Has the Christmas crazy started at your house yet? Are you already stressed about gifts, baking, decorating, and that certain relative arriving at your home soon? Perhaps you aren’t overwhelmed, but feeling lonely and sort of down. Or maybe you are grieving, facing a Christmas far different and more difficult than you ever imagined.
Whatever our
current situation, whether stressed, down, or hurting (or anything else!), I
love that we are never, never alone. God promises He will never leave us (Hebrews
13:5). And I especially love that God provides for our emotional needs this
time of year through His amazing, living word.
Below are
three encouraging verses to fill your heart with His unfathomable peace,
whatever your situation. Write these verses down. Take them to heart. Tape them
to your forehead if you need to (talking to myself here…).
When my focus
snaps back to a negative situation over and over (hello? why do I allow that to
happen?), I turn to this verse. It helps me to remember to reign in every rogue
thought and instead focus on Him. And that, my friends, changes everything.
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! (Isaiah 26:3) (NLT)
When my emotions shift into high gear and I feel
exasperated, worried, or super upset, this verse always puts my emotions right
back in their place. We can’t allow our emotions to dictate our lives. And we
can choose not to let ourselves freak out (we really can!).
Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.] (John 14:27) (AMPC)
This side of eternity, life is far from perfect. God knows
that. He knows the issues and situations banging on our hearts. And that’s why
I love this verse. It tells it like it is, yet proclaims we can have His peace
anyway. And that? Priceless.
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) (NLT)
{A Prayer for Peace}
God, I bow my heart before You and honor You for Your goodness,
Your faithfulness, and Your loving-kindness. Thank you for loving me and caring
for me, and for moving in the situations that concern me. Thank you for helping
me walk in peace by keeping my thoughts focused on you, by not allowing myself
to freak out, and by remembering that I can always, always have peace in You,
in spite of my circumstances. Surround me with Your very real presence, Lord,
and flood my heart with Your peace this Christmas. In the awesome name of
Jesus, Amen.
Through my books I love to help readers know God, know Scripture, and know how to pray. Click on the images below to learn more about each book.
1 comment:
Once I accepted the Biblical fact I am a daughter of the Most High Lord God, Creator of the Universe, who considers me the apple of His eye and holds me in the palm of His hand, my life fell into place and centered on Him. Yes, there are still struggles, there are still temptations but knowing, and accepting, God has a Plan made my life ever so much better and easier. The old struggles passed away and when new struggles, temptations, etc. come (and they do), the enemy is reminded of my highly placed position on this earth and in Heaven to come, and I can breath deeply again, calm in Him.
For decades, I've read five chapters of the Holy Bible each morning along with a devotional (usually Spurgeon) and that both centers and grounds me for the day. When I'm rushed and make a choice to not read my Bible, the day, generally, falls apart.
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