"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future' (Jeremiah 29:11)."
This is one of the most recognizable verses in the Bible. I use it a lot but it's no less true. I'm not sure if people realize just how much God loves us and wants the best for us. God wants to show us His way is a better way, a more prosperous way. But God cannot prosper unfaithfulness and disobedience.
When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, they had everything they needed and were in perfect harmony with God. They had a personal relationship with God; He even took walks with them and had conversations with them. There was nothing they couldn't have, except that one little thing - the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Isn't it always that one little thing that gets under our skin and eats at us until we give in? That's the enemy picking at our weaknesses the way he picked at Eve until she gave in to temptation.
Adam and Eve suffered the consequences of their actions and were expelled from the Garden. Remember, choose the action, and you are choosing the consequences. The consequences for them was losing God's abundant provision. Now they had to work the ground to grow food, hunt, build a home, work hard for every little thing. God gave us free will but Adam and Eve allowed sin nature into their lives, and into the lives of all future generations.
"The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying:
'Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you' (Jeremiah 31:3)."
But no matter how far we stray, God continues to call us to Him. His love for us has not strayed. We are still the object of His affection. There is no depths that we can sink to that He is not willing to pull us out of. The breadth of His love is beyond our comprehension, but if we can grasp just a shred of that love, we would never want to be anywhere other than with Him.
"For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in Heaven and Earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:14-19)."
Read 1 Samuel 23; Psalm 63
A Year of Blessings by Marie McGaha ©2018
"For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6)."
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Faith Not Fear
"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."
~John 14:27
If you've read any headlines lately, you know the world is in pretty rough shape. The war in the Middle East has been going on since shortly after 9/11 and is now threatening to escalate to a full world war. So far, the BMOC are in play - America, Russia, France, Great Britain - and of course, China and North Korea are putting in their two cents. It's some scary stuff that have a lot of people ready to head for the hills and hide for a while. But did you know being afraid is not biblical? Fear and faith cannot coincide. Faith is from God, fear is not.
"But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel:
'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine' (Isaiah 43:1)."
Those who have accepted Christ as their Savior have been redeemed and belong to the Lord. The God who redeemed the nation of Israel is the same God who redeems us today. He is Jesus Christ and He hasn't changed. In fact, He sent His own Spirit to comfort and guide us (1 John 4:13). He did not give us a spirit of fear but of love and power and sound judgement (2 Timothy 1:7). Fear is not of God but a weapon of the enemy meant to steal our peace and joy. When our faith is firmly rooted in the person of Jesus Christ, and we have a complete understanding of who we are in Him, there is no room for fear.
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)."
Read 1 Samuel 22; Psalm 34, 56, 57 & 142; 1 Chronicles 12
A Year of Blessings by Marie McGaha ©2018
~John 14:27
If you've read any headlines lately, you know the world is in pretty rough shape. The war in the Middle East has been going on since shortly after 9/11 and is now threatening to escalate to a full world war. So far, the BMOC are in play - America, Russia, France, Great Britain - and of course, China and North Korea are putting in their two cents. It's some scary stuff that have a lot of people ready to head for the hills and hide for a while. But did you know being afraid is not biblical? Fear and faith cannot coincide. Faith is from God, fear is not.
"But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel:
'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine' (Isaiah 43:1)."
Those who have accepted Christ as their Savior have been redeemed and belong to the Lord. The God who redeemed the nation of Israel is the same God who redeems us today. He is Jesus Christ and He hasn't changed. In fact, He sent His own Spirit to comfort and guide us (1 John 4:13). He did not give us a spirit of fear but of love and power and sound judgement (2 Timothy 1:7). Fear is not of God but a weapon of the enemy meant to steal our peace and joy. When our faith is firmly rooted in the person of Jesus Christ, and we have a complete understanding of who we are in Him, there is no room for fear.
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)."
Read 1 Samuel 22; Psalm 34, 56, 57 & 142; 1 Chronicles 12
A Year of Blessings by Marie McGaha ©2018
Monday, April 16, 2018
Be Dependent
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."
~Proverbs 9:10
When my Pop was a kid, the age of majority was 21; by the time I was 15 or so, the age was lowered to 18. I've heard talk of lowering the legal "adult" age limit to 16! That is ridiculous of course, no 16 year old possesses the capacity to be fully responsible for their lives no matter what they may think. In fact, very few 18 year olds possess that maturity. I know I didn't, even though I surely believed I did!
The world around us encourages independence but not always in conjunction with maturity. Not everyone matures at the same rate and allowing, nay, booting a person out into the world due to an arbitrary birthday is not in God's plan. While we are expected to mature in life, and in God's Word, far too much emphasis is placed on independence rather than dependence on God.
According to the Bible, we are not to leave our parents until marriage, yet children leave home at extremely early ages, have their own children at earlier ages long before they are mentally, physically, or financially able to support themselves, much less the added burden of a helpless child. This is not part of God's plan for our lives.
God wants a personal relationship with each of us; a relationship that grows more dependent upon Him, rather than less dependent. Dependence upon the Lord is the most mature relationship any of us can have. In our dependence upon Christ, we find ultimate freedom from this world.
"I am the Vine, you are the branches, apart from Me, you can do nothing (John 15:5)."
When we plant seeds, we see the first shoots of the vine push through the soil, then it grows stronger and bigger, produces branches, then flowers bloom and those blooms become the fruit that each particular plant produces. Break a branch from the vine and it withers and dies. The same principle is true in our lives. Apart from God, we wither, society falls into decay and destroys itself. We see it all around us every day.
"People plan their course but God establishes our steps (Proverbs 16:9)."
If you are living independent of God, you are missing the most important relationship of your life. You are missing true fulfillment in life and you are cheating yourself out of a truly satisfying life full of God's goodness, grace, mercy, and favor. The world screams "be independent," but the Lord is calling, "Depend on Me, I will never let you down."
"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 6:25-26)."
Read 1 Samuel 19-21
Psalm 34; 56-59; 133
A Year of Blessings by Marie McGaha ©2018
~Proverbs 9:10
When my Pop was a kid, the age of majority was 21; by the time I was 15 or so, the age was lowered to 18. I've heard talk of lowering the legal "adult" age limit to 16! That is ridiculous of course, no 16 year old possesses the capacity to be fully responsible for their lives no matter what they may think. In fact, very few 18 year olds possess that maturity. I know I didn't, even though I surely believed I did!
The world around us encourages independence but not always in conjunction with maturity. Not everyone matures at the same rate and allowing, nay, booting a person out into the world due to an arbitrary birthday is not in God's plan. While we are expected to mature in life, and in God's Word, far too much emphasis is placed on independence rather than dependence on God.
According to the Bible, we are not to leave our parents until marriage, yet children leave home at extremely early ages, have their own children at earlier ages long before they are mentally, physically, or financially able to support themselves, much less the added burden of a helpless child. This is not part of God's plan for our lives.
God wants a personal relationship with each of us; a relationship that grows more dependent upon Him, rather than less dependent. Dependence upon the Lord is the most mature relationship any of us can have. In our dependence upon Christ, we find ultimate freedom from this world.
"I am the Vine, you are the branches, apart from Me, you can do nothing (John 15:5)."
When we plant seeds, we see the first shoots of the vine push through the soil, then it grows stronger and bigger, produces branches, then flowers bloom and those blooms become the fruit that each particular plant produces. Break a branch from the vine and it withers and dies. The same principle is true in our lives. Apart from God, we wither, society falls into decay and destroys itself. We see it all around us every day.
"People plan their course but God establishes our steps (Proverbs 16:9)."
If you are living independent of God, you are missing the most important relationship of your life. You are missing true fulfillment in life and you are cheating yourself out of a truly satisfying life full of God's goodness, grace, mercy, and favor. The world screams "be independent," but the Lord is calling, "Depend on Me, I will never let you down."
"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 6:25-26)."
Read 1 Samuel 19-21
Psalm 34; 56-59; 133
A Year of Blessings by Marie McGaha ©2018
Friday, April 13, 2018
From Faith to Faith
"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is."
~1 John 3:1-2
When I was seven years old, I was staying with my grandmother, who was a minister. My room had this old iron framed bed with a very soft mattress. The quilts were all made by my grandmother and felt as if they weighed fifty pounds each. When I climbed into bed, I had to lay in the position I wanted because once those quilts were pulled over me, I couldn't move again. Early one morning, before dawn, a bright light shining in my face woke me up. I had to shield my eyes with my hand the light was so bright. There in my room, coming out of the ceiling were what I thought was clouds surrounding a staircase. There was a man dressed in white standing barefoot on the steps. I couldn't see all of him because he was so tall. I pulled the covers over my head, and when I peeked out, the room was back to normal. I heard my grandmother in the kitchen, so I jumped out of bed and ran to tell her. She never batted an eye, and told me how special I was to have seen the Lord. To her, nothing could have been more normal. However, when my parents came to pick me up and I told them, they laughed and said I had been dreaming.
My grandmother has been with the Lord since 1981, and my parents have long forgotten the incident. I never have. There was a reason that the Lord showed himself to a little girl, and, in retrospect, I know if He hadn't, I wouldn't be here today. We are all given what we need when we need it, even if it's not clear to us at the time.
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith' (Romans 1:16-17)."
We live from faith to faith in Christ. Sometimes that faith can get shaky, sometimes it's difficult to hold on to promises we can't see but when we falter, the Lord gives us that boost of faith we need to get to the next place in life. There are scriptures that boost my faith like the one from 1 John 3. The thought of seeing Jesus Christ as He is makes my heart flutter. There are other ways Christ boosts our faith; a particular worship song, a word from a friend at just the right time, an encouraging greeting card arrives in the mail. All of those have happened to me. Faith is given to us by God. We don't have to worry about maintaining any particular level of faith because He does it for us as we need it (Romans 12:3).
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2)."
Read 1 Samuel 14 & 1 Chronicles 8-9
Weekend Reading 1 Samuel 15-18; Psalm 110; Psalm 144
A Year of Blessings by Marie McGaha ©2018
~1 John 3:1-2
When I was seven years old, I was staying with my grandmother, who was a minister. My room had this old iron framed bed with a very soft mattress. The quilts were all made by my grandmother and felt as if they weighed fifty pounds each. When I climbed into bed, I had to lay in the position I wanted because once those quilts were pulled over me, I couldn't move again. Early one morning, before dawn, a bright light shining in my face woke me up. I had to shield my eyes with my hand the light was so bright. There in my room, coming out of the ceiling were what I thought was clouds surrounding a staircase. There was a man dressed in white standing barefoot on the steps. I couldn't see all of him because he was so tall. I pulled the covers over my head, and when I peeked out, the room was back to normal. I heard my grandmother in the kitchen, so I jumped out of bed and ran to tell her. She never batted an eye, and told me how special I was to have seen the Lord. To her, nothing could have been more normal. However, when my parents came to pick me up and I told them, they laughed and said I had been dreaming.
My grandmother has been with the Lord since 1981, and my parents have long forgotten the incident. I never have. There was a reason that the Lord showed himself to a little girl, and, in retrospect, I know if He hadn't, I wouldn't be here today. We are all given what we need when we need it, even if it's not clear to us at the time.
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith' (Romans 1:16-17)."
We live from faith to faith in Christ. Sometimes that faith can get shaky, sometimes it's difficult to hold on to promises we can't see but when we falter, the Lord gives us that boost of faith we need to get to the next place in life. There are scriptures that boost my faith like the one from 1 John 3. The thought of seeing Jesus Christ as He is makes my heart flutter. There are other ways Christ boosts our faith; a particular worship song, a word from a friend at just the right time, an encouraging greeting card arrives in the mail. All of those have happened to me. Faith is given to us by God. We don't have to worry about maintaining any particular level of faith because He does it for us as we need it (Romans 12:3).
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2)."
Read 1 Samuel 14 & 1 Chronicles 8-9
Weekend Reading 1 Samuel 15-18; Psalm 110; Psalm 144
A Year of Blessings by Marie McGaha ©2018
Thursday, April 12, 2018
Whatever You Ask
"Whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it."
~John 14:13-14
I believe pray is the most important part of Christian life. It's how we communicate with our heavenly Father. But I have to confess, I'm not very good at it. In fact, I dread being called upon at church to open or close in prayer. My pastor and his wife are world class pray-ers. At Wednesday night prayer group, these two are tag team prayer warriors that carry us through the hour of prayer time. At home, I pray a lot, or at least, I have conversations with God but like a lot of people, I wonder if I'm really being heard, and doubt I pray fervent or effectual prayers (James 5:16).
"Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through His flesh), and since we have a great Priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:19-22)."
Prior to the death and resurrection of Christ, only the high priest could enter the Holy of hoiles and approach the Mercy Seat of God. But when Christ was resurrected and ascended into Heaven, we were granted direct access through Him. His death upon the Cross changed everything. We were no longer required to make sacrifices because Christ is the ultimate sacrifice. We no longer have to have a priest sprinkle blood on the Mercy Seat because Christ's blood was shed once for all (Hebrews 9:12). Christ became the only High Priest we ever need, giving us complete access to Heaven.
Prayer is meant to be heartfelt communication with God for the purpose of glorifying God. God is glorified when our prayers are answered, and when we ask in the Name of Jesus, it moves God to act. That doesn't mean we can go to God like a kid with a quarter to stick into the candy machine. Our prayers must also line up with the will of God. Does that mean asking for financial increase, a new home or car is wrong? Absolutely not. More finances mean we can contribute more to our church, missions, and help for the needy. A new home, or better home might mean a safer neighborhood, being warmer in the winter, or room for everyone in the family. A new car means reliable transportation for work, doctor appointments and getting to church on time. It's our motivation behind our prayers that matters (James 4:3).
"And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him (1 John 5:14-15)."
Read 1 Samuel 10-13
A Year of Blessings by Marie McGaha ©2018
~John 14:13-14
I believe pray is the most important part of Christian life. It's how we communicate with our heavenly Father. But I have to confess, I'm not very good at it. In fact, I dread being called upon at church to open or close in prayer. My pastor and his wife are world class pray-ers. At Wednesday night prayer group, these two are tag team prayer warriors that carry us through the hour of prayer time. At home, I pray a lot, or at least, I have conversations with God but like a lot of people, I wonder if I'm really being heard, and doubt I pray fervent or effectual prayers (James 5:16).
"Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through His flesh), and since we have a great Priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:19-22)."
Prior to the death and resurrection of Christ, only the high priest could enter the Holy of hoiles and approach the Mercy Seat of God. But when Christ was resurrected and ascended into Heaven, we were granted direct access through Him. His death upon the Cross changed everything. We were no longer required to make sacrifices because Christ is the ultimate sacrifice. We no longer have to have a priest sprinkle blood on the Mercy Seat because Christ's blood was shed once for all (Hebrews 9:12). Christ became the only High Priest we ever need, giving us complete access to Heaven.
Prayer is meant to be heartfelt communication with God for the purpose of glorifying God. God is glorified when our prayers are answered, and when we ask in the Name of Jesus, it moves God to act. That doesn't mean we can go to God like a kid with a quarter to stick into the candy machine. Our prayers must also line up with the will of God. Does that mean asking for financial increase, a new home or car is wrong? Absolutely not. More finances mean we can contribute more to our church, missions, and help for the needy. A new home, or better home might mean a safer neighborhood, being warmer in the winter, or room for everyone in the family. A new car means reliable transportation for work, doctor appointments and getting to church on time. It's our motivation behind our prayers that matters (James 4:3).
"And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him (1 John 5:14-15)."
Read 1 Samuel 10-13
A Year of Blessings by Marie McGaha ©2018
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Feed Your Spirit
"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day."
~2 Corinthians 4:16
I am acutely aware every single morning that I'm not getting any younger. With every creak of my joints, every new ache and pain, I am reminded I am no longer young. Ever time I complain about the text on packaging getting smaller, or have to tell people to look at me when they speak so I can understand them, I am reminded that my outer self is wasting away. This old girl isn't what she used to be. However, while my body aches, my heart does not. My inner self, my spirit, is renewed and refreshed each day.
"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life (Proverbs 4:23)."
There is a native American story about two wolves that war within us. One is good and the other evil, and the one that wins is the one we feed the most.
"Jesus then said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from Heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from Heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world' (John 6:32-33)."
Just as our bodies need food to stay alive, our spirit also needs food to thrive. What you feed yourself determines what you look like. Eat processed junk food and our bodies get fat, which affect our bodily functions and causes heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes etc. When we eat right the opposite occurs, and we are healthy. When we feed our spirit with things of the world instead of things of Christ, we lose heart, become angry, bitter, depressed or worse.
There is a war going on within us - a battle between the worldly and the heavenly, and the one we choose to feed will either bring eternal death or everlasting life.
"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying His voice and holding fast to Him, for He is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)."
Read 1 Samuel 6-9
A Year of Blessings by Marie McGaha ©2018
~2 Corinthians 4:16
I am acutely aware every single morning that I'm not getting any younger. With every creak of my joints, every new ache and pain, I am reminded I am no longer young. Ever time I complain about the text on packaging getting smaller, or have to tell people to look at me when they speak so I can understand them, I am reminded that my outer self is wasting away. This old girl isn't what she used to be. However, while my body aches, my heart does not. My inner self, my spirit, is renewed and refreshed each day.
"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life (Proverbs 4:23)."
There is a native American story about two wolves that war within us. One is good and the other evil, and the one that wins is the one we feed the most.
"Jesus then said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from Heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from Heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world' (John 6:32-33)."
Just as our bodies need food to stay alive, our spirit also needs food to thrive. What you feed yourself determines what you look like. Eat processed junk food and our bodies get fat, which affect our bodily functions and causes heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes etc. When we eat right the opposite occurs, and we are healthy. When we feed our spirit with things of the world instead of things of Christ, we lose heart, become angry, bitter, depressed or worse.
There is a war going on within us - a battle between the worldly and the heavenly, and the one we choose to feed will either bring eternal death or everlasting life.
"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying His voice and holding fast to Him, for He is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)."
Read 1 Samuel 6-9
A Year of Blessings by Marie McGaha ©2018
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Shalom!
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
~Romans 5:1
When I was a very young Christian, I was told to study the Bible by looking for the word, "therefore" and ask myself 'what is this verse there for?' It helped me to read the Bible more often and to look more closely at particular verses. As I grew in the knowledge of the Lord, I came to realize how short my understanding of the true meaning of God's word was due to the lack of understanding of Hebrew and Greek. I began to seek out people who were much smarter than me and I was introduced to both the Greek and Jewish Bibles. As I grew in the knowledge of those languages, I grew in the true meaning of the English translations of God's word.
In the verse above, having peace with God seemed to mean that I was no longer at war with Him. Or I was no longer opposing Him. But the word "shalom" translated here means much more than the absence of war or opposition. The word 'peace' is the Jewish word 'Shalom,' and is much richer and more powerful than the English translation.
"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3)."
To be in perfect peace, or perfect Shalom, does not mean absence of conflict. Being a Christian does not mean we never have problems, in fact, being a Christian brings on an enemy, the devil, who wants to see us fail! What peace we have is inner peace in the knowledge that no matter what is going on in the world, Christ is in control. We no longer have fear that something is going to go wrong and we won't be able to fix it. We can rely on Jesus Christ to have everything in hand, freeing us from worry, stress, and fear.
No matter where you are or what situation you are in, you can have perfect Shalom in Christ. The world is like a hurricane spinning out of control, destroying everything in it's path. Jesus is like the eye of the hurricane, calm and serene.
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7)."
Read 1 Samuel 1-5
A Year of Blessings by Marie McGaha ©2018
~Romans 5:1
When I was a very young Christian, I was told to study the Bible by looking for the word, "therefore" and ask myself 'what is this verse there for?' It helped me to read the Bible more often and to look more closely at particular verses. As I grew in the knowledge of the Lord, I came to realize how short my understanding of the true meaning of God's word was due to the lack of understanding of Hebrew and Greek. I began to seek out people who were much smarter than me and I was introduced to both the Greek and Jewish Bibles. As I grew in the knowledge of those languages, I grew in the true meaning of the English translations of God's word.
In the verse above, having peace with God seemed to mean that I was no longer at war with Him. Or I was no longer opposing Him. But the word "shalom" translated here means much more than the absence of war or opposition. The word 'peace' is the Jewish word 'Shalom,' and is much richer and more powerful than the English translation.
"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3)."
To be in perfect peace, or perfect Shalom, does not mean absence of conflict. Being a Christian does not mean we never have problems, in fact, being a Christian brings on an enemy, the devil, who wants to see us fail! What peace we have is inner peace in the knowledge that no matter what is going on in the world, Christ is in control. We no longer have fear that something is going to go wrong and we won't be able to fix it. We can rely on Jesus Christ to have everything in hand, freeing us from worry, stress, and fear.
No matter where you are or what situation you are in, you can have perfect Shalom in Christ. The world is like a hurricane spinning out of control, destroying everything in it's path. Jesus is like the eye of the hurricane, calm and serene.
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7)."
Read 1 Samuel 1-5
A Year of Blessings by Marie McGaha ©2018
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