0 How to Find Joy and Peace in Life

Most of us are familiar with John 3:16 and God’s promise of everlasting life to those who believe in Jesus.  In John 10:10, Jesus stated that he came to bring us life, and life to the full.  When we think of this life that Jesus came to bring us, many people think it refers to the life God will give us one day after we die and go to heaven.  Yes, this is included in God’s statement, but He meant so much more.

Jesus was clear that once we accept Him as savior, the Kingdom of God, and everything it represents, already resides in us.  Luke 17:21.  And the Bible says that the Kingdom of God “is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”  Romans 14:17.  God desires that your life be filled with peace and joy.  He has placed these deep within your heart.  Your job is to draw it out and cultivate it with God’s help.  I want to show you today six key ingredients to living the full life that Jesus came to give us.

THE FIRST KEY INGREDIENT IS SPEND TIME WITH GOD.  We spend time with God through reading His word and prayer, that is, simply talking to God and listening for His still small voice deep within.  Spending time with God affects the quality of our lives in many ways.  One such way is found in Philippians 4:5-7:

“5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

How often have we said “Oh well, I’ve done everything else, I guess all I can do now is pray.” Often times we forfeit the peace and joy that God has for us in any given situation because we do not take our issue to God first.  He has the answer.  Trust and rely on Him.

THE SECOND KEY INGREDIENT IS PERSONAL GROWTH.  We all have attitudes, behaviors and habits that are not Godly.  It is a result of being born sinful and living in a fallen world.  We will not live joyous and fulfilling lives and have healthy relationships until we get some of our bad habits and behaviors straightened out.  Romans 12:2 states:

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

How do we get straightened out?  By meditating on the Word of God as it will sanctify and cleanse us.  Ephesians 5:26.

THE THIRD KEY INGREDIENT IS TO SET GOALS AND WORK TOWARD SOMETHING NEW.  Note that in Genesis 1, each day God created something, at the end of the day He stood back and looked at it with satisfaction and said it is “good.”  It brought Him satisfaction and joy.

God created us like Himself, to be progressive and creative.  See Genesis 2:15 - “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”  Only when we are working toward a goal, will we find true satisfaction in life.  Galatians 6:4 makes this clear:

“But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.”

THE FOURTH KEY INGREDIENT IS TO MAINTAIN HEALTHY PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS.  Proverbs 17:17 states:

“A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.”

And Ecclesiastes 4:9-11 states:

“9 Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor.  10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.  But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.  11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?”

In times of trouble, we often isolate ourselves because we are ashamed that we are struggling.  This is a dangerous place to be.  We need people to whom we can be vulnerable, accountable and go to in time of need.

THE FIFTH KEY INGREDIENT IS SERVICE TO GOD AND OTHERS.  To live a fulfilled life, “it can’t all be about us.”  In fact, the Word of God instructs us to comfort others like we ourselves have been comforted by God.  Second Corinthians 1:3-4 states:

“3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. ”

God certainly rewards those who serve as He makes clear in Proverbs 11:25 that a generous person will prosper; a person who refreshes others will themself be refreshed.

Lastly, THE SIXTH KEY INGREDIENT IS REST.  Genesis 2:1, 2 states that God rested after creating all that exists.  He didn’t need to rest, because God does not get weary, nor need sleep.  See Psalm 121.  He was setting up a principle for us to follow.  Our natural bodies need rest or we will burnout and life will lose its joy.

I encourage you that if you are feeling tired and weary today take the key ingredients that I have shown you and examine your life and assess where you might be out of balance.  Most importantly, ask the Holy Spirit to show you.  As Him for His help.  He loves you so much.  He is more than ready to help you.  He desires that you be full of His joy and peace.  Remember, Jesus came that we might have life and have it to the full.

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0 Keep Stepping: the Same God Who Led You in Will Lead You Out!

You may feel that you are at your end today.  Maybe you’re on your last dime.  Maybe you are saying, “God, I don’t want to work here.”  Or “God, I don’t want to live here.”  Or maybe, “God, I don’t want to go through that.”  Maybe you have waited a long time for your miracle.  Maybe there are things you desire from God and you have waited what seems like forever.

I want to encourage you today to hold firm until the end.  The same God who led you in will lead you out.  The same God who has taken care of you in the past will come through for you again.  He has not changed or lost His power.  Nor has He forgotten you or given up on you.  He will come just in time.  Keep stepping in faith just like Abraham.

Remember how God tested Abraham and instructed him to take his promised child Isaac and sacrifice him on a mountain some distance away.  The Bible states that Abraham, in faith, got up early the next day and set off on the three day journey to the mountain.  Genesis 22:1-4.

God’s plan, however, could not have made any sense to Abraham.  God had promised that through Isaac, Abraham would be made a great nation.  Imagine what was going through Abraham’s mind the entire three day journey.  Imagine how his feelings and emotions and the enemy must have been attacking his mind.  Sometimes reading these stories we forget that these were real people with real feelings, emotions and desires.  Surely Abraham did not want to do what God asked him to do.  Nonetheless, he pushed through his feelings and emotions and kept stepping, trusting in God.  Let’s look at the results of Abraham’s trust in God:

Genesis 22:9-18


9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.  He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 


10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 


11 But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”  “Here I am,” he replied.

12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said.  “Do not do anything to him.  Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”


13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 


14 So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide.  And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.” 


15 The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time 


16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 


17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 


18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

Note that when Abraham took that step of faith and did what the Lord had instructed, even though it didn’t make sense, God performed a miracle for Abraham:  The right ram, was at the right place, at the right time.  I like to think of it like this: When Abraham was climbing up the mountain on one side, there was a ram climbing up the mountain on the other side.  And even though Abraham couldn’t see the provision, it was coming – with every step of faith that he took – it was coming.  Not only that, but because Abraham trusted God, God promised to bless Abraham even further.  Genesis 22:15-18.

God has no favorites.  It’s the same for you, if you will hold on.  If you keep stepping, in faith, even when you feel like giving up, even when you do not understand why this is happening to you, God will come through for you.  Blessings friends!

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0 God Hears You When You Call to Him in Faith

Philippians 4:6, 7 give us a sure formula to be heard by God and receive the subject of our petitions, while all the while resting in His peace.  It states:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Today, I want to discuss this formula with you so that you might have a better understanding of how to use it.                   

Lets look at the first part of our text: “DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING . . .”  God instructs us not to be anxious about anything.  God wants us to know that he cares for us and will take care of us.  Also, if we are anxious, we are not trusting God for our needs as He has clearly stated that He will meet all our needs if we only ask.

As a parent, wouldn’t you feel bad if your child continually worried whether you would provide them food and shelter despite you telling them that you will?  Of course you would.  God is no different.  He is our Heavenly Father and has promised to provide us all we need if only we ask.  Do not worry.
                   
Now lets look at the next part of our text: “ . . . BY PRAYER AND PETITION, . . . , PRESENT YOUR REQUESTS TO GOD.”  Ask!  Talk to God.  Prayer is just talking to God.  It’s that easy.  Just ask.

As a parent, if you knew your kids needed something and they came and asked you for it, would you turn them down?  No, of course not.  God is the same way as a loving Heavenly Father.  Just ask.

Lets look now at the last part of our text: “. . . BY PRAYER AND PETITION, WITH THANKSGIVING, PRESENT YOUR REQUESTS TO GOD.”  If you really believe God will provide that which you asked, you would be fine with thanking Him in advance.  Thanking Him before you receive whatever it is you requested demonstrates trust in Him.  And we know according to Hebrews 11:6 that trust, or stated differently, faith, pleases God.

As a parent, does it not please your heart when your children get excited and thankful when you have promised them something or promised to do something for them?  Sure you do.  Their excitement and thankfulness proves that they trust you.  God is no different.  Be thankful.

Will you receive the peace of God today for every situation and circumstance in your life?  It’s easy.  Commit yourself to implement these principles and you will see a difference.  You are blessed our friends!

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