Philippians and peace

As the winds howl and our electricity  flickers on and off I write of the peace of God...what a wonderful gift to embrace. 

Taking the Word of God and resting in it establishes His peace in our life.

We can come boldly before the throne of Grace being made right with God by the blood of Christ Jesus. Paul was an example of a mature Christian who follows Christ. Romans through Philemon are the preaching of Paul as it pertains to believers. We are to walk out our faith maturing as we wait for Christ return.

Philippians 1:3-8 tells us that He that has started a good work in you will accomplish it until the day that Christ returns!

John 14:27 (ESV) "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

To nourish and replenish my soul begins here: peace and gentleness to one’s self. SabbathMoments

Jesus' disciples were in a state of confusion and anxiety as Jesus, just before His crucifixion, revealed His plan to leave the earth. They tried to understand what it all meant as He told them He was going away to be with the Father (John 14:28), that He was going to prepare a place for them, and that He would return again to take them to the Father (John 14:2-3). Despite their confusion, Jesus promised not to leave them helpless. He would send a Helper, also known as the Spirit of Truth, and an everlasting gift…

Yet Jesus' promise of eirḗnē was a promise for the joining of their souls with the Holy Spirit, the very presence of God, bringing wholeness or peace to every moment of their lives as they yielded to God. No matter how scary the circumstances, the disciples would be joined moment by moment with God's Spirit.

And the same is true for us. No matter what we're going through, whatever trial we face that stirs up fear and anxiety, Jesus' promise stands. We don't have to let our hearts be troubled or afraid. If we believe in Jesus as our Savior, we've been sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13) and are able to experience the fruit of divine peace (Galatians 5:22-23) as we yield to the leadership of the Spirit in everyday life.

We can be confident that we are sealed with permanent spiritual peace as our salvation is sealed permanently with God's Spirit. Let's ask God to help us focus on the presence of the Holy Spirit with us this week and praise Him for the divine peace we experience through Him. First5

Are you living in your sweet spot? Doing what you do well, what you’ve always loved to do? That last question trips up a lot of folks. God wouldn’t let me do what I like to do, would he? Yes, he would. “God is working in you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13 NCV). “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4 NIV).

Your Father is too gracious to assign you to a life of misery. So see your desires as gifts to heed rather than longings to suppress. What have you always done well and loved to do? Read your life backward. Re-relish your moments of success and satisfaction. In the merger of the two, you will find your uniqueness! Max Lucado