The Peace of God

In a day when it seems all of our surroundings are unraveling, we all long for stability and assurance that everything will be okay. This year will go down as the most unusual with circumstances that have been beyond our control. This was the year of 2020 vision for many. We were all excited to see what this year would hold and to lean into all that was before us. Then March introduced us to Covid.

Three months into this year, we found ourselves quarantined and dealing with an international pandemic caused by a virus that had the capability to leave a person asymptomatic and eventually in the hospital on a ventilator. Then, we as a nation, dealt with protesting and rioting. People were in uproar because of social injustice and racial tension. Now, there are far left wing radicals who are trying to establish a city and government independent of what is already established to rule our country. All of this has caused much panic and fear.

Jesus said as recorded in John 16:36, "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."

These are powerful words of peace! Jesus says that in Him we have perfect peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He brings the peace that passes all understanding.

The peace of God, which is the word shalom in Hebrew, and eirenen in the Greek, refers to the peace that only comes from Jesus Christ. This peace provides inner satisfaction, contentment and fulfillment. It is a state of being as well as an attitude or mindset. When we receive the peace of Christ, there is no circumstance that will shake us. We realize that no matter how stiff the winds of life may be, Jesus is able to calm the storm.

The house that I live in is located next to a forest of trees. During a windstorm, I often look out my windows to watch the trees. There are trees, that because of the wind, will look like they are about to collapse. The wind will blow them back and forth as if they are pool noodles, on the verge of falling down. Then, I see others, who even despite a powerful wind, are not affected at all. The difference in trees is the root system. The trees with strong roots are able to withstand the onslaught of harsh winds that come against them.

This is a picture of what Jesus does, imparting His peace to His children, in the midst of difficult circumstances. His peace is an anchor for our souls. It solidifies us even when our world seems to be crashing down. He calms the storm.

Isaiah 26:3 says, "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you."

Receive His peace today.

Our Father and Fear

I was awaken in the middle of the night recently, by my children coming into our bedroom to find love and comfort. We were experiencing a loud thunderstorm in our area of North East Atlanta. I could tell it was bad when I discovered that all four of my kids decided to join my wife and I.

It was fear that led them to interrupt our sleep. They were afraid of what might happen to them during the storm. It was a difficult combination of being tired, being in the dark and hearing the wild storm outside their windows. All of this led to their fear. They began to ask questions like, “When will this stop? What if a tree falls on our house? Will we be okay?” I totally understood where they were coming from because I can remember, as a child, crawling under my pillow and covers when a major storm rolled through my neighborhood.

When we have fear creep into our lives, we need a way to deal with it. Fear can cripple a person. It needs to be dealt with. Fear can come in all shapes and sizes. We can be afraid of the future. We can be afraid of suffering. We can be afraid of something happening to our family. We can be afraid of sickness or death. We can live in fear of many things.

My children knew, that night, that if they came into our room, we, as parents, would give them a sense of security and comfort. They knew that the moment they walked into our room, they would have those things. They were right. When I woke up, I wanted to answer each of their questions and make sure that they were comfortable enough to go back to sleep.

I was reminded that night, as I laid in bed, of the love and care of our Heavenly Father. What my wife and I provided our children, that night, is what our Heavenly Father provides for us. He provides love, care and acceptance. 

Receiving the love of our Heavenly Father will help us conquer any fear in our lives. 1 John 4:18 says, “There is no love in fear because perfect love drives out fear.” The moment we receive the love of the Father, it is as if we have a complete antidote for fear. Love and fear cannot operate in the same room. The Father’s love will drive out any fear that we have. He gives us a sense of security and self-worth that can conquer all fear.

Have you received the full extent of the Father's love for you? God wants to reach every area of your life with His love. As the song goes, He is a good, good Father, it's who He is. Paul says in Romans, "There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus." But His love needs to be received. We need to open up every area of our lives, so that the love of God can come in and meet every desire we have to be loved and accepted. Our relationship with God begins as we understand that He is a loving Father.

Are you dealing with fear in your life? Receive the love of the Father. When you do, you will see the things of this earth grow strangely dim. He loves you.

Leap B 4 U Look

When was the last time you dared to do something that you've never done before? I mean something that you would consider risky. Doing something risky always comes with hesitation. Each of us like to calculate the odds of getting through and surviving whatever it is we are attempting. Some of us have a high threshold for fear and some of us are afraid to walk in the dark.

Last Summer, my son and I enjoyed a father-son retreat to the North Georgia mountains. We had a blast together! We enjoyed experiences together such as making s'mores, building a fort in the woods without tools, and participating in a father-son scavenger hunt. Each of these events were fun, but by far my favorite part of the whole weekend came toward the end of our free time one afternoon. Allan and I went down to the lake to swim and ride the water slides. We also discovered that they had a 50-foot high jump over the deep end of the lake. We had to try that out! Allan and I both climbed the steps leading up to the wood platform that led to the end of this high-dive. He and I both stood there, on the edge, looking down on what seemed like a massive drop. It was somewhat unsettling for both of us as we looked down. Allan decided that he wanted to watch me take the plunge and jump down first. I took a few steps and took the leap, and felt the rush of the few seconds it took in the air to get down, before splashing into the water below. I thought my demonstration was going to be enough for Allan to join me in the lake. Little did I know that it wasn’t going to be that easy. I tried to encourage and cheer him on from the water. Meanwhile, there were other kids jumping off the high-dive, some who were younger than Allan. They too were trying to encourage him. There were several times that Allan looked as if he was going to jump, and then he would get to the edge, and then he would clam up and chicken out. Forty-five minutes had passed and we were running out of time for Allan to make this happen because it was almost time to get cleaned up for supper. With four or five other fathers and sons watching and cheering Allan on, he began to cry and climb down the stairs as if he was about to give up on trying. Deep down, Allan wanted to jump, but every time he got close to the edge and looked down at the lake, he wasn’t sure if his body would survive the plunge. I met him with a hug as he climbed back down the steps to the high-dive. Then I looked at him in his eyes and told him, “Allan, you can do this!” I coached him and challenged him to conquer this fear. After a few minutes he made the climb back up the stairs and made his way out to the edge of the high-dive. By this time, he had a small crowd of fathers and sons cheering him on from the edge of the lake. He took one glance down at the lake, then walked back a little, and then Allan took a leap of faith and jumped down into the lake below. (See picture)

That day, Allan did more than jump into that lake. Allan conquered a fear. Allan stepped out in faith and did something that wasn’t easy for him, something that involved great risk for an eight year old. Needless to say, I was very proud of him. He will be able to look back on that day his whole life, whenever he is faced with a mountain of risk, he can remember the day that God gave him strength.

There was some serious symbolism in that jump. While enjoying our retreat, Allan and I were also anticipating our family’s move to Minnesota. We had spent the last six years living in the South, and we were moving twenty-five hours North to a small town in the heart of Minnesota. We were use to living close to our extended family and this would put us more than a day’s drive away. Why would we make this move? Yes it was risky. Not many people would even consider it. Our family moved to Minnesota because God called us to serve Him. If we aspire to obey the Lord, He will often call us to take great risks for Him.

God asks us to have a risk-taking faith – to move outside our comfort zones and do things to serve others that we can’t do on our own, to follow God into places that cause us to rely completely on Him. Risk-taking faith isn’t for the faint of heart. It stretches us. It breaks us out of mediocrity and it gets us to live out a relentless, nothing holds you back faith in Jesus Christ!

Throughout Scripture we ready of many people who took giant leaps of faith. Abel brought his offering. Noah built his ark. Abraham took his son to be sacrificed. Moses went to Pharaoh. Joshua took charge and rallied the troops. David picked up some stones for his sling. And these examples are just the tip of the iceberg.

God desires obedience. When we walk in obedience, and step out in faith and are empowered by His Spirit, we will do great things for Jesus!