The Source of Peace
Monday, June 26, 2017
The Source of Peace
Scripture:
Mark 9:49-50
49 “For everyone will be seasoned with fire,[g] and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”
Hebrews 12:14
Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
2 Corinthians 13:11
Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
John 14:27
27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Isaiah 9:6
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, Prince of Peace.
Devotional:
There are many times when I read the Word and come away from it feeling overwhelmed with what I see as “conviction.” My faults swirl around in front of me. Was I salty? What about that big mistake I made? What about the time I ______? Oh, no, I said the wrong thing to my husband. I snapped at my child. Well, there goes peace. I am now disqualified.
This, my friends, is why it is imperative that we look at the full counsel of the Word. Standing alone, the admonition to be full of salt and full of peace can feel like an impossible task. I cannot do this by myself! Then, when I look at what the Bible says is the source of my peace, I am reminded yet again that I need Jesus. I need the Holy Spirit. I need my time with the Lord so that I can bring my anxious thoughts to Him. I need to confess my sin to others so that I can be healed, so that I can be free and whole and lean on the Lord for my strength.
As parents to strong willed children, maintaining peace in our hearts can be an added challenge. Our patience can be tested by the minute as these incredible children push at every boundary set before them. As the boundary keepers, it can often feel as though we are basically fence menders all the time. This task can chip away at the peace and tranquility we feel we have.
Before I was a mom, I saw peace as quiet, space, rest, and a general feeling of calm. With my first child, this was easy to maintain. He was easygoing, happy, quiet and compliant as a baby and toddler. He was easily redirected, and I did not have the behavior challenges of my friends. Then, along came Chloe. The external atmosphere in our home shifted dramatically as she came screaming (literally) into the world. My son and husband both struggled for quite some time with the change, and it made finding a sense of peace quite difficult.
Today, as I study these scriptures, this time of our family’s adjusting was brought to my memory. The Lord began to minister to my spirit that I have believed that if I did not have the quiet and calm in my external world, I did not have peace. As I prayed and listened and searched His Word, I began to see how this peace comes from the Source of peace. Peace like a river, flowing through Him and into me. A download, a fountain.
Life around me can be chaotic, but when I am tapped into the Source of my peace, I do not have to rely on my own perfection or ability to be and do what He calls me to. The impossible standard is met in Jesus, and I have only to put my faith and trust in Him. The same is so true for our children. We need to train them in righteousness, but most importantly we need to instill in them that same reliance on the Lord for peace and wholeness. In any case, the behaviors we see are really a product of the heart. To see real and lasting change, we need to start there.
Prayer:
Lord, as I sit in Your Presence and receive from You, I thank You that I do not have to shoulder hard burdens or figure out how to have the peace You give. I ask that You will deliver me from striving for peace, and teach me to give my anxious thoughts, sinful choices, and perfectionism to You. I release control over my circumstances to You today as an act of obedience.
Intercession:
In a journal, journal or list app on your phone, or document on your computer begin or continue your request list for your child(ren). Really pray over these requests, and note scriptures that stick out to you as you pray. Make a note of praise reports, give God glory for what He has done! Share requests with the group that you feel need further prayer support. We are here to pray with you!
Lord, I give this home, family and my heart to You. Bless Your holy Name, Lord!
In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.
Additional Scriptures:
Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Romans 12:18
If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
2 Timothy 1:7
for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Isaiah 41:10
fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Colossians 3:15
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
John 16:33
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
2 Thessalonians 3:16
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.
Isaiah 26:3
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus.
The Source of Peace
Scripture:
Mark 9:49-50
49 “For everyone will be seasoned with fire,[g] and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”
Hebrews 12:14
Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
2 Corinthians 13:11
Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
John 14:27
27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Isaiah 9:6
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, Prince of Peace.
Devotional:
There are many times when I read the Word and come away from it feeling overwhelmed with what I see as “conviction.” My faults swirl around in front of me. Was I salty? What about that big mistake I made? What about the time I ______? Oh, no, I said the wrong thing to my husband. I snapped at my child. Well, there goes peace. I am now disqualified.
This, my friends, is why it is imperative that we look at the full counsel of the Word. Standing alone, the admonition to be full of salt and full of peace can feel like an impossible task. I cannot do this by myself! Then, when I look at what the Bible says is the source of my peace, I am reminded yet again that I need Jesus. I need the Holy Spirit. I need my time with the Lord so that I can bring my anxious thoughts to Him. I need to confess my sin to others so that I can be healed, so that I can be free and whole and lean on the Lord for my strength.
As parents to strong willed children, maintaining peace in our hearts can be an added challenge. Our patience can be tested by the minute as these incredible children push at every boundary set before them. As the boundary keepers, it can often feel as though we are basically fence menders all the time. This task can chip away at the peace and tranquility we feel we have.
Before I was a mom, I saw peace as quiet, space, rest, and a general feeling of calm. With my first child, this was easy to maintain. He was easygoing, happy, quiet and compliant as a baby and toddler. He was easily redirected, and I did not have the behavior challenges of my friends. Then, along came Chloe. The external atmosphere in our home shifted dramatically as she came screaming (literally) into the world. My son and husband both struggled for quite some time with the change, and it made finding a sense of peace quite difficult.
Today, as I study these scriptures, this time of our family’s adjusting was brought to my memory. The Lord began to minister to my spirit that I have believed that if I did not have the quiet and calm in my external world, I did not have peace. As I prayed and listened and searched His Word, I began to see how this peace comes from the Source of peace. Peace like a river, flowing through Him and into me. A download, a fountain.
Life around me can be chaotic, but when I am tapped into the Source of my peace, I do not have to rely on my own perfection or ability to be and do what He calls me to. The impossible standard is met in Jesus, and I have only to put my faith and trust in Him. The same is so true for our children. We need to train them in righteousness, but most importantly we need to instill in them that same reliance on the Lord for peace and wholeness. In any case, the behaviors we see are really a product of the heart. To see real and lasting change, we need to start there.
Prayer:
Lord, as I sit in Your Presence and receive from You, I thank You that I do not have to shoulder hard burdens or figure out how to have the peace You give. I ask that You will deliver me from striving for peace, and teach me to give my anxious thoughts, sinful choices, and perfectionism to You. I release control over my circumstances to You today as an act of obedience.
Intercession:
In a journal, journal or list app on your phone, or document on your computer begin or continue your request list for your child(ren). Really pray over these requests, and note scriptures that stick out to you as you pray. Make a note of praise reports, give God glory for what He has done! Share requests with the group that you feel need further prayer support. We are here to pray with you!
Lord, I give this home, family and my heart to You. Bless Your holy Name, Lord!
In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.
Additional Scriptures:
Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Romans 12:18
If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
2 Timothy 1:7
for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Isaiah 41:10
fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Colossians 3:15
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
John 16:33
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
2 Thessalonians 3:16
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.
Isaiah 26:3
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus.
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