PEACE AND JOY!

Today’s Bible Verse

Be cheerful with joyous celebration in every season of life. Let your joy overflow! And let gentleness be seen in every relationship, for our Lord is ever near. Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Jesus Christ.

Philippians‬ 4:4-7‬ (TPT)

Peace and Joy!

There is no real peace outside of Christ! If peace does not come from Him, it is not authentic; it is just a soulish, temporary appeasement of emotions. Jesus is the Prince of Peace, the lasting spiritual peace only emanated from a real relationship with Him; to know Christ is to know peace. 

The world has created a form of peace, but man’s definition of what peace is falls short in comparison to the true peace God offers. Some may ask, “How can I be at peace with all the problems I am facing?” The challenge lies in that question. We are looking for an emotion, a feeling, a sentiment; instead of looking for the person of Jesus. Before He was conceived, Isaiah prophesied about Him and called Him, “The Prince of Peace!” 

This scripture is saying fix your eyes on Christ! When Christ is the focus, unmovable, unshakable, unbroken peace follows. We get frustrated when we try to produce peace in our own strength; it will never happen. True peace is the result of a heart-to-heart relationship with the Prince of Peace.

This is what God says, “…fix your thoughts on what is true… honorable… right… pure… lovely!” These are the characteristics that reflect the essence of Christ, and provide that peace that goes beyond reasoning, logic, and understanding. Christ alone is true, honorable, right, pure, and lovely. These qualities are the unvarnished character of the Father. All these things are Christ! Once peace is established, joy always follows! 

You might ask, “But how can I meditate on honorable, right, pure & lovely things when I am in the middle of this (insert your impossibility)?” That’s when the Holy Spirit (the Helper and Comforter) steps in. Praying in the Holy Spirit will strengthen your faith and open the door, so you can cast all your cares at the foot of the Cross. (Pastor Lilly Montano, Word of Life Santa Barbara)

Change My Story

Do you need to defeat anxiety, worry, or any fear? Pray. Trust His Word; meditate on it; speak His promises. See the result (your prayers answered) in your heart and overflow with gratitude. God desires that you and I experience His joy—that settled state of contentment, confidence, and hope that comes only from trusting Him and His Word. 

Today’s Declaration

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your undying love and grace. Thank You for showing me that true peace comes from a relationship with You! Today, I can stand and declare that even though I walk through the darkest valley, I know that You are the light of my path. As I seek peace and pursue it, goodness and mercy will follow me. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen!

Today’s Bible Reading

  • Old Testament: Ezra 4-5; Proverbs 3
  • New Testament: Luke 13:22-35; 1 Timothy 2

PEACE AND JOY!