Radio program of February 15, 2015
God’s Peace
My hope & prayer is that when you listen you are encouraged by God thru His Holy Spirit. Toward that end I want to get a little personal & practical. I want to tell you a little about my theology of hope & peace. I want to take you thru what I’ve found in Scripture that God uses to help me as I go thru life’s bumps, detours, trials, & hardships.
The most important thing I’ve realized is that my attitude must be massively Gospel informed. I must choose to think Biblically rather than what comes natural to me. In other words, I choose for the Scripture to inform my u’standing of live events RATHER THAN life events informing my view of God’s Word. (Repeat x 2)
What now follows are the things I choose to meditate on when I’m anything from being a little blue… to being anxious… and all the way to battling full blown fear & or depression. These are my “go to” passages for hope & encouragement AND how I work them into my life. And oh… you can find this on my website (Name it). So either write down the Scripture OR go to my website (It’s on there now).
First, to reorient my heart toward God I remember Pr 3:5…
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, & do not lean on your own understanding. (THEN…)
1 Pet 4:12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice & be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, b/c the Spirit of glory & of God rests upon you. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.
After meditating & asking God to work those into my heart, I then reflecting on a few more passages. Note: This is a process of reading, meditating, & ask GOD for help along this journey.
Ro 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son
Eph 1:11, (God) works all things according to the counsel of His will… (Ro 8:29!)
Phil 2:13 It is God who is at work in you, both to will & to work for His good pleasure. (Ro 8:29!)
Phil 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. (The “good work” is Ro 8:29!)
Those four passages are the ones I ask God to drive deep into my soul…
When I perceive the actions of others have play a part in whatever my difficulty is, the time I especially apply what we’ve discussed so far with Joseph’s perspective from Gen 50:20… “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good…”
But that isn’t all specifically b/c of Jesus in John 15:5, “Apart from Me you can do nothing.”
Mt 11:28 Come to me, all who labor & are heavy laden, & I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, & learn from me, for I am gentle & lowly in heart, & you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, & my burden is light.”
I have found that over time Paul is exactly right when he wrote Phil 4:6-7…
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
I so needed these verses! Thank you!