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Feeling Frustrated? Find The Peace Of God!

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THE WORD

Philippians 4:7 – And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

It is an unfortunate truth to accept but we all have learned through experience that it is impossible to avoid all the situations that will bring out the worst in us. Sometimes we will want to get upset because of the circumstance when trying to understand why it happened. Other times we get upset with ourselves because we could have made a better decision and yet chose differently. I think about when Jesus was out on the boat with the disciples. They all began to panic greatly and fear was present. I can imagine hearing “I cannot believe we came out here in this weather” or “we came out all this way for this?!?” There will be countless times where it will be hard to find clarity about the why or what of an event. We become frustrated, angry with life, and needing answers from our state of panic.

And as we read on the disciples went to rouse Jesus out of His slumber but only to hear Him speak to the storm, “Peace, be still” That stirs my heart and soul to not only recognize the power of the peace of God, but the awesome power of God. To be able to speak to the tempests of our lives and have dominion over it all is so amazing. It is wonderful to know that through our faith as we believe we can overcome the raging seas by speaking peace over our circumstances! Find the peace of God in your life today!

PUT INTO PRACTICE

To fully understand the peace of God you must allow it to be fulfilled in your life. This is done best in prayer. For practice I encourage you to take the issue that you are dealing with and enter into surrender by starting out your prayer with the following:

“God, you see this situation in my life. I accept that I may not understand the plan behind that which I am suffering. I put my trust in your will for my life and pray that peace will help me to get through everything that attempts to rise within my human nature. Help me to forgive those who have harmed me and to release bitterness that has come from my confusion. I will obey your holy word and make my best efforts to be a loving example.”

Understanding God’s Will

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Behind any action, there is always a decision behind it. Every decision has a driven will. A person’s will is their own and free for them to decide.

So how does all of that connect with God?

Matthew 26:36-39

[36] Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.
[37] And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
[38] Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
[39] And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

When Jesus at the garden, there was a great trial before him; in fact, this would become one of the greatest tests of will that we know as Christians today.

Even though Christ was justified for more reasons than one for giving up and turning away from this, he still chose the Father’s will over His own.

If Christ was strong enough to choose the will of God in the ultimate sacrifice for all of us, that speaks to me in so many ways! I am so thankful for the choice that was made. I now know that I have to begin to choose God’s will over mine own, even when I think I have the right or reason to.

If we are not too careful though, we might become as the disciples were:

Matthew 26:40-41

[40] And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
[41] Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Where were those disciples, really? Yes, in the moment they were asleep in the garden. In our readings and interpretations though, they are metaphorically in the church of today (not literally).

We become comfortable with the way things are, and will (in theory) fall asleep on our walk with God. Then in that moment when Christ comes to speak to us, is what we hear “Could ye not watch with me one hour?”

Are we not able to come in and worship anymore? Are we not able to back the ministers of God and show support? Are we not able to get in and do what God has called us to do? We often blame it on reason, but we do not actually do anything because of our lack of will to do so.

Mark 3:24-25

[24] And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
[25] And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

We have to begin submitting to God’s will and not ours. My will could never carry anyone or anything. My leadership in the church should never be directed by mine own will, but God’s through me. You see, God’s will can lead us through things know and also things unseen.

When leaders take the will into their own hands, critical mistakes occur. This results in self-directed sermons, songs that do not magnify God, and not being attentive to the spirit; in other words we do what we think the church needs. That’s a scary thought, but it’s true. Following God’s will leads to the only path for certain victory.

Mark 3:32-35

[32] And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.
[33] And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?
[34] And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
[35] For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

There are many areas where our willpower must drive our want to obey:

  • Supporting Singing
  • Taking Interest In Preaching
  • Being More Involved In Church Functions
  • Being Active In Altar Service

If I could say anything, we as a church must begin to cast out every hindrance and distraction. It is vitally essential to see the fruitfulness and the increase of the desire of the people grow!

Always remember, it does not matter who it is that is carrying forth what God has led them to do; as long as it bears witness by the spirit you need not fear!

So how do we know the will of God? Do we want to know the will of God?

Are we truly ready to submit our lives and everything involved to them to his will?

Philippians 2:12-13

[12] Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
[13] For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

I know that we often love to depend on others to “move” us during service, but God has given us more than enough to move ourselves. He wants to do a great work in you, and it is in God’s pleasure to do it! He wants us to begin to have a stronger will to get up and be more obedient, to get up and go get those in need that God leads you towards, and to get up and keep yourself from falling short simply by doing nothing at all!

Spirit Is Life

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The spirit of God serves so many purposes for us: It keeps our minds when we feel like drifting. It keeps our hearts when we feel broken. It heals our bodies when we feel weak. It goes forth and reaches out to others when we petition to God on their behalf. It does more and goes forth way beyond the mention of my few words, but to sum it all up: Spirit Is Life!

Will We Go Away?

John 6:61-67

[61] When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
[62] What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
[63] It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
[64] But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
[65] And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
[66] From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
[67] Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

The words of Christ should be something we pin up on our walls to remind ourselves: the words he speaks are spirit and are life. It also quickens us; one even would wonder what the purpose of quickening is. If you have people in the midst of your services that are in desperate need, God will quicken you to be obedient so they can know and feel the spirit for themselves.

We Must Serve

Luke 22:27-28

[27] For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
[28] Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.

We have to learn to work in stability, and to be as ones that serve. We also have to continue! My first steps to the Lord were obviously the easiest to take, but once I come to the understanding of the spirit, I have to learn to serve others with the love that God has place inside me (via the spirit).

What The Spirit Does

Matthew 4:19

[19] And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Matthew 5:6-14

[6] Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
[7] Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
[8] Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
[9] Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
[10] Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
[11] Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
[12] Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
[13] Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
[14] Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

We are the light of the world! We are the fishers of men! We are the appointed ones to go forth and be the arms and heart of Christ; to love others and reach out to them as Christ reached out to us.

We might face persecution for the preaching and execution of the gospel. We cannot let this make us give up or quit what God has called us to do; for we not only shall be blessed, we are blessed when we face it.

The Goal Of The Spirit

Hebrews 13:13

[13] Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

Let us take that wonderful spirit that is within us, and take it forth as a light of the world so that they can be drawn unto Jesus Christ! It’s the only thing we could ever give that will ever last!

Press Through The Crowd

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Mark 5:25-34

[25] And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
[26] And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
[27] When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
[28] For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
[29] And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
[30] And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
[31] And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
[32] And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.
[33] But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
[34] And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

This is small and simple thought that I feel like is easy to express, especially to those that are being jaded about their obedience to God. Press through the crowd, get past the bystanders and objects around you and obey God! Your blessings are not behind them, but ahead!  We have many issues that we face, as we know, VERY MANY! But when we push, pray, fast, and stop trying to do everything else that we know to do finally just trust God, we will be made strong!

Don’t Be Afraid Of The Wind

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Every single day, whether you be near or far in the world, we are all faced with hardships. And when these hardships have something to do with an object or person that is of worth to you, and something or someone else comes against it in some way, the experience that you deal with to go through it is what I like to call a trial. The size of the trial can vary, as well as what the trial involves. It could be something that affects your health, your finances, your family, your friends, so long as it is personal, it matters to you and your life.

When it comes to trials that are to do with our personal lives, we’ll do just about anything to make sure there is a good outcome. I have found that without being aware, more often than we would like to admit, that we completely leave our faith out of our trials all together. And in most of the cases, I have found from personal experience that doubt was ever present.

I want to bring a scripture into all of this before I go any further:

Matthew 14:22-33

[22] And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.
[23] And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
[24] But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
[25] And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
[26] And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
[27] But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
[28] And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
[29] And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
[30] But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
[31] And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
[32] And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
[33] Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

So many times, we have the opportunity to remind ourselves every day through prayer and the word of God that we serve that Savior that “is I”, who will catch us when we sink. Instead, we act as the disciples most of the time, leaving our faith on the boat, complaining, being in a troubled spirit, not believing, and doubting most of all.

There is even a good portion of us who won’t even get out of the boat when that voice is bidding us to step out on the calling on our life. We doubt what we have inside of us, constantly questioning, and yet it was the one, “it is I”, who put the gift in there to begin with, remember?

There is a few out there, who will actually step out into the waters of the spirit, and get out there and begin to start working in their gifts, and as the winds around them begin to push them around, with the winds as a metaphor to the trials that they face as a worker in the church today, most of the time the only thing we can say is “LORD SAVE ME!”. And you know what? That’s totally okay!

I want us all to start getting out of that boat, with the boat standing for fear of being obedient to what God would have called in your life to do, and start stepping out there, for the scripture put it best:

“O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”

The most important part of all of this is that at the end of the day, the God that we serve will make the winds cease, and bring peace to the waves that crash all around you. In other words, those trials that we deal with would not be near as bad if we step out with more faith and less doubt. Believe that when you step out to face all the hardships in your life that Jesus is at the end of the trial waiting, and that victory is that the end, and if you should feel yourself begin to sink, he WILL catch you, for the Bible says he will never leave nor forsake you! God Bless You All!

Come Without Cost

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Matthew 26:56

[56] But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.

John 7:5

[5] For neither did his brethren believe in him.

John 1:10-11

[10] He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
[11] He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

One of the worst emotions and experiences that anyone can face is rejection. Rejecting is simply defined as someone “refusing to accept”. We all face is in our everyday lives. And to me, it’s one of the worst things that we will ever deal with. Why is it that way? I think it is because each and every one of us want to win the approval of everyone around us. We want everyone to be pleased with us. The sad fact though is that we will never win that battle, and yet spend our lives trying to win it.

As we go through some verses as shown above, there were different instances in the scriptures where Christ was rejected by his friends, kindred, nation, and even the world. And as it was indicated in the last moments in his life, Rejection was one of the main factors that led to Christ’s death. People did not want to accept him as he was being the son of God. People were content then with what they thought was acceptable, therefore rejecting the concept of Christ bringing new life to the world. Despite rejection, Christ still promised us: the holy spirit, to answer our prayer, to draw all men unto him, to receive all who come, to give rest, to confess us before the father, and MOST importantly, to come again! All of this within itself should be enough for me to be able to face a little rejection from others in my life.

You might be reading this and saying to yourself, “I am constantly rejected. No one will accept me for who I am”. I was in that very position. Let me remind you of a scripture.

John 6:37

[37] All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

Reading this was SUCH a blessing to me. I then realized a lot of things at that point. Regardless of mistakes, success, popularity, possessions, how much you hate how bad things are, hopelessness, desperation, YOU ARE NOT REJECTED!!!

We all have a place with God. God is the only presence in this world that you can come to without facing rejection. I’m reminded of a verse:

Isaiah 55:1

[1] Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

To me there are two things that stand out:

Without money = without possessions

Without price = without cost

I know this seems way out there, but stay with me. How can you buy anything without money or price. If it has no price, there is no need for money. You see Jesus paid this cost so that we could come without it. If you are living life with a broken heart from all the rejection, you are not alone! You can come without cost and find peace in your life once and for all. I felt really led to go ahead and write this today for anyone facing rejection like I did in my childhood years and sometimes even now.