April 20, 2024

This Week…PEACE (Advent, week two)

December 12, 2014 by

SHpeaceluke1

Here on the Seeking Him blog this past week, we have focused on the subject of PEACE as part of our Advent devotionals.  Jesus came to be our peace…to bring the peace that comes from redeeming us from sin.  Here are some excerpts from this week’s devotionals…

*    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Tina reminded us in Sweet Peace of the angels’ words to the shepherds.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men in whom He is well pleased. And it came to pass, when the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in the manger. And when they saw it, they made known concerning the saying which was spoken to them about this Child. And all that heard it wondered at the things which were spoken unto them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, even as it was spoken unto them.
Luke 2:13-20 ASV

In her devotional, Peace Which Passes Understanding, Ann encouraged us to remember the following promise.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7

 

Ahmee also reminded us of another of God’s promises…of great comfort in Peace, Be Still

Be still, and know that I am God!
Psalm 46:10a

 

Writing on the Prince of Peace, Cynda shared with us the prophecy that Isaiah spoke about the coming Messiah.

For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given;
and the government shall be upon His shoulder,
and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 AMP

At the conclusion of their devotionals,Tina, Cynda, Ann, and Ahmee each shared a beautiful prayer or a blessing; and I thought it would be a joy to revisit them here at the end of the week.

May the Lord turn His face toward you
and give you peace this Christmas season and all year long.
2 Thessalonians 3:16

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:2

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Father, we pray for Your peace during the Christmas season.  We want to understand and learn about You and Your Son in a new and unexpected way.  Holy Spirit, open our eyes and hearts to receive You in a new and exciting way.  Let us have a new passion for Your word and Your ways, Lord.  In Jesus’ name we pray and ask these things, amen.

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Rest.
Be at peace.
Then ask the Lord what’s next so that you can tackle all you need to
…but at peace.

~   ♥   ~

Lord, I thank You for the peace that passes all understanding.  I thank You for the peace I have within that is moving me from one level of glory to another.  I really appreciate You, Abba Father, for this is not unto me alone, it is also to my friends who are reading this devotion.

May You give us the grace of increased faith in You which will bring peace into our hearts.  May our hope be in You as You are PEACE Yourself, Lord.  Blessed be Your name now and forever more.  In Jesus’ name, I pray.

Amen!!!

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Sweet Peace

December 10, 2014 by

SHpeaceluke1

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest,  And on earth peace among men in whom He is well pleased.  And it came to pass, when the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in the manger. And when they saw it, they made known concerning the saying which was spoken to them about this Child. And all that heard it wondered at the things which were spoken unto them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, even as it was spoken unto them.

Luke 2:13-20 ASV

God so loves us so much that He sent His one and only Son to be among us.  God wants a great relationship with us.  Speaking through the prophets and showing us His love through His kindness.  God has made the way easy for us.  All we need to do is to be willing to follow Him completely.

Prayer is…

  • Speaking our hearts’ desire to God.

The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.
Psalm 6:9

  • Expecting great things to happen when we trust.

So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour
when you do not expect Him.
Matthew 24:44

  • Accepting God’s most excellent purpose for our lives.

You are the most excellent of men
and your lips have been anointed with grace,
since God has blessed you forever.
Psalm 45:2

  • Contributing to God’s plan to further His kingdom.

I say to you that many will come from the east and the west,
and will take their places at the feast
with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of Heaven.
Matthew 8:11

  • Exceptional care for those that would believe.

Whoever believes in Him is not condemned,
but whoever does not believe stands condemned already
because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
John 3:18

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Father, we pray for Your peace during the Christmas season.  We want to understand and learn about You and Your Son in a new and unexpected way.  Holy Spirit, open our eyes and hearts to receive You in a new and exciting way.  Let us have a new passion for Your word and Your ways, Lord.  In Jesus’ name we pray and ask these things, amen.

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Peace Which Passes All Understanding

December 9, 2014 by

SHpeaceluke1

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7

This peace I am talking about involves a firm conviction that Jesus is near and that God’s love will be active in our lives for good (Romans 8:28, 32).  How do I prove this sentence?

God gave us His only begotten Son, and allowed Him to die on the Cross for us—what a loving God He is!  He saw that with the all the sin around us, we are not at peace.  Sin robs us of peace but righteousness bring joy and peace in our hearts always.

What does this peace of God do in our lives?

  • When we call on God from hearts that remain in Christ and His Word, then God’s peace will flood our troubled souls.  Are you troubled?  Then please allow the peace of God to be present in you through Christ our Lord.
  • It is as an inner reality mediated by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:15-16). And we all know that the Holy Spirit is our Counselor, Comforter, etc.  Therefore we can rest assured that through the Holy Spirit’s mediation we are going to be at peace even in times of the roughest storms and raging wars.
  • This peace is going to stand guard at the door of our hearts and mind, preventing the cares and worries of this life which undermine our hope in Christ.
  • If fear and anxiety does return, than through prayer, petition, and thanksgiving we will once again be placed us under the peace of God that guards our hearts.
  • It makes us feel safe and rejoice in the Lord.

The Lord gives us peace, good friends.  I therefore pray to God for you that He would turn His face toward you and give you peace.  We need peace in all areas of our lives (Numbers 6:26).  Others are thinking how will they pay their bills; and God has sent me today to tell you that He is making a covenant of peace with you (Numbers 25:12). And a heart at peace gives life to the body (Proverbs 14:30).

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Lord, I thank You for the peace that passes all understanding.  I thank You for the peace I have within me that is moving me from one level of glory to the other.  I really appreciate You, Abba Father, for this is not only unto me it is also to my friends who are reading this devotion.  May You give us the grace of increased faith in You which will bring peace into our hearts.  May our hope be in You as You are PEACE Yourself, Lord.  Blessed be Your name now and forever more.  In Jesus’ name, I pray.  Amen!!!

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Peace: Be Still

December 8, 2014 by

SHpeaceluke1

Be still, and know that I am God!
Psalm 46:10a

Work.  Children.  Family.  Friends.  Hobbies.  Commitments.  Life!

Peace can seem especially evasive during the holiday season.  Peace can also be evasive during the rest of the year.  And not because it just doesn’t want to be with us but because sometimes we can forget that we are supposed to be at peace.

Sometimes, I feel far more accomplished when I’m busy—running around trying to figure out the next thing to do.  Sometimes, I feel overwhelmed by so much stuff. Other times I enjoy doing nothing, but also feel as if I’m not getting anywhere in life.

When I think of being at peace in God’s peace, I think of this verse.  Be still.  This verse is not talking about physical stillness, although, sometimes physical stillness is very necessary.  No, this verse is talking about being still on the inside.  I personally feel this verse could say, “Be at peace (on the inside), and know that I am God…” I say this because, it’s almost impossible to be still when you are not at peace.

So, why do I so often find myself running around trying to figure everything out, totally out of sorts, and frustrated?  Because I forget to rely on the Maker.  God is always there to help us.  He provided us with peace and the ability to abide in that 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

  • Take a step back from the busyness of life.
  • Take a step back from those looming important decisions.
  • Take a step back and just be still.

Rest.
Be at peace.
Then ask the Lord what’s next so that you can tackle all you need to
…but at peace.

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Prince of Peace

December 7, 2014 by

SHpeaceluke1

For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given;
and the government shall be upon His shoulder,
and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 AMP

Glory to God in the highest [heaven],
and on earth peace among men
with whom He is well pleased [men of goodwill, of His favor].
Luke 2:14 AMP

Peace can be very elusive this time of year.  In some ways this has been a rough year for us—we lost our darling granddaughter five days after her birth.  This time of year is particularly hard.  Perhaps you, too, have suffered the death of a loved one or a major loss…loss of a relationship, job, home.

Maybe stress is stealing your peace right now.  {I must admit I have let a little stress sneak in as well.}  Our daughters live in other states so we don’t get to spend as much time with them as we would like.  However, they will be coming here after Christmas.  I want to have the perfect gifts for them.  I want to make wonderful memories while they are here.  And that gets me a little frantic and a bit stressed out. When the cares of this world weigh me down Romans 8:6 reminds me that,

For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace…

So, how do we have this peace that seems so elusive?  The peace Romans 8:6 refers to comes only from Christ and passes all understanding.  There are so many wonderful scriptures that reiterate this.  Take a minute to read through these slowly and carefully.  And let their meaning sink deep into your heart and mind.

In peace I will both lie down and sleep,
For You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:8 NASB

The Lord gives His people strength; the Lord blesses His people with peace.
Psalm 29:11 HCSB

You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace…
Isaiah 26:3 HCSB

…The chastisement {punishment} [needful to obtain] peace
and well-being for us was upon Him,
and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.
Isaiah 53:5b AMP

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart.
And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.
So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
John 14:27 NLT

In John 16:33 (HCSB) Jesus tells us “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace.  You will have suffering in this world.  Be courageous!  I have conquered the world.”  As I was writing this, the words of a Castings Crowns song came to mind – “It’s all because of the blood of Jesus Christ!”  Truth!  We cannot do it alone.

Christ IS our Prince of Peace.  His birth was a step towards peace.  He came voluntarily, knowing what lay ahead of Him.  I do not want to be guilty of rejecting His gift that cost so much.

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Today, I would like to leave you with Philippians 4:7 as my prayer because God puts it much more eloquently than I can.

Dear Lord, please let Your peace, which surpasses all comprehension, guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.  Amen – It Is So!

~   ♥   ~

May the Lord turn His face toward you
and give you peace this Christmas season and all year long.
2 Thessalonians 3:16

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:2

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