Faith and Peace...All I Need Is You Lord..
Right now I know I should be studying instead of blogging but I can’t help but blog, coz there’s this feeling inside of me that would not go away if I don’t continue blogging, well I guess its got to do with the fact that the Lord was so real to me again as I went through a dry spell and troubles and struggles in the past few weeks, in fact I can’t say yet that I’ve gotten out fully of it yet, still, I’m getting better and perhaps it might mean something sharing about how God has been working in my life even when at times, He can seem so distant.
It all began after I had such a wonderful experience of God’s grace last Monday, as mentioned in my previous post, with the fact that I’ve finally made more effort in the right direction with regards to my friendships. I must say that truly, it was awesome and in fact in carried on into the week with relatively good days on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week. But, I mean as life always is one moment things seem so perfect and the next your world seems to crumble right before your very eyes. I guess, we all grow through these troubles in life, so that was not a big problem. However, having had such a wonderful start to the week, I became almost too happy that I seem to take for granted that things were indeed getting better, so when the troubles hit at the end of last week, I was almost too unprepared and I forgot the truth that we are to be joyful in all circumstances and to even consider it pure joy to face trials. Thus, with discontentment* and unhappiness creeping in and I suddenly was overwhelmed by what seem to be now bad things coming my way, I sort of fell into a mini state of depression over the weekend that’s just gone by. By before I even move on to my problems and my thoughts and how two important messages on Sunday and today have helped me turn back my eyes unto the Lord, here are some of the devotion messages that meant a lot to me last week as I started to face troubles after the most part of last week I felt like I was in heaven. First, the devotion message was about the Lord’s protection on Wednesday if I’m not wrong, it was taken from Psalms. It was to say that the Lord our God will go before us and clear a path for us and will guide us and protect us. Therefore in the light of this, we are to trust that the Lord has prepared a way for us, a plan for our lives that is prefect and He is with us all the way. So, we do not have to worry about what the future will be but to just do our best each day for the Lord and know that the Lord will make a way for us where there seems to be no way, for He leads us through life and will certainly protect us along the path that He has set for us. This was indeed a fitting message just as the J2’s like me are facing the uncertainty of the ‘A’ Levels in that we don’t know how we are going to fare and how things will turn out or even how we can get through the exams, but the Lord has already prepared the way and all we have to do is to work hard, try our best and trust the Lord. And, whatever the outcome we do not need to worry, has all been taken care of by the Lord.
Then, on Thursday, the devotion message again was so real to me and relevant, and yea its just devotions but somehow I could really feel God speaking to me through it again. At that point, I didn’t realise the significance of the message but on hindsight it seems it was to sort of so much of what I needed to know as I went through a rough time from Thursday onwards last week to now. So anw, it was about the widely shared story from the Bible about Peter walking on the water towards Jesus as the storms were raging at sea. Just like the raging seas, we face troubles in life and difficulties such as my ‘A’ Levels for example, while Peter had faith to walk on water which was only because he focused on God, the moment he saw the stormy seas, he started to sink, so we need to have faith that God will get us through and can help me to the impossible, and all it takes is faith nothing else. When we face problems in life, if we focus on it we will fall deeper into it, but instead we should seek God and trust in Him and focus on Him, then He will give us the strength to face any storm. On that same day, I faced the troubles, first, I had great difficulty doing most of the timed assignments again and made me upset coz at this stage how could I still not be able to do my work well enough, I was worried about exams, (how to make it? I thought). Then, things seemed to be mostly the same as usual as in, in the class situation where I felt so like distanced. Of course, a good thing still was that at least I spent the break with some of my nice classmates. Now, then they talked about Honour’s Nite and stuff, and to be honest, on Wednesday of last week, I didn’t know it was honours day until the day itself, so that day too I stayed late in school so I was too tired anw to go, the good thing about that was that I wasn’t tired like the rest the next day, but I felt I sort of missed an important moment in school life, though I wasn’t an awardee; besides got courage award. So that was another thing which didn’t make me happy. Anw, so another thing we talked about was a classmate who everyone wasn’t very happy with, with all the stuff done by this person and how most of us couldn’t related to em. But, I guess, as we talked about it, we learned one thing, not to judge others, well, we kept in mind that people may have their problems and we can’t just say stuff about others. In fact, whether we can relate to someone or not or whether they do right or wrong, we are to love them the same just as the Lord loves us regardless of whom we are. Also, we were talking about how worrying it is with exams being so near already, but truly there is one way only to trust in God.
On Friday then, the message was about how David lived his life and how it mattered when he died. So, he had great faith in God and defeat the giant goliath an became a great king, he even so was human and made mistakes, but sought the Lord forgiveness and became known as a man after God’s own heart. What made his life so significant when he died, was that, he loved God and he lived his life for God’s purpose for his life and served the people, and that was all that mattered when he died. So to really make something out of our lives, it is not our possessions or power but how we have lived for God’s purposes for our lives and serving the people God put there for us to serve. That way, we leave behind a legacy and served God’s purpose for our life and that’s all that matters.
The weekend came then, and that’s where things began to get bad for me, that was the peak of my unhappiness last week. It’s quite funny how I had both my happiest moment and my most depressing moment all in the same week. Firstly, I couldn’t do any of my work properly and I felt discontentment and like again my life had slipped back into something barely from the way life feels when I’m living it fully. And, that point, I felt like my whole world had collapse right before my eyes. Everything felt so bleak and saddening. I felt so depressed…really. I just suddenly got so confused again like my life was suddenly not good enough again, and I felt stuff were still missing from my life and I was discontent. The most important factor was like after browsing through facebook and stuff, I felt like I still don’t have friendship to the level beyond just an acquaintance and the closest to a friend in school I have is someone who’d say hi, say a few words and help me if I ask, and still for the most part it will have to be up to me to find people to join. I realised that I was having issues in making the effort to make friends in that, I didn’t seem to be part of all these different stuff that friends do together…for the most part still I want to have life experiences and friendships that will allow me to share experiences with. I suddenly felt like ALL I EVER JUST WANT IS LIFE EXPERIENCES AND FRIENDSHIPS AND MY LIFE WOULD BE PERFECT WITH THIS AND NOTHING MORE. So I was pretty upset the whole day and was in a bad mood and yea ended up not being on the best terms with everyone around me. Anyway, so I came up with what I feel life means and is about: Life experiences, relationships, interests, doing a job one loves, being involved in mission work with the church, evangelism, discipleship, i.e. growing thru the stuff we face in life, and the daily spiritual disciplines and finally doing stuff that the Lord sets in our hearts to do, and stuff that we love. So, I thought about it and concluded that I’ve not been living up to the ideals of life that I have, so I felt like I needed more. But, on hindsight, I realised that life is not about living it the way I think life should be lived but how God wants me to live for the Lord knows what is best for me and I have to trust that. And, whatever is not going for me now, I know that the Lord in His time will give me. All I have to do is live my best I can for God’s glory everyday and not be concerned with what I haven’t done or don’t have, for God is the one who directs my life everyday. ALL I EVER NEED IS GOD ALONE, sure life has a whole lot of other stuff, but the most important thing is our relationship with God, and that is all that truly matters.
So on Sunday, as I was slightly sad about stuff still, it’s amazing how God spoke to me and lifted my spirits. Well, it all had to do with the church service in the morning. Firstly, the worship was good, as for the first time we used electric guitars and drums, haha…seriously, kinda late but nonetheless good that we finally made a start. Just wanna say though, worship is not about the songs or what we want, but it is offering worship to God, to praise Him and bring glory to Him…its all about Jesus. Also. I mean just being at church every week no matter what troubles we have faced during the week, it just refreshes you and the Lord spoke to my heart from the message. So anw, the songs that we played though relatively old songs still, really just suddenly allowed me to feel God’s presence in a deep way, it was like after being so sad that God was telling me that no matter what circumstances I’m in, that the Lord is good and His plan perfect, and He is with me and never will forsake me. So, I realised there and then that all I had to do was to trust in the Lord and not let the things around me bring me down but to be joyful always, thank the Lord and pray always to Him and things would be fine already, and that’s all I’ll need. The songs were like, God is good all the time, How excellent your name is, Purify my heart, Heart of worship and You’re All I want.
Well, the message was about FAITH, TRUE FAITH…The scripture was taken from James 2 and I quote a small portion:
In the same way,
Faith by itself,
If it is not accompanied by action,
Is dead.
(James 2: 17)
Firstly, the speaker explained clearly the confusion about the matter of being JUSTIFIED BY FAITH VS JUSTIFIED BY WORKS. Well, we are only saved by faith, and not by what we have done, but by God’s grace all we have to do is believe and we are saved. But, works here are said further down the passage to be necessary. However, works in the passage refers to the Christian lifestyle of reading the Bible, going to church and praying. Obviously we know that it is not what we do that makes us Christians but by our faith in God. The next issue back to the start of James 2 is about the fact that we should not show favouritism but to treat everyone the same. God created each and everyone of us and loves us all, so we are to love everyone the same, and He has chosen the poor to be rich in faith and whoever loves Him will inherit the Lord’s kingdom. Now, to what faith is not. Faith is not claiming to love God and not do anything, nor a feeling, or even believing in God’s existence. It is about be obedient to the Lord and taking action. It is impossible to say that we have faith if we still continue to live lives that are not pleasing to God. But, even as Christians with a true faith in God, do stumble and fall from time to time, however, the mark of a true Christian is one who asks the Lord for forgiveness and desires only to live a life that pleases Him. Truly, the evidence of true faith is usually none clearer than in a person who has become a Christian, coz there would be a change in the person that others will see, and very often this brings others to Christ as they see how truly real God is in the person’s life. So, truly, let us have true faith and live life in obedience to God, so that others will see Christ thru our actions.
So, Lord I just pray that you will strengthen my faith; help me have true faith oh Lord and to live my life in obedience to you Lord. I believe that you are the true and living God...you are my Lord and saviour and everyday I live for you. Lord you are truly all I need, so help me to show my true faith in action such that others will see you oh Lord. And, help me to trust in you no matter what I’m going thru and to have faith in you to have joy in all circumstances. Amen.
Finally, on the same day, after church, in all the unhappy feelings, I realised that in all of the seemingly hopeless and dark moment, God was drawing me closer to himself. When we have no way out, there is only one person we can turn to and that is God. Just as Tada says, “When life is rosy, we may slide by without knowing about Jesus, with imitating Him and quoting Him and speaking of Him. But only in suffering will we know Jesus.” Our most profound and intimate experiences of worship will likely be in your darkest days (Taken from PDL). This was exactly how I felt after that, and instead of being upset anymore, I began to feel better. This was because I know that the Lord is all I need and in this period where it felt like God was distant, it was a test of my faith for God is always there whether we feel it or not. So, it was like a test of my relationship with God and an opportunity to have worship on a deeper level thru troubles. This was just a normal part of the testing of my faith and maturing relationship with God. God I believe was trying to get me off the confirming emotions and all. At that time I didn’t totally understand that, but certainly, I felt compelled to look to God and I felt better. Though, I must admit, I didn’t always focus enough on God. So I just pray that God will give me faith to focus on Him and not be affected by the things going on around me. God, I realise now, is more concerned that I trust in Him with faith. And, just like Job who lost everything, he still praised the Lord, I had to turn to God alone. And, side tracking, anw, that nite was great also coz I went over the highway as the Formula 1 race kicked of, so yea the cars on the grid driving off.
The last thing, the most amazing part about everything, was the message at chapel today, which said everything that was relevant to me now. It was about PEACE. It began with having peace with our circumstances.
I am not saying this because I am in need,
For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances,
I know what it is to be in need,
And I know what it is to have plenty.
I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation,
Whether well fed or hungry,
Whether living in plenty or in want.
I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.
(Philippians 4: 11-14)
Therefore I tell you,
Do not worry about your life,
What you will eat or drink;
Or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more important than food,
And the body more important than clothes?
Look at the birds of the air;
They do not sow or reap or store away in barns,
And yet your heavenly father feeds them.
Are you not much more valuable than they?
(Matthew 6: 25-26)
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness,
And all these things will be given you as well.
(Matthew 6: 33)
This was really relevant to me as one of the main issues for my unhappiness in the weekend had a lot to do with the fact that I was discontent with my life, and feeling that I needed more. But, this reminded me that I should be content for the Lord will provide for me in His time, and God is all I need truly.
Next, was about peace with people.
Accept one another, then,
Just as Christ accepted you,
In order to bring praise to God.
(Romans 15: 7)
This made me think about how perhaps there are people who others don’t like or find them hard to related to or a person people don’t like because of stuff done. But, whether a person is good or bad, or difficult to related to, God created everyone of us, so we are to accept everyone just as God has accepted every one of us. It also made me think about how perhaps I hope that people will be able to accept me for who I am.
Then, finally we are to have peace before God.
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith,
We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we no stand.
And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
(Romans 5: 1-2)
Finally, brothers, whatever is true,
Whatever is noble,
Whatever is right,
Whatever is pure,
Whatever is lovely,
Whatever is admirable-
If anything is excellent or praiseworthy-
Think about such things.
(Philippians 4: 8)
In closing, to have peace with God, is about having a good relationship with God. This starts with having faith in God and becoming a Christian, and this should manifests itself in action by doing what is right before God and to fill our minds with only what is good.
Thus, this was how God so amazingly spoke to me through all my struggles with contentment, my relationships with others, and having faith in God’s power to see me through my troubles and to give me the strength to overcome the obstacles ahead. Now, I’m no longer worried about my future, nor am I discontented anymore and I have faith and know and trust that the Lord will see me through. And, truly, I just look to God alone, who is all I need…and I’m just drawing all my joy and strength from the Lord. Lord, I love you with all my heart, mind, soul and my strength, and give me renewed passion for your glory. In all circumstances or how far He seems, I just praise the Lord and trust in Him.
It all began after I had such a wonderful experience of God’s grace last Monday, as mentioned in my previous post, with the fact that I’ve finally made more effort in the right direction with regards to my friendships. I must say that truly, it was awesome and in fact in carried on into the week with relatively good days on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week. But, I mean as life always is one moment things seem so perfect and the next your world seems to crumble right before your very eyes. I guess, we all grow through these troubles in life, so that was not a big problem. However, having had such a wonderful start to the week, I became almost too happy that I seem to take for granted that things were indeed getting better, so when the troubles hit at the end of last week, I was almost too unprepared and I forgot the truth that we are to be joyful in all circumstances and to even consider it pure joy to face trials. Thus, with discontentment* and unhappiness creeping in and I suddenly was overwhelmed by what seem to be now bad things coming my way, I sort of fell into a mini state of depression over the weekend that’s just gone by. By before I even move on to my problems and my thoughts and how two important messages on Sunday and today have helped me turn back my eyes unto the Lord, here are some of the devotion messages that meant a lot to me last week as I started to face troubles after the most part of last week I felt like I was in heaven. First, the devotion message was about the Lord’s protection on Wednesday if I’m not wrong, it was taken from Psalms. It was to say that the Lord our God will go before us and clear a path for us and will guide us and protect us. Therefore in the light of this, we are to trust that the Lord has prepared a way for us, a plan for our lives that is prefect and He is with us all the way. So, we do not have to worry about what the future will be but to just do our best each day for the Lord and know that the Lord will make a way for us where there seems to be no way, for He leads us through life and will certainly protect us along the path that He has set for us. This was indeed a fitting message just as the J2’s like me are facing the uncertainty of the ‘A’ Levels in that we don’t know how we are going to fare and how things will turn out or even how we can get through the exams, but the Lord has already prepared the way and all we have to do is to work hard, try our best and trust the Lord. And, whatever the outcome we do not need to worry, has all been taken care of by the Lord.
Then, on Thursday, the devotion message again was so real to me and relevant, and yea its just devotions but somehow I could really feel God speaking to me through it again. At that point, I didn’t realise the significance of the message but on hindsight it seems it was to sort of so much of what I needed to know as I went through a rough time from Thursday onwards last week to now. So anw, it was about the widely shared story from the Bible about Peter walking on the water towards Jesus as the storms were raging at sea. Just like the raging seas, we face troubles in life and difficulties such as my ‘A’ Levels for example, while Peter had faith to walk on water which was only because he focused on God, the moment he saw the stormy seas, he started to sink, so we need to have faith that God will get us through and can help me to the impossible, and all it takes is faith nothing else. When we face problems in life, if we focus on it we will fall deeper into it, but instead we should seek God and trust in Him and focus on Him, then He will give us the strength to face any storm. On that same day, I faced the troubles, first, I had great difficulty doing most of the timed assignments again and made me upset coz at this stage how could I still not be able to do my work well enough, I was worried about exams, (how to make it? I thought). Then, things seemed to be mostly the same as usual as in, in the class situation where I felt so like distanced. Of course, a good thing still was that at least I spent the break with some of my nice classmates. Now, then they talked about Honour’s Nite and stuff, and to be honest, on Wednesday of last week, I didn’t know it was honours day until the day itself, so that day too I stayed late in school so I was too tired anw to go, the good thing about that was that I wasn’t tired like the rest the next day, but I felt I sort of missed an important moment in school life, though I wasn’t an awardee; besides got courage award. So that was another thing which didn’t make me happy. Anw, so another thing we talked about was a classmate who everyone wasn’t very happy with, with all the stuff done by this person and how most of us couldn’t related to em. But, I guess, as we talked about it, we learned one thing, not to judge others, well, we kept in mind that people may have their problems and we can’t just say stuff about others. In fact, whether we can relate to someone or not or whether they do right or wrong, we are to love them the same just as the Lord loves us regardless of whom we are. Also, we were talking about how worrying it is with exams being so near already, but truly there is one way only to trust in God.
On Friday then, the message was about how David lived his life and how it mattered when he died. So, he had great faith in God and defeat the giant goliath an became a great king, he even so was human and made mistakes, but sought the Lord forgiveness and became known as a man after God’s own heart. What made his life so significant when he died, was that, he loved God and he lived his life for God’s purpose for his life and served the people, and that was all that mattered when he died. So to really make something out of our lives, it is not our possessions or power but how we have lived for God’s purposes for our lives and serving the people God put there for us to serve. That way, we leave behind a legacy and served God’s purpose for our life and that’s all that matters.
The weekend came then, and that’s where things began to get bad for me, that was the peak of my unhappiness last week. It’s quite funny how I had both my happiest moment and my most depressing moment all in the same week. Firstly, I couldn’t do any of my work properly and I felt discontentment and like again my life had slipped back into something barely from the way life feels when I’m living it fully. And, that point, I felt like my whole world had collapse right before my eyes. Everything felt so bleak and saddening. I felt so depressed…really. I just suddenly got so confused again like my life was suddenly not good enough again, and I felt stuff were still missing from my life and I was discontent. The most important factor was like after browsing through facebook and stuff, I felt like I still don’t have friendship to the level beyond just an acquaintance and the closest to a friend in school I have is someone who’d say hi, say a few words and help me if I ask, and still for the most part it will have to be up to me to find people to join. I realised that I was having issues in making the effort to make friends in that, I didn’t seem to be part of all these different stuff that friends do together…for the most part still I want to have life experiences and friendships that will allow me to share experiences with. I suddenly felt like ALL I EVER JUST WANT IS LIFE EXPERIENCES AND FRIENDSHIPS AND MY LIFE WOULD BE PERFECT WITH THIS AND NOTHING MORE. So I was pretty upset the whole day and was in a bad mood and yea ended up not being on the best terms with everyone around me. Anyway, so I came up with what I feel life means and is about: Life experiences, relationships, interests, doing a job one loves, being involved in mission work with the church, evangelism, discipleship, i.e. growing thru the stuff we face in life, and the daily spiritual disciplines and finally doing stuff that the Lord sets in our hearts to do, and stuff that we love. So, I thought about it and concluded that I’ve not been living up to the ideals of life that I have, so I felt like I needed more. But, on hindsight, I realised that life is not about living it the way I think life should be lived but how God wants me to live for the Lord knows what is best for me and I have to trust that. And, whatever is not going for me now, I know that the Lord in His time will give me. All I have to do is live my best I can for God’s glory everyday and not be concerned with what I haven’t done or don’t have, for God is the one who directs my life everyday. ALL I EVER NEED IS GOD ALONE, sure life has a whole lot of other stuff, but the most important thing is our relationship with God, and that is all that truly matters.
So on Sunday, as I was slightly sad about stuff still, it’s amazing how God spoke to me and lifted my spirits. Well, it all had to do with the church service in the morning. Firstly, the worship was good, as for the first time we used electric guitars and drums, haha…seriously, kinda late but nonetheless good that we finally made a start. Just wanna say though, worship is not about the songs or what we want, but it is offering worship to God, to praise Him and bring glory to Him…its all about Jesus. Also. I mean just being at church every week no matter what troubles we have faced during the week, it just refreshes you and the Lord spoke to my heart from the message. So anw, the songs that we played though relatively old songs still, really just suddenly allowed me to feel God’s presence in a deep way, it was like after being so sad that God was telling me that no matter what circumstances I’m in, that the Lord is good and His plan perfect, and He is with me and never will forsake me. So, I realised there and then that all I had to do was to trust in the Lord and not let the things around me bring me down but to be joyful always, thank the Lord and pray always to Him and things would be fine already, and that’s all I’ll need. The songs were like, God is good all the time, How excellent your name is, Purify my heart, Heart of worship and You’re All I want.
Well, the message was about FAITH, TRUE FAITH…The scripture was taken from James 2 and I quote a small portion:
In the same way,
Faith by itself,
If it is not accompanied by action,
Is dead.
(James 2: 17)
Firstly, the speaker explained clearly the confusion about the matter of being JUSTIFIED BY FAITH VS JUSTIFIED BY WORKS. Well, we are only saved by faith, and not by what we have done, but by God’s grace all we have to do is believe and we are saved. But, works here are said further down the passage to be necessary. However, works in the passage refers to the Christian lifestyle of reading the Bible, going to church and praying. Obviously we know that it is not what we do that makes us Christians but by our faith in God. The next issue back to the start of James 2 is about the fact that we should not show favouritism but to treat everyone the same. God created each and everyone of us and loves us all, so we are to love everyone the same, and He has chosen the poor to be rich in faith and whoever loves Him will inherit the Lord’s kingdom. Now, to what faith is not. Faith is not claiming to love God and not do anything, nor a feeling, or even believing in God’s existence. It is about be obedient to the Lord and taking action. It is impossible to say that we have faith if we still continue to live lives that are not pleasing to God. But, even as Christians with a true faith in God, do stumble and fall from time to time, however, the mark of a true Christian is one who asks the Lord for forgiveness and desires only to live a life that pleases Him. Truly, the evidence of true faith is usually none clearer than in a person who has become a Christian, coz there would be a change in the person that others will see, and very often this brings others to Christ as they see how truly real God is in the person’s life. So, truly, let us have true faith and live life in obedience to God, so that others will see Christ thru our actions.
So, Lord I just pray that you will strengthen my faith; help me have true faith oh Lord and to live my life in obedience to you Lord. I believe that you are the true and living God...you are my Lord and saviour and everyday I live for you. Lord you are truly all I need, so help me to show my true faith in action such that others will see you oh Lord. And, help me to trust in you no matter what I’m going thru and to have faith in you to have joy in all circumstances. Amen.
Finally, on the same day, after church, in all the unhappy feelings, I realised that in all of the seemingly hopeless and dark moment, God was drawing me closer to himself. When we have no way out, there is only one person we can turn to and that is God. Just as Tada says, “When life is rosy, we may slide by without knowing about Jesus, with imitating Him and quoting Him and speaking of Him. But only in suffering will we know Jesus.” Our most profound and intimate experiences of worship will likely be in your darkest days (Taken from PDL). This was exactly how I felt after that, and instead of being upset anymore, I began to feel better. This was because I know that the Lord is all I need and in this period where it felt like God was distant, it was a test of my faith for God is always there whether we feel it or not. So, it was like a test of my relationship with God and an opportunity to have worship on a deeper level thru troubles. This was just a normal part of the testing of my faith and maturing relationship with God. God I believe was trying to get me off the confirming emotions and all. At that time I didn’t totally understand that, but certainly, I felt compelled to look to God and I felt better. Though, I must admit, I didn’t always focus enough on God. So I just pray that God will give me faith to focus on Him and not be affected by the things going on around me. God, I realise now, is more concerned that I trust in Him with faith. And, just like Job who lost everything, he still praised the Lord, I had to turn to God alone. And, side tracking, anw, that nite was great also coz I went over the highway as the Formula 1 race kicked of, so yea the cars on the grid driving off.
The last thing, the most amazing part about everything, was the message at chapel today, which said everything that was relevant to me now. It was about PEACE. It began with having peace with our circumstances.
I am not saying this because I am in need,
For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances,
I know what it is to be in need,
And I know what it is to have plenty.
I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation,
Whether well fed or hungry,
Whether living in plenty or in want.
I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.
(Philippians 4: 11-14)
Therefore I tell you,
Do not worry about your life,
What you will eat or drink;
Or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more important than food,
And the body more important than clothes?
Look at the birds of the air;
They do not sow or reap or store away in barns,
And yet your heavenly father feeds them.
Are you not much more valuable than they?
(Matthew 6: 25-26)
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness,
And all these things will be given you as well.
(Matthew 6: 33)
This was really relevant to me as one of the main issues for my unhappiness in the weekend had a lot to do with the fact that I was discontent with my life, and feeling that I needed more. But, this reminded me that I should be content for the Lord will provide for me in His time, and God is all I need truly.
Next, was about peace with people.
Accept one another, then,
Just as Christ accepted you,
In order to bring praise to God.
(Romans 15: 7)
This made me think about how perhaps there are people who others don’t like or find them hard to related to or a person people don’t like because of stuff done. But, whether a person is good or bad, or difficult to related to, God created everyone of us, so we are to accept everyone just as God has accepted every one of us. It also made me think about how perhaps I hope that people will be able to accept me for who I am.
Then, finally we are to have peace before God.
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith,
We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we no stand.
And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
(Romans 5: 1-2)
Finally, brothers, whatever is true,
Whatever is noble,
Whatever is right,
Whatever is pure,
Whatever is lovely,
Whatever is admirable-
If anything is excellent or praiseworthy-
Think about such things.
(Philippians 4: 8)
In closing, to have peace with God, is about having a good relationship with God. This starts with having faith in God and becoming a Christian, and this should manifests itself in action by doing what is right before God and to fill our minds with only what is good.
Thus, this was how God so amazingly spoke to me through all my struggles with contentment, my relationships with others, and having faith in God’s power to see me through my troubles and to give me the strength to overcome the obstacles ahead. Now, I’m no longer worried about my future, nor am I discontented anymore and I have faith and know and trust that the Lord will see me through. And, truly, I just look to God alone, who is all I need…and I’m just drawing all my joy and strength from the Lord. Lord, I love you with all my heart, mind, soul and my strength, and give me renewed passion for your glory. In all circumstances or how far He seems, I just praise the Lord and trust in Him.
Comments