Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered. The tensions grew. Yet, two pictures still remained veiled.
As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd. A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Surely this was the winner. The second painting was uncovered and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace?
A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. However, a spindly little tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls, and one of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters. In the elbow of that branch, a little bird had built a nest. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested pure peace.
If a little bird can transcend such turmoil, how do you and I find peace in the crazy world in which we live?
The scriptures say, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
I remember many years ago meeting a young Congolese man brought from his village for prayer. His eyes were wild, his hair was filthy and matted, and his clothes were nothing more than rags. The villagers were afraid of him and restrained him, concerned that he would lunge at me.
I remember looking into this young man’s wild eyes and speaking the simple words of Christ, “Peace be with you!” Just as quickly as I spoke those words, he was gone.
The next day as I made preparations for our evening prayer service, I met a nicely dressed young man along with his mother. She said to me, ”This is a miracle! My son has been tormented since childhood, but yesterday when you spoke words of peace over him he suddenly became calm. He slept through the night and awoke with a smile. He is normal! He hasn’t been that way in years!”
Perhaps today, you are like this young man and your past actions or thoughts haunt you. Scriptures say there is no peace for the wicked. Maybe you know someone who has turned to alcohol or sleeping pills looking for peace?
Peace is the foundation of that which is good. The scriptures define peace as being well, happy, healthy, prosperous, restful, safe, whole, secure, quiet, and set at one with God. Peace brings those created in God’s image back into harmony with the Creator.
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and this is the victory that has overcome the world. This is true inner peace, and this is our faith. Pray this with me today, “Thank you Jesus, for coming into my heart! Today I receive the inner peace that only You can bring into my life!”
Scriptures: 1 John 5:4 (paraphrased)
In the modern song entitled, “I Am a Friend of God”, the writer asks the question of God, “Who am I that you are mindful of me? That you hear me, when I call? Is it true that you are thinking of me?”
Mother Theresa said, “Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.” You never have to be alone! The writer of “I am a Friend of God” concludes his song by stating of God, “You, God, call me, ‘friend’!”
Today I want you to know that you have a friend in God. For He said in His holy scriptures, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So go ahead and take His hand…. He’s there, right now. http://bit.ly/1E6nEg2
According to Dr. Bruce Lipton, the vast majority of the world’s population comes into this world with genes that should enable them to live a happy and healthy life. He says a staggering 98% of diseases are due to lifestyle choices and therefore they are related to our thinking.
It has been estimated that 75 to 90% of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress related problems. So what is the stress that I speak of? Could it be distress in the mind—a mind filled with a continuous stream of worries, fears and distorted perceptions, all of which trigger degenerative processes throughout the mind and the body?
Well, today I want to offer YOU a choice for peace in your mind and freedom of disease in your body. Christ is the solution to your cares. He offers a way out of stress by simply calling on His name. Today, Jesus offers you friendship with God, peace for your mind and ultimately health for your soul and body. Wherever you are, simply pray, “Jesus, I choose You! Be my friend today!”
Psalm 23:5 tells us that God has prepared a table for us in the presence of our enemies. On that table we’ll find healing, peace, abundance—everything that we have need of. Have you pulled up to the table and partaken of what God has for you?
If you need God’s help, whether it is healing or any other need, then believe it’s already done. He wants to touch and heal you. Just open your heart to God and pray these words in sincerity. Tell Him everything you want to say. He hears you and He loves you.
“Dear Jesus,You said in the Bible that You heal any sickness. You said that You save and heal everyone who calls upon Your name. I believe in Your Word and today I come to You. I believe that You are my healer. I believe that You are my Savior. I believe that You are healing my body right now. Thank You, Jesus, for this precious gift. Right now I receive what Jesus paid for with His own life. I receive my healing. I believe that I am healed! You are my healer, Jesus! Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Jesus! Amen.”
According to Colossians 1:27, when you are born again Christ now lives in you. So, where is the presence of God? I’m not looking forward over here, or looking backward over there, or begging for it up there. I am relishing the abundance and living in the glory of His love and His life and His Spirit in me right now. I come boldly to His throne of grace and receive what I have need of from Him. I recognize that He lives in me, I live in Him, and His presence surrounds me.
God’s intention as displayed in Jesus is to reunite us in perfect harmony, where our hearts beat as one with His heart, and our bodies resonant with healing.
When a person recognizes how much God loves them and they call on the name of Jesus, He enters into their heart and brings peace with Him. At the moment that peace enters in, sickness and disease flee. The person may not even know when they were healed; they just know that something has happened in them.
Everywhere you go, God goes, because He authorizes us as His followers to go in His name. He says to us, “I’m on a journey with you. I’ll never leave you, I’ll never forsake you, and wherever you go I am ready to go with you.”
