The Rule of Peace: Day 3

"Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it." 1Peter 3:11

The wording in this verse leapt off of the page at me while reading it once again in the context of understanding what it means to walk out a life clothed in peace.

This verse makes that process a verb. We are told not only to turn away from evil and do good, but we're told to actively search for peace.

The definition of search in this context means "to try to find something by looking or otherwise seeking carefully and thoroughly."

Isn't that exactly what we seem to have to do these days? In a world wracked by conflict and confusion, we have to resolve ourselves to be intentional about pursuing and infusing peace in our surroundings. This is no time for passivity. We must act decisively with the wisdom & power of God given to us through the Holy Spirit.

This pursuit and search for peace may look differently in its manifestation in each of our lives but the end result should appear the same. The refreshing life-giving waters of peace should flow in is, but most importantly....through us.

                       ~Prayer~

Father God, give us eyes to see opportunities for peace, feet to seek it out, and hearts that desire nothing more than to maintain it for Your glory!

The Rule of Peace: Day 2

"Work at living at peace with everyone; and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord."

This verse wisely correlates holiness and living in peace because a right relationship with God leads to a right relationship with others; especially fellow Believers.

Yes, it seems (and feels) as darkness and lawlessness increase in our country and the world that there are some amongst us who just will not allow you to be at peace with them. They aren't interested in maintaining peace, yet our mandate is clear. We are to live in such a way with our Spiritual Family and others where peace is the rule of our days and the drumbeat by which we set our cadence.

As Dr. Vernon J McGee boldly asserts in his commentary series, "We should make this one big cross-country race where there are a lot of us running the Christian life together."

We need it now more than ever, wouldn't you agree, Sweet Sis? So, run on! With peace as your banner and holy living as your compass!

                         ~Prayer~

Father God, may the setting of my heart be ever increasingly tuned towards maintaining peace. May I share it, bear it, and carry it well....to the glory of Your mighty name! Make me an instrument of peace, a vessel in Your hands to be used to promote healing & restoration wherever they are needed. In Jesus' name! Amen!

The Rule of Peace: Day 1 cont.

"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness...." Galatians 5:22

This verse reminds us that it is the very indwelling of the Holy Spirit within us that produces the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.

Among those fruits, is the fruit of peace, a much needed ingredient in the midst of troubled and uncertain times, such as those we're living in.

Peace is the stabilizing foundation which allows all of the other fruits of God's Spirit to build off of and flourish within us because peace is the cornerstone of a sound heart and mind.

If we desire for the fruit of peace to grow within us, we must remember to remain connected to our Power Source. The True Vine. (John 15:4-5). Practice His mighty presence at all times, Sweet Sister! In keeping your mind focused on Him, He will keep you in perfect peace.

                        ~Prayer~

Father, as I trust You to continue to grow and cultivate the fruits of Your Spirit within my heart, I pray today for an extra measure of Your peace. Make me a stabilizing force of love, grace, faith, reconciliation, healing, and hope in the lives of those I encounter today and everyday.

In Jesus' Name! Amen!

The Rule of Peace: Day 1

"And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members in one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful." Colossians 3:15

The Chronological Life Application Study Bible states that "the word rule comes from the language of athletics. Paul tells us to let Christ's peace be umpire or referee of our hearts. The heart is the center of conflict because that is where feelings and desires clash-fears and hopes, distrust and trust, jealousy and love. 

How can we deal with these constant conflicts and live as God wants? Paul explains that we must decide between conflicting elements by using the rule of peace; along with her close companion, gratitude."

In light of the world we're living in, we must strive more than ever before to know God and decide daily to allow His peace to reign supreme on the throne of our hearts.

                         ~Prayer~

As the days ahead of us are sure to only grow darker. Father, may Your peace be one of the chief beacons to light the road before me as I await the day my Jesus enters the clouds and raptures me from this lost and dying world. Fill me to overflowing with Your Spirit and Your peace and let them spill out of me to bring hope and healing to the world around me.

In Jesus' name I pray! Amen!

Welcome to The Rule of Peace

Hi Ladies!

I can't tell you how excited I am to begin our 31 Day Devotional journey together!

Beginning tomorrow, I will share a Scripture reference with you and some quick insights God has put on my heart concerning each verse.

Then, there will be a "prayer starter" for you to close out the devotion. You can pray this prayer as it is written or simply use it as an inception point to pray more in depth as the Holy Spirit leads you. Feel free also to use the Scripure reference and even write your own devotion! The point is...to just stay open to the leading of the Spirit!

My fervent hope and prayer have been that we'll each experience God's peace in a more profound way as we make it a priority to meditate together on this topic.

It goes without saying, that we especially need the peace of God to reign and rule supreme in our hearts and lives now more than ever! I pray that we'll become pillars of calm & strength for others to see, lean on, and emulate in these dark days, and in doing so, point them to our Jesus!

Have a fantastic day & thank you ever so much for allowing me the great honor of speaking into your hearts and lives!

Blessings, 

~Courtney 

Getting Back To My Roots

"And (she) shall be like a tree planted by streams of water......that yeildeth it's fruit in due season." Psalm 1:3

It's strange sometimes....the things that God will use to break through our darkness. And recently, I have been no stranger to darkness....various changes in my life have left me feeling depleted, while various relationship disappointments have left me feeling discouraged....so much so, that I have been very content to just withdraw....strike out on my own and determine that some things are just not worth the effort. Worst of all though, I lost sight of my roots....not my Christian faith, but the stock from whence I came....you know, my hereditary legacy.....I forgot in all of this mess that I have the blood of some pretty extraordinary women flowing through my veins.....and just like lightning, when it strikes with so much brightness and power; God reminded me today that I need to get back to my roots.....

In doing so, He had me to stumble across a devotional on Pinterest.....titled, "5 Attitudes Of The Well-Watered Woman" while reading this devotional, God brought the faces and characterisitcs of 3 of the most influential women from my life into clear focus, reminded me how much I still adore and admire them.....These women were my Mother, Her mother, and my Dad's mother......

He reminded me that it was not by accident that I got to observe these women's lives from the inside-out....and suddenly, I started ticking off their characterisitics and with each one my strength returned...like it was coming from an ancestral well-spring that was overflowing in my soul!

These were women who primarily kept to themselves....yes, they knew how to maintian friendships, and had at least one or two good friends, interacted with others at church as well as within the community, but they were women who stayed close to home, worked industriously at home (and at her job, in my mom's case), but they seemed to derive their greatest joy from their familial relationships with their husbands, children and siblings.

They didn't spend much time on the phone, didn't run all over the neighborhood; from house to house carrying gossip, were dignified, gracious, loving, warm, hospitable, strong, self-controlled, loved and were committed to one man for all or most of their lives, raised their children as best they knew how & used their God-given influence to mold & shape the lives of those around them in ways that were meant to make them stronger & not destroy them!

No, these women weren't perfect by any means. They made mistakes, had sorrows, blew it, made bad decisions at times & lost their tempers to boot, but in it all, they never appeared to lose their way.....they knew who they were and Whose they were. They knew where they had come from and  never appeared to fret about where they were going. They had a peace that was soul-deep and nothing they faced in this life moved or obstructed that.....I watched each of them face death and even death didn't up-end them.....they knew their lives were firmly sealed in God's hands and that was enough for them....the rest, was His alone to determine! They lived at a comfort level in their own skin that few women in the world today seem to be able to match.....and I thank God, that after I looked at these women afresh again today, He showed me how much like them I am in some very important ways and also, how much I still need to grow in some areas to become as much like them as I desire.

But mostly, I am grateful that He reminded me that a tree's growth is not affected by it's external circumstances as much as it is is governed by it's root system....the winds may rage and blow around that tree, but strong roots prevent it from dying or being broken beyond repair....I am that tree and my roots were well-watered, nurtured, and established. God used my precious memories of these  3 special women to get me back to "me" today because I have been acting more like you'd expect someone without the benefit of having such roots to behave (and yes, I do know that even those without the benefit of such blessing  DO NOT all act as badly as I have been).....so, if for no other cause than to honor them, this "tree" intends to finish her race well.

He Knows Where I'm Going

"I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him. I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I look to the south, but he is concealed. But he knows where I am going....." Job 23:8-10a

We all have them, those times in life when no matter what we do, we simply cannot discern God's presence in our lives....

Like Job in our scritpure reference, we search for Him everywhere and for the life of us, we cannot find Him.

In those times, as is true of life in general, what's most important is what we know of God and not what we can feel!

Job answers his own dilemma and ours too when he says in verse 10....."But he knows where I am going."

If we are faithfully following God, living according to His precepts and commands, and we still find ourselves traveling through seasons where He seems distant and quiet; may we never forget that He knows where we are at all times, in the midst of any and every situation.

There is never a time in our lives when He is not present.....no matter what our feelings may try to make us believe.

I pray you'll always find hope in knowing that when your way seems dark and uncertain, your direction unclear and perhaps even hampered; Your Father knows precisely the path you are taking because He is the One who established your journey.