Peace

I have a lot of emotions running around in my head today.

My heart is hurting for friends that are struggling as they watch their children fight the battle of their lives with illness.  Or the ones that are fighting their own battles.

My heart is hurting for friends that are struggling in their marriages.  Fighting to hold on to the vows they made.

My heart is hurting for friends who are desperately praying for the return of a prodigal child.

And my heart is hurting for those in my life who have been deeply hurt by people that are supposed to love them and protect them.

It seems my prayer list is incredibly long these days.  I have even found myself thinking "how can I get through these each day" when I am asked to add another prayer for a friend.  Don't get me wrong, I will always pray when I am asked.  It just seems that there is more and more to pray for each day, more and more hurt, more and more discouragement.

I think the enemy looks at that and thinks he is winning.  He probably looks at our country and the decline going on and thinks he is winning.

But guess what?

He.is.NOT.

God is still in control and God is still bigger than all these problems.

 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

In my prayer time today I was reminded of two things....

One, this life is short.  In comparison to Eternity, it is just a blip.  

And in recognizing that, it helps me remember to look at each problem through Jesus.  If I focus on Jesus first, I see the problem "through" Him.  It doesn't make it any less of a problem, but it does put the problem into the right perspective and it seems smaller in comparison to Him.  

And two, I am so very thankful for my salvation and the Holy Spirit living in me.

My salvation gives me HOPE.  Hope that this life is not the end all.  Hope that God has a better place prepared for me for ETERNITY.  

It also makes me so very thankful for the Holy Spirit's work in my life....the restraining He provides.  His grace and power in my life restrains me, holds me back from acting out on what my sinful, selfish side would really like to do.  I am no better than anybody else. I just have relationship with God and because of that have the help of the Holy Spirit.  I know He restrains me and keeps me from a lot of trouble.  I am forever grateful for that.

I don't know what you are facing today, but don't face it alone.

   When you face it on your own, it's like a wave.  It looks relatively small at a distance, but as it gets closer and closer it grows bigger and bigger until you feel it will overtake you.

However, when you face it with Jesus, it is surmountable, manageable and you can even find joy and peace in the middle of it. 

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