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The Blessing of Peace

2/17/2016

“Then said Jesus to them again, “Peace be unto you; as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.” John 20:21

In Luke 24:33-36, the Bible says, “And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in the breaking of bread. And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.”

Jesus said to His disciples after rising on the third day, "Peace be unto you." I don't believe I ever truly understood the concept of "Peace be unto you," until I reread this story offered in both books of Luke and John. When we read this story, we find the disciples talking about Jesus and the things He told them during His time with them; pretty much the same way friends sit around today, speaking about someone they loved, after the person has passed away. As they were speaking, Jesus stood in the midst of them listening. When He made His presence known, He said, "Peace be unto you." Customarily, people in this region of the world still greet each other today with this statement; but, He could have said a lot of things, why that statement?

Think about peace for a moment. Not world peace, although that would be great, considering there are about 50+ wars occurring at any given time on our planet; but, inner peace—peace of mind. The feeling you get when your mind is completely at ease. For some of us, our mind is always in turmoil, no peace. For others, peace means being in the midst of another person, relying on their peace to get us through. However, the peace I am referring to is an individual peace. The kind you find when you close your eyes, and literally stop thinking about all the cares, troubles, and chaos of this world, allowing yourself the time to actually breathe in the love of God.

So today, in the midst of your chaotic life, take some time, even if it's only a few moments to practice the art of peace. And, as Jesus said, “Peace be unto you.” L.

Study Reference: John 20:19-26
From: "The Blessing of Peace." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell

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Compassion

2/15/2016

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"Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous; not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing, but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.”   1 Peter 3:8-9

Several years ago I watched as ABC’s Nightline featured a story about Mitch Albom and his book, Tuesdays with Morrie.  Mitch Albom, an acclaimed writer for the NY Times and a former student of Morrie Schwartz, learned that his former sociology professor was dying from a type of sclerosis called ALS. It appears ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) slowly robs the body's motor functions until the entire body finally shuts down. When the series began, Morrie could move his upper body; by the time the series ended, he could barely move his lips to speak.
The book chronicles the final two years of his life and the wisdom he imparts to his former student. The series, like the book, is extremely emotional; and, throughout the series Morrie explains his own emotional turmoil concerning his imminent death.

Here's the thing I found compelling. During one of the final segments of the broadcast series, Mitch Albom asks Morrie, “What is the one thing you feel people should know?” He thought for a second and said, “Be compassionate.” As I sat listening to the broadcast, I thought about the brilliance in the statement! Have more compassion for each other. It is a simple statement; yet, oftentimes we find it difficult to do.

Some of us confuse compassion with love. Compassion is not like love. Love is intrinsic unto itself; you either have it or you don't. Compassion however, can be acquired. It is complete empathy. The understanding that you may not like the person, or their viewpoint, or their religion, or their accent, or their country, or their ...whatever; but, somehow you can offer them a glass of water when they are thirsty, food when they are hungry, and help when they cannot help themselves. Compassion compels us to make an empathetic connection between our worse enemy and ourselves.

Morrie’s statement was one of the last things he was able to say before his death.

Compassion, a word found 41 times in our Bible from Exodus to Jude, offers a slight glimpse into the very Spirit of God; the very Heart of Jesus Christ. Shouldn't we at least try to offer as much of it as possible?  L.

Study Reference: 1 Peter 3:8-9, Psalm 78:38-39
From: "Compassion." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell

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Cast Down, But Not Destroyed

2/11/2016

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“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.”   2 Corinthians 4:8-9

I believe this is my favorite verse by far! It lists the troubled state of various human circumstances; from the nagging feeling of being troubled, to the state of being cast down. It helps us to remember we are not our circumstances. But, just in case you need a reminder:

If you are feeling troubled on every side, Jesus offers you faith, understanding that nothing can harm you, or hinder your life without God offering you a way out. You are not distressed, fearful, or weary. You feel strong with the confidence of knowing your heavenly Father is only a prayer away.

Or, maybe you are feeling a little perplexed. That nagging feeling of confusion when you believe something should have one outcome, but somehow it goes in a completely different direction than the one you prepared or prayed for. Nevertheless, you regroup, retrain, and prepare for a new strategy so you can achieve the desired outcome. You are calm. You are neither desperate or in despair. You have no fear. God has your back; of this, you are certain. Despair is for those who do not know God; those who have no concept of hope, faith, or trust in our Savior.

Maybe you are the one in this group who is feeling a bit persecuted by those in your surroundings. Your friends have forsaken you, your colleagues are against you, and your family is just not giving you what you need to soar to the top. You feel lonely and persecuted. But, you know God has not forsaken you. Your hope is in His promise that He will never leave you nor forsake you, even when everything and everyone else fails.

And, for those of you who are on the verge of feeling completely cast down, or feel as if you have been left on the ground to be trampled and stoned; remember, what does not take your life, will only make you stronger. Like a prize fighter training for the heavyweight championship, you may fall down during a bout, but the floor is not where the fight is. Go back to your prayer corner, replenish yourself, refresh with the Word of God, and go right back in there and finish the fight; you will not be destroyed! As a matter of fact; your opponents were fortunate the first time. The first time you were not prepared; you did not know they were going to cheat—hurting you in your most vulnerable spot. You mistakenly thought they would have compassion. This time you know; you are ready for anything! And more importantly, you understand that no one; no entity, no power or principality can take from you what God has already ordained for your life! Yes, cast down; but, definitely not destroyed!  L.

Study Reference: 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, 4:6-16
From: "Cast Down, But Not Destroyed." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell

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Wait!

2/3/2016

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“Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, faint not, neither is weary? There is no searching of His understanding. He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall; but they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:28-31

"Wait upon the Lord!..," that's what all the preachers say.

Many years ago I read, Book of Angels, by Sophie Burnham. It was in reference to the angels mentioned in the Torah, the Bible, and other religious writings. One angel in particular is an angel whose entire body and wingspan is covered in eyes; and every time an eye blinks, it records the passing of a human being. As you can imagine, thousands of eyes continuously blink per millisecond, going off like tiny little flashes of twinkling lights. And still the preachers say, "Wait upon the Lord." We look at the children who were born just the other day, and think to ourselves, "Could they really be thirteen now?" And still we hear, "Wait!" Then one day it hits us! Our own personal revelation after tons of trials, errors, false starts, and bad finishes. The reason we wait upon the Lord is, it actually saves us time! I know, you're saying, "UH?" Well, think of it this way.

Imagine you are in a car traveling miles, and you just passed the last opportunity to exit. After 30 miles you realize you are going in the wrong direction. You now have to travel even farther to gain access to the next exit which will allow you to get back to the road you were actually supposed to be on in the first place. So, let's do the math; 30 miles in the wrong direction, 30 miles to go back to the starting point, and 30 miles to get where you were actually going in the first place. Hmmm..., 90 miles for a 30-mile trip.

I know what you are thinking; we need a GPS! Yes, that was the point! We need God's Positioning System to get it right the first time. So as the preachers like to say, “Wait upon the Lord;” it will save you time in the long run. L.

Study Reference: Isaiah 40:28-31
From:"Wait!" In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell

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Releasing Fear

2/1/2016

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“But straightway Jesus spoke unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid..." Matthew 14:27-31

Generational strongholds exist in the lives of all human beings. These strongholds are passed down through a combination of community influences and family issues. It is a level of fear inspired by many things, race, gender, community, class, etc. I recently read about an experiment where the speaker asked two volunteers from his group to walk in opposite directions. Then he asked the group he was presenting the experiment to, to try to keep their eyes on both men. Of course, it was impossible. The onlookers had to make a choice on whom to keep their focus. The same concept exists in Christianity. You cannot keep your eyes positioned on Jesus Christ (faith) and the principles thereof, and keep your eyes on fear. Both fear and faith cannot live in the same spiritual realm within you, one must take precedence over the other. One may say, "We fear God." However, our fear is not of His power, we understand His omnipotence, but of His disappointment in us. (That’s another discussion for another day)

It's true; some of the strongholds that exist in our lives may keep us from repeating the failings of our parents, i.e. alcoholism, drug abuse, sexual misconduct, poor execution of finances, etc. But many times, it is simply fear. A disabling fear that stops us from accomplishing all that God wants us to accomplish. A fear that secretly tells us that we are not worthy of fulfilling God’s desire for our lives. Why should we allow F.E.A.R. (false evidence appearing real) to dictate the Divine purpose God has created for each of us?

It goes back to the story of Peter seeing Jesus walking on water. As long as he kept his eyes focused on Jesus he was fine; however, as soon as he began focusing on his surroundings, in this case, the rolling ocean, he immediately began to sink. (Matthew 14:24-32)

So remember, your surroundings are irrelevant; your bloodline is irrelevant. The uncertainties of the future are irrelevant. The stronghold that may be gripping your family, your life, or your past is irrelevant. Release your fear, keep your eyes focused on Jesus Christ, and fulfill your Divine purpose. L.

Study Reference: Matthew 14:27-31
From: "Releasing Fear." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living.
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell

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The Blessing of Peace

Compassion

Cast Down, But Not Destroyed

Wait!

Releasing Fear

In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living

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The Blessing of Peace

Compassion

Cast Down, But Not Destroyed

Wait!

Releasing Fear

In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living-Daily Posts

Archives

Categories

In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living

-Daily Posts