Peace, Overwhelming Peace

Have you learned that Peace, overwhelming peace floods your soul when you  keep your mind focused on

the attributes of God?

the character of God?

the promises of God?

Peace is a love gift from the Father and it  belongs to us.  The Holy Spirit indwells us and peace is a result of His presence within our hearts. 

Love, Joy, Peace – these are gifts from the Holy Spirit.  Precious gifts to help us live lives of love and abundance.  Lives focused on loving God and seeking first His Kingdom matter so much to Him.

Peace is a settled assurance in our souls about a matter.  In Galatians 5, Peace follows after Joy.   When we receive Joy, we also experience Gladness in our souls.  We are no longer striving to hold onto momentary, fleeting moments of happiness. Gladness settles down deep in our soul and keeps our outlook focused on the work of the Cross.  Gladness protects us from despair and depression too!

Our souls are settled in the finished work of the Cross.  Jesus has done all that was required of Him to make us acceptable to the Father.  His death and poured out blood bought atonement for us.  Our acceptance of His sacrifice renders us whiter than snow. 

When the Father looks at us, He does so through the Blood.

We are accepted in the Beloved, washed clean by the Blood of Jesus.  We are the beloved and our souls are settled, as moment by moment we walk and live in the light of His love and truth.  Over and over again I must go to His promises and hide myself in Him. 

The tranquility of peace mounts guard.

  Peace is not afraid to say, ‘Who goes there?  What is your purpose? What Kingdom is this emotion from?’  I need Peace to rise up in me…particularly every six months when my husband gets his PSA tested…I need Peace to tell those worries to take a hike because I believe that by the stripes of Jesus he has been healed and I refuse to be badgered off the truth of God’s unfailing promises.

Peace allows us to take authority over that which is not of the Kingdom of God and therefore not welcome in our lives and when we are willing to cut the ties to unbalanced emotion we appropriate the fruit of the Spirit. 

Peace knows ‘happy’ is an orphan, is a worldly imposter.

‘Happy’ doesn’t want us to rejoice in the Lord or gladden and delight ourselves in Him.  Happy keeps us focused on what we see in the natural, when God wants us to walk by faith and not sight.   He wants to lead us the way He has prepared for us and we make it hard for Him to do that when we are always focused on what we see before us.

The Lord is very near to us, He is present in our everyday circumstances.  God is faithful and His grace trains us in righteousness.  It isn’t easy to stay focused and determined to believe God’s word over the circumstances but when we do…why we are in for some great surprises!

Will we yield to His greater, though unknown plans and purposes, will we just flow in the River of Delight with Him and bless Him by our decision to worship Him in spirit and in truth?

Our joy in Him will give us the ability to stand secure and confident, assured fully of His ability and willingness to work in our situations so the result is glory and honor to His Name and a measure of goodness through patience is brought to our lives.

The result for us in our inmost beings?  We rejoice in the Lord!  Peace floods our soul, we gladden ourselves in Him.

We are drinking from the well of Living Water that will never run dry.  As we drink, our continual thirst is slaked.

Peace is our constant companion.  Even in the middle of emotional conflict and striving we are glad!!

The object of our focus also determines our peace ~ or lack thereof!  This is probably the biggest lesson I have learned as I have walked this prostate cancer journey with my husband. 

When I focus on what ‘could be’ in the natural I am just a mess, but when I steer myself in the direction of His unfailing and unchanging word I am excited about the things of God and the purposes and plans He has for us.  I begin to praise Him for the healing power of Jesus’ blood and thank Him for pouring out the Blood so we could know and experience the healing power of God.

We received a good report today from his latest blood tests…why I am so relieved is so strange when I always imagine the blood of Jesus coursing through our veins, washing away any spot or blemish, perfecting us in its mighty flow!

Will you join me in determining to focusing our thoughts on God’s thoughts; to let  the Scriptures sear our hearts instead of having our hearts seared by Facebook or the headlines of the day?

Reading our Bibles and focusing our heart and thoughts on what God says will quickly chase away the blues.  It takes time and effort but the fear and doubts, our concerns and worries can take on the form of prayer and change our mindset to hearts and minds set on His word.  When I write the word ‘set’, I think of Jello.  When we first open the package it is powdered crystals that change when we pour the water over it.  We stir it all up but it is still liquid and we know it isn’t ready.  It must be refrigerated before it ‘sets’.  Will you be ‘set’ on His word dear friend?

As our worries and fears are transformed into prayer, so peace shall garrison and mount guard over our hearts and minds.  That is a reason right there to be glad!

In order to enter into the rest of God, our thoughts need to be corralled and trained to think and meditate upon that which is lovely, just, pure, kind and winsome.

We shall not be striving for peace for we shall have entered the rest of God.

We find Balance.  Peace, overwhelming Peace is ours!

Beckoned by the King,

Jeannie