May grace (God's unmerited favour) and spiritual peace [which means peace with God and harmony, unity and undisturbedness] be your's from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:2 AMP
The last few days have been challenging. Frustration and a sense of hopelessness has robbed me of my peace. I am not sure what the trigger for these emotions has been. It could be any (or all) of the following; the number of tragedies the world has experienced over the past couple of months, the OT appointment for our daughter earlier this week and the discussions about her potential future challenges; sheer tiredness and lack of personal space from having our four beautiful children at home during Christmas holidays; the impending anniversary of four years since Victoria was diagnosed with a brain tumour and the impact that has had on our lives, etc etc.
I knew yesterday morning I needed to take some action against these thoughts. So straight to the Word I went, looking for scriptures about God's peace that is available to me. God showed me the scripture above. I wrote it on a piece of pink A4 paper, replacing 'yours' with 'Wendy's' and read it continually throughout the day. Meditating on it throughout the day, certainly helped me to start again living out of God's spiritual peace.
This morning I woke feeling anxious again. Not so much with the feeling of frustration, but rather the sense of hopelessness. Again God was gracious as I opened His Word searching for encouragement. This is the scripture He showed me today.
May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope. Romans 15:13 AMP
Again, I got out the pink paper and wrote the scripture, personalising it with my name.
May the God of Wendy's hope so fill Wendy with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of Wendy's faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit Wendy may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope. Romans 15:13
From these simple actions of confessing my emotions and seeking God's truth, and personalising His truth for me, I can feel my emotions being 'pulled back into line'. Wow, what a reminder to keep my focus on Jesus.
As you have therefore received Christ [even] Jesus the Lord, [so] walk (regulate your lives and conduct yourselves) in union with and conformity to Him. Have the roots [of your being] firmly and deeply planted [in Him, fixed and founded in Him], bring continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6-7 AMP
Question for today, are you struggling with some unhelpful emotions? Why not confess these to God and ask Him to show you His truth, and meditate on His truth until you feel a change in your thinking and experience His peace? He is our peace and hope.
May grace (God's favour) and peace (which is perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, and freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to you in [the full, personal, precise and correct] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 2 Peter 1:2 AMP
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