Whirrled Peas

When do you feel at peace?

 

We've all been there...either early on in our lives or just recently.  We did something, embraced something...pursued something or someone...we sought that one thing opposite of God.  For me...as a young child, it was lying.  As I reflect on my childhood...I have GREAT memories.  I was carefree...loved...cared for...and a play seeker.  I wanted to play, play, play!  I also wanted to be important.  The center of attention....the world...the universe.

 

I cannot tell you exactly why...but, I never felt "important" enough...so I'd embellish things, make things up or blatantly tell huge whoppers of a story to gain my parents' attention...adoration...time...focus...interest.

 

And, at first...it would be way fun!  Woo hooo!  My parents were paying attention to me and listening to whatever fabrication I had concocted.  Then, things would start to fall apart.  I was a lousy liar.  Sometimes I'd get in trouble...sometimes I'd get a sympathetic look...sometimes I'd get nothing.  ALWAYS, however, I would start to sweat and get that huge knot in my stomach telling me things were NOT well.  Peace was nowhere to be found.

 

Pursuing sin gives us no peace.

Obedience to God gives us peace.

Trusting God gives us peace.

 

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 4:6-7)

 

Pursue peace....
 

PlanetWisdom.com Devotionals

Peace Week: Chase It Posted: 28 Apr 2009 03:02 PM PDT "Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." (Psalm 34:14) Peace is not a virus. It's not something you catch if you're exposed to the right set of circumstances. It's something you catch if you chase it down and wrap your hands around it. Peace is real, and God wants you to have it. The problem is most of us are really lousy peace-hunters. A) We tend to run in the direction of evil. We make selfish choices to do wrong things. We won't find any peace that way. B) We're not looking for peace; we're just hoping it finds us. "God, please put some peace in my heart. And give me a pony." God says, "Run toward the peace, and you'll catch it. Run away from me, and you'll miss it." Peace isn't a toy God gives and takes away. It comes with trusting Him enough to obey Him and rest in His arms. Run toward Him and catch it. Think: When you can't find peace, do you ever check your life to see if you're running toward sin? Do you believe that doing wrong things can keep you from having real peace? Pray: Ask God to help you to look for peace and to pursue it and to catch it by trusting Him and doing good. Do: Notice this week how sinful choices impact your ability to feel peaceful. Visit PlanetWisdom.com for more great resources!

Peace Week: Good Sleep Posted: 28 Apr 2009 05:24 AM PDT "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety." (Psalm 4:8) It didn't seem right to leave us all hanging at the end of Mad Week. So welcome to Peace Week! Peace isn't always the opposite of being angry, but it's close. Remember what David and Paul wrote about anger last week -- get rid of it before you go to sleep; lie down in your bed, think hard, and let it go. Today's verse from David is part of the secret to doing that. David was convinced that God was his protector. He didn't have to hold on to his anger to protect himself or get even with his enemies or stand against injustice. He believed God handled all those things far better than he ever could. So he stopped being angry and went to sleep in peace. Peace comes from trusting the God who loves us to exercise His enormous power to do what's best. Think: Have you ever noticed the connection between trusting God and letting go of anger? Have you ever noticed yourself become obviously more peaceful after consciously choosing to trust God about something? Pray: Ask God to help you to trust Him so deeply that you sleep in peace even when the things that make you angry or worried aren't fixed, yet. Do: Ever have trouble sleeping because you're angry or scared or stressed out? Try memorizing this verse and repeating it to yourself while you're trying to blink out. Visit PlanetWisdom.com for more great resources!