Tonight's Word 🌱

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
-Philippians 4:6-7

Hello friends, did you feel flustered this week? Worried? Overwhelmed? Disturbed? Anxious? Grieved? At times, we can be affected by a number of concerning events, personally, locally or internationally. I was concerned about a man dying in a freak accident in the local news, a sick relative, the suicide of a young lady, some upcoming major ventures, someone's failing marriage, about the war between Palestine and Israel, and about my plant babies possibly not surviving this heat. The list can go on and on. We all have our own list of things that worry us. Some things we seem to have no control over, and this can disturb our peace of mind. I just want to encourage us all with a reminder that even when there is no peace on earth, there is peace in Christ.

When we lose peace of mind, it is very easy to forget the things that are going right, the blessings that we also have, the God who is still very much still in charge, and that Jesus is soon to come. It is normal to worry. That is why the Bible contains so many mentions of 'Do not worry' (more than 100 times to be exact). Our Father knows us, and our propensity to worry. It also contains many reminders of claiming the peace of God in our own personal lives. In tonight's scripture, we are encouraged to bring our worries to God, with prayer and thanksgiving, and He will be our peace. Psalm 34:14 instructs us "Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." No matter the nature of our perplexities, let us continue to value peace, seek it, pursue it, and by so doing, we return to Him, the One who we ultimately depend on and place our trust and faith in.
"Peace wins the war." -Holy Spirit
As we spend some time focusing on the goodness of God, I want to share this song that came to mind this week while I was going through my moments of perplexity. It was a soothing reflection, and I trust that it will have the same effect on you also by God's grace, as we reflect on Him, and His life. Be blessed. 🎧😊

Prayer:
Dear Father, You sit high above the earth, and can see all the troubles of this earth. You have a peace that we long to have. We ask your forgiveness for all our sins, and we ask you to continue to create a clean heart, and a right spirit within us. Continue to give us the faith, that even in the middle of the storms of life, even when things are not perfect, even when we feel disturbed in our spirit, that we can continue to come to You, to depend on You, to keep our minds on You, and allow You to be our peace. Preserve our minds, keep us for Your name's sake. In Jesus' name. Amen.


Peace in Christ [McKenna Hixson]

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