Good morning people who absolutely love the precious Word of God.

Psalm 119:165 NIV Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.

What a beautiful and powerful verse!

Do you want to have great peace?

Then be a person of God’s Word. Don’t just read it – occasionally or even frequently. Love it. Saturate yourself in it. Let it read you and change you. Find God in His Word. Commune with God in His Word. Pray His Word. Let His Word be life to you!

People stumble when they don’t live according to God’s Word. When we make choices that are different to God’s ways, peace cannot be the result.

Why?

Because we are violating what God has authored.

How much time do you spend in God’s Word each day?

How much time do you spend on social media or watching TV each day?

The answer to these two questions might just be the answer to why peace is evading you. It’s not about legalism. It is about what we are truly feeding on. While the length of time is not always an accurate measure of peace, the more time we spend in the Word of God, the more opportunity peace has to land on us.

I leave you with a simple challenge, and that is to double your time in God’s Word this week. If you say you don’t have time, I challenge you to turn off your social media and even your TV for an hour at night. You do have time my friends.

May you find Father deeper in the precious gift of His Word.

Good morning people who follow the example and life of Jesus.

Galatians 5:25 NIV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

The greatest enemy to walking in peace is a focus on ourselves.

Here’s the antidote (note how real and deep the challenges are in the following scripture):

Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Even when faced with death on the cross, Jesus kept His primary focus on the joy set before Him, which in part was you and I being restored to relationship with the Father. Yes, He had great anguish of soul in the Garden of Gethsemane. Maybe it’s important to note that anguish of soul is not contrary to God’s peace. It’s difficult to explain, but it is something we should consider today.

Here’s what I do know:

Jesus was always fully in the Spirit.

Jesus was always submitted to the Father.

Jesus was always on mission to reconcile people to God.

Jesus always walked in peace.

Put another way, while Jesus had moments of wrestling with the enormity of going to the cross and He even prayed for another way if it was possible, He did both of these in conversation with His Father and a declaration, “Not My will but Yours be done.”

May we all learn from the life of Jesus. May we all walk with the Prince of Peace.

Good morning people who keep your eyes on the One who is the Prince of Peace.

Galatians 5:25 NIV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Another part of the one fruit of the Holy Spirit is peace. Oh, how we need more peace in the world today.

God is peace.

Isaiah 9:6 NIV For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace; He is Peace. Therefore, there can be no real and deep peace outside of our connection to God.

This truth is highlighted by the reality that people can seem to have the absence of great challenges and not have peace, while conversely, other people can have insurmountable problems and yet still have an undeniable peace in their life.

What’s the difference?

God.

And it’s not just having God. Some Christians – myself included many times – have God and yet we have not walked in peace.

Why is this?

While there are many “reasons”, at its core, the answer is a little confronting (I’m speaking for myself here). If I am not walking in peace, it is most likely because I am not walking in the Spirit. I don’t like saying this because I like to justify why it is so hard for me. But even this statement shows the wrong focus: me.

One great way to walk in peace is to fix our eyes on Jesus, not on ourself. Let’s lean into this more tomorrow.

Good morning people who live from the delight of your heavenly Father.

John 15:9-11 NIV “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

The Father loves you! Jesus loves you! In fact, Jesus loves you in the same way the Father loves Jesus! That’s called perfect love.

While God’s love for us is established and true, Jesus exhorts us in this scripture to remain in His love. This clearly means that it is not automatic. There is a choice that we must make. Please, do not hear that each day is a day of fear wondering whether we are in God’s love or not. This is NOT what God is saying, but the words remain in My love are in this scripture.

So, what is God saying?

Well, in the next verse, Jesus makes it clear that if you obey My commands, you will remain in My love. It is true that we were not saved by our good works (Ephesians 2:8-9) – praise God! But it is also true that there are good works prepared for us to do now that we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:10).

Believers who wilfully live in sin but claim to live by grace are deceived and do not know the Word of God. An evidence of living in God’s love is obeying God’s Word. Please read that again.

Now comes the really good part!

Jesus then says I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. Oh, blessed be the name of the Lord.

God delights in those who remain in His love by honouring and obeying His Word! God’s heart is filled with joy because we are remaining in His love. It’s not about human perfection. It’s about God’s love!

And the result of God’s joy in us is that our joy will be complete! Joy is the desire of God for our lives – not happiness – joy! And joy cannot be separated from remaining in God’s love, and remaining in God’s love cannot be separated from keeping God’s commands.

How are your joy levels?

How is your remaining in God’s love through your faithful obedience to God’s Word?

Good morning people who rejoice, pray and give thanks as a way of life.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

There is a connection between rejoicing always (entering into joy), praying continually (communing with God in conversation), and giving thanks in all circumstances (a posture and priority of gratitude to God).

Our approach to God and our perception of God makes a big difference in our life.

One of the great enemies and robbers of joy in a believer’s life is complaining. This common practice is based in a thought of lack and it is centred in a false belief that God is not good. Challenges, difficulties and hardships are part of life. But this is not proof that God is not faithful.

This life that we live is a journey of faith. In fact, our salvation started with God’s grace and our faith connecting, and our spiritual walk with God is to continue the same way that it started. Faith is not something that we move on from. In fact, faith is a foundation that we often need to remind ourselves to return to.

The apostle Paul exemplified the power of choosing – that’s right, choosing – rejoicing, praying and giving thanks. His life was far from easy or comfortable, however, he continually chose the way of the cross. In other words, he chose to live dead to self and alive to Christ. He chose to refuse to let feelings and circumstances and apparent contradictions rule his life or to rob his speech.

Rejoicing in God is something that needs to overflow out of our lips. Joy is not just a silent internal thought. Joy manifests in a way that is contagious and delightful. Joy is a beautiful expression of Jesus even in times of great adversity.

Will we always get this right?

I don’t think so.

But is it a great goal to walk towards?

Absolutely!

May the joy of the Lord be our strength today in Jesus’ name.