Daily Devotionals
Monday, July 29, 2024 (Mary Ann)
Finding peace in the storm
I love a Boundary Waters morning. Grab a mug of coffee brewed over a campfire, then find the perfect spot to reflect and talk with God in the stillness and beauty of his creation.
I’d love to be there again. Right now. In this storm.
The enemy of our souls has always been formidable and relentless. But of late, doesn’t it seem satan is laughing right in our faces with his sickening displays of depravity and blasphemy? Do you feel the storm raging? Are you raging? (I have my moments.) Is there any peace for us this side of eternity?
First let’s start with the ending. Jesus, once for all time, defeated evil totally when he paid the price on the cross for all sin and then rose from the dead, defeating death. In short, the battle is over. God has won. And now we look for Jesus to come again and take us home as He promised.
In the meantime, we are witnesses to — and participants in — the God vs. satan battle for the souls of all humankind. But why does it seem to be taking so long? 2 Peter 3:9 explains, “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”
So how are we supposed to live our earth-bound lives in that meantime? What’s our role in all this?
Remember, the enemy constantly attacks our thoughts with doubts, fears, worldly distractions, etc. to keep us from focusing on what is most important — reverence for God, his will for us, and our ultimate goal of heaven. So to retaliate, we turn our attention to Christ and his Word. We ramp up our prayer life or, as 1 Thessalonians 5:17 puts it, we pray without ceasing. And as we stay focused on Christ, our perspective changes to see this world as it really is — a sin-filled place of desperate need. The darker the world is to us, the more clearly the light of Christ stands out. (In our RCC Bible study we’ve just dived into what Jesus meant when he said he was the Light of the World. Remember that we, too, are called to be salt and light in the world.)
So is there any peace to be found in all this? Here’s the answer in Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” So even with this war raging around us, we can indeed have peace. in fact, Philippians 4:7 assures us,“Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
Don’t you just love the thought of God’s peace standing guard over our hearts and minds?!?
We sang this in church yesterday, and I think it fits perfectly:
So when I fight, I’ll fight on my knees
With my hands lifted high.
Oh God, the battle belongs to you
And every fear I lay at Your feet.
I’ll sing through the night
Oh God, the battle belongs to you.
Peace in the storm, Sisters! God is in control. — Mary Ann
I love a Boundary Waters morning. Grab a mug of coffee brewed over a campfire, then find the perfect spot to reflect and talk with God in the stillness and beauty of his creation.
I’d love to be there again. Right now. In this storm.
The enemy of our souls has always been formidable and relentless. But of late, doesn’t it seem satan is laughing right in our faces with his sickening displays of depravity and blasphemy? Do you feel the storm raging? Are you raging? (I have my moments.) Is there any peace for us this side of eternity?
First let’s start with the ending. Jesus, once for all time, defeated evil totally when he paid the price on the cross for all sin and then rose from the dead, defeating death. In short, the battle is over. God has won. And now we look for Jesus to come again and take us home as He promised.
In the meantime, we are witnesses to — and participants in — the God vs. satan battle for the souls of all humankind. But why does it seem to be taking so long? 2 Peter 3:9 explains, “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”
So how are we supposed to live our earth-bound lives in that meantime? What’s our role in all this?
Remember, the enemy constantly attacks our thoughts with doubts, fears, worldly distractions, etc. to keep us from focusing on what is most important — reverence for God, his will for us, and our ultimate goal of heaven. So to retaliate, we turn our attention to Christ and his Word. We ramp up our prayer life or, as 1 Thessalonians 5:17 puts it, we pray without ceasing. And as we stay focused on Christ, our perspective changes to see this world as it really is — a sin-filled place of desperate need. The darker the world is to us, the more clearly the light of Christ stands out. (In our RCC Bible study we’ve just dived into what Jesus meant when he said he was the Light of the World. Remember that we, too, are called to be salt and light in the world.)
So is there any peace to be found in all this? Here’s the answer in Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” So even with this war raging around us, we can indeed have peace. in fact, Philippians 4:7 assures us,“Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
Don’t you just love the thought of God’s peace standing guard over our hearts and minds?!?
We sang this in church yesterday, and I think it fits perfectly:
So when I fight, I’ll fight on my knees
With my hands lifted high.
Oh God, the battle belongs to you
And every fear I lay at Your feet.
I’ll sing through the night
Oh God, the battle belongs to you.
Peace in the storm, Sisters! God is in control. — Mary Ann
