Living in Peace
Psalm 85:8-9 (NLT) I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways. Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, so our land will be filled with his glory.
Are you faithful to God? Here is another great promise from our Father, He will speak peace over us. Followed by a gentle reminder for us not to go back to our old ways, there is the promise and a command. To have the peace of God we must remain faithful to Christ. It's a cause and effect: following the will of God will allow peace to reign.
When we choose to disobey we are just asking for turmoil in our lives. Are you listening carefully to what God is saying or to what man is saying? Even if you are listening to a Christian man or woman, are they in line with what God is saying? I've seen people go 100% toward a new direction because another Christian told them it was the way to go or they believed in them enough that pursuing this direction was the right thing to do. Have you given it to God? Have you prayed about the timing? Listen carefully to what God is saying…. listen, listen, listen….
Try to listen and pray then obey. Man can easily miss the mark even with the best intentions. Making sudden decisions without allowing time to pray and sleep over it can cause a lot of pain. When something sounds so wonderful so quickly our flesh can tend to be louder than our spirit. It is best to go home and pray about the situation and wait a day. By morning you will know if the peace remains to move forward. Keep in mind, peace doesn't mean all feelings of fear disappear. This peace is knowing I have to do this or I'm not at peace because I'm not in the will of God if I don't move forward. You may move forward shaking, but you will know it's what God has for you.
When God speaks to you to walk across a room and speak to a stranger, your flesh will fight you but you won't have peace sitting still, you have to get up and obey.
During a season of house hunting there were times I thought to myself we better put an offer in on a house right away and it made sense because the houses were selling in a day. I also know that the next day something better could come along and whatever home God has for us, we will know and have peace and it won't be a stressful situation. If you aren't far in your relationship with God start by reading the bible a little each day. A great way to start your day is with a devotion, a few scriptures to get you motivated to go out the door with purpose. I also recommend reading some verses at night right before bed so the last thing on your mind is God's word. Repeat them over and over and meditate on them asking God to reveal what those verses mean. A single scripture can speak to everyone on a different level. God is great at His job and He has never failed! You can live in peace!
Luke 11:28 (NLT) Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”
