John 14:27

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Sometimes the mind doesn’t want to shut off on a problem or a hurt.  Reasoning believes worry is the best way to fix a problem.  It isn’t, and concerns never walk a path to faith.  How much more to the personal good would be accomplished in peace than fear?  How big is our God that He already knows and tells you ahead of time what to focus on?  You have a part to play, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”  When God says, you can do something you can.  Peace.

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

When I first started reading my bible, this one line was very complicated to understand.  I had never thought of faith as a substance or evidence.  Now, I know that it is pivotal to my believing and speaking the word.  When I think about it, I do this every day.  I believe the gas I put in my car will make it run.  Simple right!  Why do I think that?  Because I have learned that gas powers a vehicle.  More complex and more extended in existence than a car is the Bible.  I need to learn how to apply the power of the word to fuel my life.

Colossians 2:13

And you who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made a live together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.

The magnitude of a God that can wipe out all record of my debt (sin) and choose me to still work on His behalf is a gift that I cannot probably comprehend or fully understand until I have stepped over to be with Jesus.  A love like that makes we want to go deeper with Him.  “God made a live together with him,” to bring us closer, to aid us in our sorrows, to bring us peace.  He didn’t have to, but He wanted to.  I think a shout of Praise is good right now.

Romans 12:14-17

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.  Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.  Live in harmony with one another.  Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.  Never be wise in your own sight.  Repay no one evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.

 

My spirit rejoices in this verse, and my flesh wants to turn up its nose.  My flesh will have issues when someone cuts me off on the road or doesn’t wait their turn or says something mean.  Now, I know I will feel better if I do this first because if I don’t the problem can get more significant than it needs to be.  Will it make me happy to dwell on it? No.  I prefer to have peace in my life, and that comes with choices and some days I make better decisions than others.  I remind myself that it comes down to cost of time, energy and happiness and I am at the age, I don’t want to waste any of these resources if I don’t have too.

Colossians 1:10

We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.

Three lines.  The power in the above three lines is simple yet a complete statement of the will of God for our lives.  What does He want us to have?  Knowledge of His will with wisdom and understanding so we may live a life that pleases Him.  So, we can what?  Bear fruit in every good work and if I bear fruit than I am producing something and fulfilling my calling here on earth. At the end of the day, when I lay down to sleep, I don’t want to feel my time has been wasted.  As I bear fruit I grow in the knowledge of God and knowledge is power for a better life.

Proverbs 1: 23

Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings.

Some things that I have learned about God’s correction from experience is that He always means it for my good.  When He reaches down from on high and guides me away from trouble and danger, I know that I am loved.  Is it not what a father should do for their children?  Now, this is when I need to press in and listen to the teaching He has for me.  I need to grasp where I went wrong, so I don’t repeat it.  The old me doesn’t want to have to change. The new me has a spirit that needs to learn and kept teachable as I progress with Christ.

2 Timothy 6-7

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of hands.  For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

This world has me stuffed into a mold, and I am trying to break out.  The more I read the word, the more I understand that God through salvation has given me gifts.  Now, all I have to do is fan the flame which can still be a battle because of forces trying to hold me back.  Thank God, He didn’t say I had to be timid, and He gave me power, love, and self-discipline.  Now, I have to trust His nature, trust His word, and instead of timidly blowing on my flame I need to turn on the fan.

Job 14:7-9

For there is hope for a tree, when it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and its shoots will not fail. “Though its roots grow old in the ground and its stump dies in the dry soil, at the scent of water it will flourish and put forth sprigs like a plant.

What keeps a tree upright?  The roots are what go down deep into the soil.  A tree starts out as a seed with a single root and then it expands until the roots underground are as large as the tree canopy.  We are like a tree.  We need to grow roots so deep and so vast that if anything tries to cut us down, we sprout right back up.  Some days we need to be refreshed with the water of the Word of God.  We need to water ourselves, so our hope will spring forth just like the sprigs of a plant.

John 1:1-4

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

I like words and how they can communicate a vision.  The spoken word or written word has the power to open or close a door.  You know how I know because you just got an image from the door reference.  The Bible repeatedly tells me who I am and what I can do and all the plans God has for me through the Word.  However, if you spend time outside the church, you realize not everyone knows this or knows the depth of what is written in the Bible.  So, God is the Word, and there is power in the Word, and He gave me a bible filled with words, it means something.  It means God is stretching His hand toward me and all I have to do is take it.

Proverbs 17:22

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine:  but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

There have been times in my life where I have had to choose my attitude.  I could feel in myself that if I didn’t change my thinking the day is just going to be horrible.  I prefer to have a merry heart and be happy and do well to those around me.  I can’t do that if all my thought is inward and upset.  I have a come to Jesus meeting in my head.  I encourage myself in the Lord like David.  The Word has the power to lift me out of any situation I am going through.  I have to change my focus and get my thinking off of myself.