battles is often through people and events we'd never even think of, much less choose.  Oddly enough, that knowledge takes the pressure off of me.  I can quit striving, plotting, maneuvering.  I am not the star of the show; God is.  That brings me outrageous peace. 

written by Marilyn Meberg

Laughter is Good Medicine

I feel encased within a timepiece that can at times rob me of my peace.  Left unto ourselves, some of us would race and others of us would rust.  Either way we would speed past or sleep through the joy.  We need to make peace with the timepiece so we don't spend our time beating our heads against the clock.

Here are some tips.  I'll try them if you will.

1.  Don't cram everyday so full you can't enjoy the journey.
2.  Don't under-plan and miss the thrill of a fruitful day.
3.  Don't underestimate a nap, rocking chair, and a good book.
4.  Don't become a sloth.
5.  Do offer your gratitude for the moments assigned to you.
6.  Do celebrate even the passing of days.

Patsy Clairmont

Promises About Peace

Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."   John 14:27

The Lord blesses his people with peace.  Psalm 29:11

You, Lord, will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.  Isaiah 26:3

The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.  Isaiah 32:17

Finding Peace

The accent may be on youth these days, but the stress is on adults.  Always reflecting on the things we haven't done, we start each day worrying earlier and stay up later to worry every night. 

A certain parish priest patented a method for making holy water.  I figure it's a good way to deal with worries, too.  He took a big pot, filled it with water, turned up the heat, and boiled the devil out of it. 

And guilt?  Why not boil the devil out of that, too?  After all, we'll always have those things we shouldn't have done but did anyway.  So we end up wasting time dragging our burden of guilt in the dirt instead of getting it washed.

Cares are the tools God uses to fashion us for the better things.  He uses reverses to move us forward.  Reverses and cares bow us down low until we finally drop to our knees.  But a lot of kneeling keeps us in good standing because it brings us closer to God.  Being close to God, we find peace.

Barbara Johnson
Laughter for a Woman's Soul