Jesus Our Peace in EVERY Struggle

Once in a quiet time, God laid it on my heart that we struggle until we cease to struggle. Some struggle is inevitable. In the natural we see examples of this in a butterfly coming out of a chrysalis. If it does not struggle just the right amount, its wings will not be strong enough for it to fly. Butterflies were created to fly. There are struggles which lead us to God and a deeper relationship with Him. A deeper dependence on Him and learning how rest in His love and trust Him, even when things are difficult is the outcome of that sort of struggle. Jacob struggled or wrestled with God. The outcome was a limp but also a deeper relationship. Today, whatever your area of struggle is, Trust God and lean into His love and provision. He is with us in our struggles. “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” John 14:27

Enter the Rest and Peace of GOD

Driving to babysit, very early this morning, the sun was just coming up.
There were numerous dark clouds and the morning mist was still rising. On the horizon in the east was this lovely patch of blue sky surrounded by white clouds which were being illuminated by the rising sun.
I looked up and though to myself, “That is so pretty. That bit of blue is lovely.” I was considering pulling over to get a picture of it when the mist began to rise and dark clouds covered all the pretty blue and the sun illuminated clouds. But I had SEEN them and I knew that as morning continued to dawn, the mist would evaporate and sure enough it did during the drive.
Wouldn’t it be nice, if we could remember that even when our day is either habitually or suddenly shrouded in “dark clouds” that the Sun aka SON is still there? The sky will be blue again just a bit down the road called life. And even if we can’t see it with our physical eyes, there are blue skies and the clouds will be both illuminated and dispersed in the course of time.
We can choose to REST and be in Peace.
In the photo below, which I find very restful to look at, we can see a break in the dunes. If we were laying on our belly and did not lift our heads, all we could see would be dark dunes hiding the lovely sea just beyond. But there is a PATH, a break in the dunes. So anyone who chooses to can walk down to the beach. God always provides “breaks” and respite times during every season of life. We can enter His presence in worship and as we do, we will also enter that blessed rest and peace that he provides for us.

Will God Stop Loving ME?

Recently when I have been around and about, several times the topic of “will God stop loving me” has come up. The answer is NO.

Yes, there may be consequences for choices we make in life. Some of those are directly from God but done in order to draw us back to Him and position us for blessings.

Other times there are natural consequences.

There may be times when we do not FEEL his love, but it is still there.

Imagine a small child being sent away to school or taken into an operating room for necessary treatment. The child may feel abandoned, alone, frightened, and even afraid that he/she has done something really bad for Mom or Dad to send him/her away. We all know that is simply not true.

God has promised never to abandon or forsake us. He has also given us an extensive list in Romans 8 or what CAN NOT separate us from His love.

Heb 13:5b Amp for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]

Dt 31:8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”