“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27 in the King James Version of the Holy Bible.) Jesus was giving His disciples a heads up…
“They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.” Psalm 34:5
Another translation of the Scriptures reads: “Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.”
Have you ever watched someone receiving the Holy Spirit, their face just seems to glow with the presence of God? At that moment, they are completely shut in with the presence of God and are almost touching heaven. Their hearts are fully open to all that the Lord has for them, and their faces reflect His glory.
When we yield our all to Jesus, we have no reason to be ashamed. No matter what has transpired in our lives, what circumstances we have faced, when we repent and turn to Him, He forgives and He wipes it all away. We do not need to fear what others think about us. Our hearts have been cleansed by His precious blood, and He makes our face to shine with His glory.
Prayer: Lord may your glory be reflected on our faces, that others may desire to know You.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee” (Isaiah 26:3 in the King James Version of the Holy Bible). Perfect peace is irreplaceable and incomparable. The Bible doesn’t just promise a little bit of peace, but you can have perfect…
“When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.” (Psalm 73:17 in the King James Version of the Holy Bible) Asaph, the Psalmist began to question God when he looked at those around him. He…
“Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.” (Psalm 32:7, KJV) It is really hard to find peace. Our world is loud, chaotic and stressful to say the least. To find a place of complete serenity can…
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD,
thoughts of peace and not of evil,to give you a future and a hope.
(Jeremiah 29:11, Holy Bible, New King James)
A new year brings hopes and dreams of a brighter future. Both are encouraging, but it takes plans to accomplish individual goals. Now, day five of 2017, I continue to write my goals in a daily planner. Each morning, I mark my accomplishments for the previous day or rewrite the missed goals.
I’ve left blank lines for the plans God has for my future. I can only record them as gratitudes after they happen.
Prayer: Lord, open my eyes to the plans You have for my future. Amen.
Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. (Mark 4:38-39, Holy Bible, King James Version)
Jesus had ended a day-long session of teaching the multitudes gathered along the seashore where He sat in a ship. In the evening, He sent the crowd away and instructed His disciples to cross the lake. No doubt tired, Jesus took a rest in the back of the boat.
While crossing the lake, a storm arose and buffeted the ship with high winds and deluged it with water. When it looked like nothing they could do would save the boat and passengers, the disciples woke up Jesus. Their first words were accusations of His unconcern. When your spiritual boat is caught in a storm you can’t control, what do you say when you wake up the Master?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I’m caught in a spiritual storm I can’t stop. Wake up and rescue me and give me peace. Amen.
Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
Peace. So many desire it yet live without it. Instead, their lives are filled with turmoil, fear, and confusion. Do they long for something unattainable? Not at all. We can live peaceful lives in a turbulent world, but first we must understand how to find the peace so many long…
“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; they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).
Someone said that impatience is “waiting in a hurry.” I am prone to do a lot of waiting in a hurry. My stress level rises as each delay and obstacle presents itself. Fretful and tense, I struggle through the day. What a waste! Although it may not be possible to relax amid our stress and chaos, we can rest in God. He has everything under control. What peace can be found when we relinquish our impatience into His Hands.
Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to remember that nothing is ever out of control when You are in control. We wait upon You today. You are our strength. You are our peace.
Devotion by Bonnie Peacock