The choice to trust in God alleviates all discontentment. Our Heavenly Father cares! Activating our faith in God is a choice that reaps the benefits of peace. The righteous trust in God despite the presenting challenges. We believe, “If God said it then He will do it.” Faith must be nurtured through unwavering belief. Our confidence in God’s promises reveals a steadfast love and loyalty to God. Everyday, we must make a concerted effort to use our faith to rely on God’s Faithfulness and Sovereign Power. Wait on the Lord. Be courageous! God’s love is our source of strength. Yes and Amen.
“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ ” —Mark 6:31, NIV
Rest Is An Essential Component of Maintaining Spiritual, Mental, Emotional, and Physical Health. Rest is the healthiest habit we can form to maintain optimal health and wellness.
Fortifying the soul: Rest is essential for strengthening the soul and receiving wisdom from God.
Finding peace: Rest can help people find peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Finding rest in Christ: Rest comes from learning of Christ and co-working with Him.
Restoring health: Rest helps with physical and mental health, and is a remedy for fatigue, stress, depression, and burnout.
Preparing for spiritual practices: Rest allows people to quiet their minds for prayer, Bible study, and meditation.
Developing self-control: Rest helps people develop self-control and choose right from wrong.
Enjoying nature: Resting in nature is beneficial for the mind and body.
Fatigue easily escalates into an unhealthy stressor. If mental and physical stress is sustained [due to insufficient rest], eventually, we push our minds and bodies into a Crisis Mode, and the first needful system that begins to fail is our Immune System. Created in the image of God is our catalyst for renouncing the worldview, “Keep going!”
Pushing our minds and bodies beyond healthy limits prevents us from receiving the spiritual blessing of Jesus’ Supernatural Strength. God instituted rest. In fact, we have 24 hours of Sabbath rest to redirect our focus away from the demands of our rigorous lifestyles. Rest is required to establish a lifestyle of prayer and meaningful worship, and to maintain a consistent schedule for daily Bible Study.
Spiritual Growth and Transformation is a daily process that requires our cooperation with Divinity. Our goal is to use our earthly lifespan to prepare for Eternal Life. Do not allow success, money, or tangible acquisitions to push your body into overdrive. Our earthly lives are temporary. Allow yourself a weekly season of stillness, Jesus will release His healing power of Restoration, and the Holy Spirit will replenish your mind, body, and soul. Peace and blessings.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13, NIV
Our Daily Walk with Christ Devotional – October 24, 2024
“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
Many individuals desire and seek peace. Every day a false man-made peace is marketed to attempt to alleviate our restless and agitated minds. Every day desperate people purchase apps, use mind-altering drugs, and relocate to isolated areas in their desperate search for the world’s version of peace. But true peace is a precious gift from God that cannot be purchased.
“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!’ The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.” —Lamentations 3:22-26, NLT
Jeremiah was known as the “Weeping Prophet.” “Jeremiah came from a priestly family and was called as a youth to be a prophet. His ministry spanned the time before, during, and after the Babylonian capture and exile of some Judeans and the destruction of Jerusalem and the desolation of the land.”
What is spiritual peace? Jesus’ Peace is the divine gift of an inner calm and assurance that permeates our mind, body, and soul. To receive peace, we use our measure of faith to trust in God and remain hopeful because we believe God is Sovereign, loves us, and is always faithful.
God’s peace is given to us through prayer and as mysterious as receiving His peace appears, by faith, we receive Divine peace from Jesus through the Holy Spirit. When we stay connected to Jesus Christ, the Source of Peace, through much prayer, Jesus gives His Peace which flows from Himself. Jesus’ peace is freely given to every believer who proclaims that Jesus is the Lord of their life. Daily surrender is evidence that we love God. Faithful obedience connects us spiritually to God and strengthens our heart-to-heart relationship with Christ.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” —Joshua 1:9
To admit to God that our faith is weak is a fact that He already knows. In tough times, we exercise humility by asking God for the courage to move forward in His strength. Jesus knows the human heart, we are frail and will succumb to our circumstances without His Divine strength. Jesus reminded the apostle Paul, “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness…’ ” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
We can enjoy the rich blessing of abundant peace despite our present struggles. Yes, Jesus’ peace is a gift wrapped in His Divine love. From personal experience, praying in faith through total surrender gives us peace that eliminates all worries, anxieties, and fears. “Pray continuously!” Have you placed your life in God’s hands? Even in the raging storms of life, surrendering our will to God invites Jesus to proclaim, “Peace Be Still!”
“It is Well with My Soul” is a Christian hymn written by Horatio Gates Spafford in 1873 that expresses faith in God and peace in times of tragic
loss. He lost his three children, one to sickness, and the two daughters in a shipwreck which only his wife survived. Can we proclaim that it is well with my soul even when walking through a season of financial loss, marital dissolution, life-changing illness, or the death of loved ones?
God knows that harsh situations will cause anguish and many tears of sorrow. If we view God as a loving Heavenly Father whose goal is to save our souls then we will not become angry or blame Him in times of adversity. We were created to be needy and dependent on God. Accepting our limitations by asking for His Divine Help in our deepest sorrows results in an immediate response from our Triumphant King.
“And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” —Mark 4:39
From our petitions of prayer, Jesus, the Commander of Angel Armies sends His peace through the Holy Spirit and dispatches angels who comfort us. Jesus, God, the Son in His earthly life described Himself as a “Man of Sorrows.” We have a Loving and Compassionate Savior who always provides the Divine peace that soothes our souls and heals our broken hearts.
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3).
Bible Study: Mark 4
Lord God, our storms are raging and we ask in faith for your Divine Help and gift of peace. We need strength and the courage to move forward. Heal our brokenness and direct us on the Path of Righteousness. God, we trust You and rely on You to help us live as victorious overcomers while preparing for Jesus’ Second Coming. We ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of Jesus, Amen.
References: Stand Up Like Jeremiah, Adventist Review
Our Daily Walk with Christ Devotional – September 10, 2024
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” —1 John 2:15
The greatest challenge for today’s Christian believers is to remain loyal to Christ. People and distractions are the two avenues of detour [spiritual warfare] implemented by Satan to lead us away from the Path of Righteousness. How much time do we spend worshiping God outside our working hours?
“Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.” —Proverbs 3:7-8
Although God tells us not to follow our thoughts, our daily routines and habits are etched into our brain’s neural pathways. We do not even think about our daily routines, it is so easy to automatically perform duties on our mental to-do list. Because of life’s busyness and rapid progression, we no longer reflect deeply on our behaviors and schedules.
Recently, I watched an animal documentary that revealed a slow but steady process of a beaver felling a tree. “Technique: Beavers start by whittling a tree’s trunk to a point. They often start on the side of the tree closest to water…They then make a second cut on the opposite side of the tree, higher than the first cut, so that the tree falls toward the water. Time: It can take a beaver family up to three weeks to fell a large tree.” Mass Audubon
The beaver’s instinct is to perform the technique that guarantees success and safety. As the documentary revealed, the beavers also stop frequently to perform visual checks, which alerts them to move in the opposite direction of the falling tree. How are we living our lives? Have we succumbed to practicing the world’s rapid rhythm and pace resulting in a counterproductive lifestyle that includes taking chances because we have excluded God from directing our steps?
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” —Isaiah 55:8-9
Loving Christ is to follow in His footsteps. Living by faith includes daily surrender and faithful obedience through worship—personal prayer and Bible study. Allowing God to reveal His thoughts, ways, and plans increases our faith and trust in Him. From our willingness to obey, the Holy Spirit directs our steps empowering us to live as victorious overcomers, and our characters are daily transformed for our future lives in the New Heaven and New Earth.
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” —Hebrews 13:5
Taking the time to reflect on our priorities and lifestyles reveals whether we love God or we love the world. Money is not evil, the love of money is evil! The rich young ruler walked away sorrowfully because he loved his wealth more than Christ [Matthew 19:16-22, NKJV]. Any person, thoughts, habits, or pleasures that consume our time redirect us from loving God with all our hearts, souls, and minds to the pleasures of this temporary world.
“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.’ ” —Matthew 22:37-38
Jesus tells us our love and loyalty can’t be divided between God and the world. When we love God, He is first and foremost! Each new morning is a precious gift of life from God, our Father. It is His breath that fills our lungs. It is His Agape [unconditional] love that sustains our lives. Every day, God reveals His loving kindness by opening the windows of heaven allowing us to receive His provisions.
Never forget, the converted believer lives to hear “Well Done” from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ when He comes again. Only what we do for God is eternal, redirect your love and loyalty to Christ, and prepare daily for His soon coming. Amen.
Lord God, we admit that we have not put You first. We ask You to forgive us and to give us direction. We proclaim our love for You and desire eternal life. Thank You for Your love and the many blessings we receive daily. In Jesus Holy Name, we pray, Amen.
” ‘Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?’ Jesus declared, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself…’ ” —Matthew 22:36-39
“If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.” —1 John 4:20-21
Lord God, we pray for a converted heart that loves God and all people, even our enemies. In Jesus’ Righteous Name, we pray, Amen.
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