This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:8-9

How courageous are you? Are you winning the battle with fear? How do you respond when God leads you to a role that is beyond what you can do in your own strength?

When God gives the vision, He also gives the provision. In the Bible, God has a track record of challenging men to fully rely on Him. Walking by faith means dropping our pride and finding supernatural resources. Joshua and Gideon are two men who learned how to accomplish great victories for the Lord. Let's learn from their experiences as we grow in our faith and bring glory to Jesus today.

Your Assignment

God gives an assignment to every man. Have you found out what God has called you to do in this season of your life? Your assignment probably has many parts. Loving your family, serving your church, using your spiritual gifts to build up the body of Christ, giving generously, reaching the nations, sharing your testimony, praying for your neighbors, being His ambassador in the marketplace, raising children, tackling injustice, and inviting people into your home are some examples of ways God asks us to expand His kingdom. When God guides you, it is always for His glory and our good.

Joshua was given an assignment from heaven to lead God's people into the promised land (Deuteronomy 34:1-9). Following an amazing leader like Moses, uniting and inspiring about 2 million people, miraculously crossing the Jordan River during flood season, surviving fierce battles, and staying close with God through countless trials was difficult. In addition, no one had ever done this before. Being the first one to do something or accomplish what other people failed to do can be intimidating. Joshua also had to form a new team after the old leaders died in the wilderness. Can you imagine having his responsibility? Can you relate to any elements of his mission?

Gideon was very surprised that God chose him to rescue people. He was careful about accepting his assignment. He felt like God selected the wrong person. The nation was in danger. Spiritually, people had turned away from God often. They wandered away from God. There were many military threats from other countries, and invasions were devastating. Would you want Gideon's assignment? Where would you find hope to overcome all of your insecurities? Is your walk with God solid enough to bring healing to a nation?

Your excuses

Do you come up with excuses in your own mind? What do you tell yourself? Is fear trying to steal your peace and threaten your assignment? How would you live for Jesus if fear was not a factor?

Wrestling with worry and insecurities are common. In the Bible, men like Joshua, David, Paul, Moses and Abraham are very honest about their struggles. Are you trying to dodge or hide from God's calling on your life?

Gideon had a long list of reasons why he should not be faithful with His assignment. (Judges 6:1-18) He wanted more reassurance from God and more miraculous signs to confirm his calling. We should not put God to the test. Being demanding when God has made it clear in His Word is unhealthy. Gideon was discouraged about the present circumstances, but God made it clear He was with Gideon. Gideon felt like his family was dysfunctional and he was the weakest one in his clan. God listened to Gideon but then said that Gideon was a mighty warrior. God's view of Gideon was far more encouraging than how Gideon saw himself. Sometimes we need to shift and simply receive and agree with God's perspective. It's the only way to overcome our lame and stubborn excuses. Are you willing to be in alignment with God's Word instead of remaining loyal to cowardly excuses? God wants to bring you a new courage that is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. (Ephesians 1:15-23)

Your Strength

Joshua learned to stay in the presence of God. He stayed in the Tent of Meeting to worship, to listen and to receive God's strength (Exodus 33:9-11). Joshua had a mentor named Moses, and he would watch as Moses communicated with God. Do you have a mentor in your life who will help you go deeper with God? Are you learning how to draw near to God and find encouragement in Him?

Joshua won the battle in his mind. He did this by meditating on God's Word. (Joshua 1:6-7) The most intense spiritual battle is often in your head. The devil tries to plant lies and discouragement into your thinking. (John 8:44) The Holy Spirit will help you. He is stronger than the darkness in this world. The Spirit and the Scripture are always in alignment. Read and memorize the Bible because it is your sword in the battle against darkness. Remember to live out what you learn. Studying the Bible is not merely an academic exercise. God moves mightily when you are obedient with application, too. (Ezra 7:10) God's Word is truth and builds up your courage. How much time are you spending in Scripture during the week? How can you increase your intake of God's Word?

Gideon learned to accomplish victories God's way. He defeated the Midianites with lanterns and trumpets. (Judges 7:19-25) What kind of a military strategy is that? God's wisdom is not always the popular, likely, or logical way. Many people hear a clear assignment from God but then try to achieve the results with their own plan. That is a recipe for disaster and heartache. It is very important to rely on God for the “what” and the “how” of the mission. Good intentions and good effort alone will not be enough. You need heavenly wisdom and insights (James 1:5).

A Joyful Reset

Today can be the start of a new season in your life. There is new hope and power through Jesus. God is with you and goes ahead of you. Start this new adventure in your life by putting your trust in Jesus as the savior and leader of your life. You can not do life or eternity without Him. As you follow Jesus, make some key shifts in your life. Grow in your faith by spending more time in prayer, including listening to God. Also, find other courageous Christians (like Joshua and Gideon were) in a healthy church and serve Jesus together. Lastly, devote time to reading and applying the Bible. It is your playbook, and the results will be amazing when you honor God's Word. You are a courageous man in the Lord. Don't settle for anything less than your calling. The Holy Spirit will write the script and empower you to accomplish the assignment. (Acts 1:8) Many lives will be transformed, including yours because God is trustworthy and good.

Pray this week:

Lord, I want to be courageous for you like Joshua, and faithful to obey you like Gideon. Forgive me when I only rely on my own strength. Please lead me with your Word, prayer, the power of your Holy Spirit and fellowship with others who courageously follow you. Amen.

You cannot do life or eternity without Jesus. What will you start doing today to know him better and trust him more?

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

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In ALL things good or bad God will work for GOOD for His children who love Him

June 24, 2019

Watch this video https://youtu.be/WFo3ByfR9ZY

Forced into foster care at age 7 because of a dysfunctional family, Tyrone Flowers lived out a next decade of hell. His homes over the next 10 years: three different foster homes, residential treatment facilities, eight different group homes, and juvenile reformatory school.

At 17 he was dealt an even more cruel blow, leaving him handicapped and asking "why me?"

Yet Tyrone's story did not end there. His self-pity turned into something else that was able to change those first 17 years into good, giving him purpose in life, and allowing him to impact the lives of others. He saw disaster changed into triumph, further reinforcing his faith and hope, and inspiring others in the process.

Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Notice Paul doesn't say that only good things will happen to those who love God. In fact, the Bible promises troubles while we live in this world.

What Paul means is that in ALL things, good or bad, God will work if for GOOD for His children who love Him. It was not God's desire for Tyrone to be paralyzed. The man who shot Tyrone was doing evil, not good.

But the great thing about God is that He will take the worst, most painful situations and turn them into something beautiful. Because of Tyrone's disability, he cried out to God like never before, and found his calling.

If we present everything in our lives (the good and the bad) to God and ask Him to use it for His glory, then we won't live in regret. In fact, we can be thankful for painful experiences, because in those times we draw nearer to God. And we can also minister to others who might be going through the same things we went through.

Thinking of your own life experiences, what does Romans 8:28 mean to you? How have you seen the promise in this verse lived out — in your own life and/or in the lives of others? What struggle are you going through right now? Share with us and someone will pray for you.

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

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June 21, 2019

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Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

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How God Can Turn Your Afflictions Into Good

June 21, 2019

The faithful man rejects despair and finds hope in the character of God

Written by GodLife on 18/06/2019

Series: Weekly Devotional

Tags: Grief, Hope, Mercy, Sovereignty, Loss

Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us. How then can we say to him the child is dead?

2 Samuel 12:18

God’s Word has comforted millions of Bible believers for thousands of years. However, it’s a mistake to think that a fitting Bible passage can completely absorb the pain of losing a loved one in death. Even Jesus, though He embodied all the promises of God (2 Corinthians 1:20) and knew in advance that He would raise Lazarus from the dead (John 11:11), wept with sorrow at the grave of His friend (John 11:35-36). The loss of a child is especially painful because we invest our most selfless love and brightest hope for the future in our children. Even those who usually show calm, quiet strength in stressful situations can be twisted into grief-stricken outbursts or depressed withdrawal over the loss of their children.

This may have seemed the case with David, Israel’s most famous king. His servants were surprised by his actions during his child’s illness. So deep was his grief that members of his court worried about the impact of telling him the truth about his child. Read on to learn more about David’s suffering. If you’ve suffered a loss in your own family, may you draw some comfort from how he pursued his relationship with God.

Taking action — in God's direction

Though the prophet Nathan, God had predicted the first child of David and Bathsheba would die. David “sought the Lord” by praying, fasting and sleeping on the ground instead of in his kingly bed. This went on for seven days until the child’s death. David showed such a mournful, tormented attitude that his servants were afraid to tell him his child had died (2 Samuel 12:12-18). Why did David do this? He knew from experience that God is “good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon Him” (Psalm 86:5). He hoped God would mercifully save the child’s life. While there was something he could do, he did it — by humbly appealing to God instead of hopelessly remaining in self-pity. (See 2 Samuel 12:22)

Taking ownership of the situation

David knew the death of the child was his fault. Nathan had pronounced this as one of the many judgments on his household. He began his approach to David in a way that made David see his hypocrisy (2 Samuel 12:1-14). Contrast this with Cain, the first murderer: Cain attempted to deceive God by saying, “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?” when asked about Abel (Genesis 4:9). When God pronounced judgment on him, Cain protested, “My punishment is greater than I can bear” (Genesis 4:13). David’s sin was far greater: he had abused his power to betray Uriah, a faithful friend. He had committed adultery with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba. He had commanded Joab to allow Uriah to be killed to cover up the evidence of his sin. However, when Nathan confronted him, he admitted, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13). David’s punishment was also far greater than Cain’s. David’s grief and repentant attitude flowed out of his personal acknowledgment of guilt; it didn’t make him withdraw from the Lord. Instead, he trusted in God’s goodness and mercy, hoping, until the very end, for a reversal of the situation.

Taking initiative to comfort others

It’s common for grief over the death of a child to isolate a father and mother, adding to their pain. Men and women sometimes deal with their loss in very different ways and have trouble comforting one another effectively. This story ends with David taking steps to comfort his wife. Ultimately another son was born to them, Solomon. His name means “peace,” and a message delivered by Nathan led them to nickname him “Jedidiah”, which means, “loved by the Lord.” Despite the terrible way their relationship began, God made it known He had accepted David’s repentance and intercession. This brought healing and peace to the family.

David’s strong faith in grief has been a source of hope for countless parents: “…I shall go to him, but he will not return to me” (2 Samuel 12:23). He expected their child to be awaiting them “in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6) where David himself expected to dwell.

Although even the most hope-filled promises can’t erase a loss like this one, we can nevertheless be comforted by them. How does a verse like Romans 8:28apply in this situation?

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Despite the vast destruction and death brought on by David’s sin, God brought Jesus to earth through his union with Bathsheba: Jesus’ legal right to Israel’s throne was established because of Mary’s husband Joseph’s descent from Solomon (Matthew 1:6). He was identified as Son of David (Matthew 1:1) because of Mary’s descent from a later son of David and Bathsheba, Nathan (1 Chronicles 3:5, Luke 3:31). In His sovereign mercy, God worked this miserable experience out to be the way of salvation for David and everyone who has trusted in Christ for redemption! He can work your affliction out for your good as well!

Pray this week:

Father, I am sorry for doubting your goodness. I know that you can and will turn my afflictions to good. Help me see and understand when you do this. AMEN

Christians are told to “bear one another’s burdens.”

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

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Forgiving Others When It’s Hard

June 20, 2019

Why should I forgive someone who hurt me badly?

Written by Ruth on 04/06/2019
Series: Weekly Devotional
Tags: Forgiveness, Freedom, Reconciliation
When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

Genesis 37:4
Joseph is badly treated
Joseph’s brothers hated him because their father loved him best. “Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons…and he made him a robe of many colors.” (Genesis 37:3) Such a coat would have shouted this favoritism to everyone who saw Joseph wearing it. As a result, his brothers took an opportunity one day, when Joseph came to visit them in the fields where they were working, to get rid of him. They intended to kill him, but the oldest brother talked them out of that — so they sold Joseph to some passing traders as a slave.

Forgiving does not always mean forgetting
Often we think we must “forgive and forget.” While that is what God does (Isaiah 43:25 and Psalm 103:12) nowhere in the Bible God tells us we must forget the sin we have forgiven. Joseph’s situation is a great example of why forgetting is sometimes impossible. He was far from his home, a slave who could not leave his master, living in a situation that eventually made him a prisoner instead of just a slave (Genesis 39). Forgiving means letting go of what happened, giving what was done to you to Jesus.

We can know Joseph forgave his brothers, even though he could not tell them so, soon after he was sold. How? We see it in the way he acted toward his master in Egypt. He served Potiphar well, so well, in fact, that Potiphar made Joseph the overseer of everything he owned. It is impossible for us to live peacefully in the unwanted consequences of someone else’s action against us without having forgiven those who caused our pain or injury.

Another proof we see that Joseph forgave his brothers was that he treated Potiphar’s wife righteously when she tempted him. Had Joseph still been angry at his brothers, his anger would have transferred to this situation where he would have wronged Potiphar without anyone probably discovering his sin –he would have felt it was his right to get something for himself out of this bad situation. He did not do so.

Again, when Joseph was sent to prison because of the wife’s false accusation, Joseph would not have willingly helped other prisoners with their problems (Genesis 40) if he had not forgiven his accusers. Joseph continued to trust God even when another betrayal appeared to sentence him to a life in prison.

What helped Joseph when he could not forget? He gave the whole problem to God! He had learned from his father’s stories, how Laban and Esau had harmed him. He remembered God’s promises to Jacob, and how those promises had been kept (Genesis 35).

Forgiving means reconciling
Then came the impossible — he met his brothers again! (Genesis 42-44). Joseph, now a man of great power, second only to the king of Egypt, could easily have sought and been granted justice by the king. But rather than seeking vengeance on his brothers, he did the hard work of finding reconciliation with them. He looked for assurance that they had changed from what he had experienced in them nearly 20 years ago. He tested to see if they still harbored jealousy in their hearts. He even set up a situation to see how they would treat his own younger brother, Benjamin, differently — would they sacrifice him for their own gain? He worked toward and won, reconciliation even though his brothers were afraid of him.

Pray this week:
Lord Jesus, help me to forgive ___ so that my relationship with You can remain clean.

Whom do you need to forgive? With whom do you need to seek reconciliation? Please write if you need someone to pray with you about your situation.

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

Markethive

Overcoming Fear Is Possible

June 19, 2019

Doing the very thing that makes you afraid can be God’s way of helping you overcome that fear.

Written by Gary Fleetwood on 16/07/2018

Series: Weekly Devotional

Tags: Anxiety, Fear, Trust

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 27:1

I remember the first time that I went to Zimbabwe to evangelize out in the rural areas of the country. That first day was a little scary (to say the least). The person driving me around dropped me off in the middle of nowhere! I was with a young teenage boy who had been in the area before, but there was nothing familiar in sight. We could not see any villages, there were no roads except the one we were on, and we were very near the Zambezi River where all the wild animals go for water during the day.

I would be lying if I said that I was not a little bit anxious and fearful. I didn't even know where I would be at the end of the day or who was coming to pick us up. As the day got later and began to cool off, the wild animals started to move around more and my anxiety increased all the more.

You can probably imagine why I was not optimistic about my evangelism trip at this point. I did not even speak the language of the people that I was there to evangelize. However, after a week of walking in 100-degree heat every day, nearly 200 people had come to Christ. The next week I stayed with them and discipled them every day for about eight hours and a church was started.

So, what did I learn through that experience?

This trip was one of the greatest lessons of my life. I learned that I could trust God completely to help me reach people that needed Christ and that He was my protection at all times — even in a very dangerous setting. It strengthened me that I could trust God — especially when I was afraid. By the end of the first couple of days in the country I found that I no longer felt afraid, and eagerly wanted to return to the rural areas and start evangelizing the next day. It was great. No wonder David could say in Psalm 27:1 “Whom (or what) shall I fear?”

Learning how to overcome fear is one of God’s spiritual tools.

Everyone has certain things in their life that make them afraid. However, doing the very thing that makes you afraid can be God’s way of helping you overcome that fear.

I remember the first time that I ever flew. I was very nervous, and every time the plane encountered turbulence, I would become anxious. I would immediately think “Are we going to crash?” However, I have been flying for many years now, and I rarely even notice the turbulence, and I certainly am not afraid or anxious about flying.

Many people seem so fearful to share their faith that they never talk to anyone about Christ. They wonder what someone will think of them, or they think that they cannot answer all of their questions. The best way, though, to overcome that fear is to talk to someone about Christ. Your faith in God’s power and presence in your life will give you the help to overcome your fears of witnessing to someone. Listen to what God told Joshua in Joshua 1:9:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

What a great promise! In difficult times that make us afraid, God’s truth becomes our comfort and our strength. His truth gives us all of the reasons to have hope because our God is a great God, an all-powerful God.

Is there anything else that can help me trust God through my fears?

Any time that we are facing fears that seem to cripple us and paralyze our life, they are always harder to face when we face them alone. Sometimes we have to face them alone, but other times we need someone else in our life to encourage us and give us hope as we face our fears. Recently I had to speak to a group of people who were going on their first ever mission trip to Madagascar. It was a very long trip, and most of them had never been on a mission trip.

They knew nothing, and it frightened some of them. However, simply listening to me sharing with them about the many times I have gone to new places to minister Christ to people became a great encouragement to them. The encouragement that we can find from sharing our fears and anxieties with other believers can be a great source of strength in our life.

Pray this week:

Father, in those areas of my life that make me afraid, will you please bring someone into my life that can help me face those fears? I know that I need a spiritual helper that can be there to encourage me when I feel those fears coming on me.

Are you willing to open your life up to someone else to let them know about your personal fears that you are trying to hide from everyone else?

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

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How Fear Leads You to God

June 17, 2019

learned a long time ago that it was perfectly okay to be afraid of certain things.

Written by Gary Fleetwood on 09/07/2018
Series: Weekly Devotional
Tags: Anxiety, Fear, Peace
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

John 14:27
I learned a long time ago that it was perfectly okay to be afraid of certain things. In fact, fear can be a great motivator to help someone stay away from things that may be very harmful to their life. Fear can help a person be much more careful when in a very dangerous situation. There is a particular beach fairly near where we live that has a very strong undertow.

Unfortunately, each year people become careless when swimming at that beach and they get caught in the undertow and drown. When we go to that beach with our grandchildren, we stay right there with them and do not leave their side for fear that they could easily drown. I live out in the country and we have some heavy tractor equipment to help keep up our property. Most every piece of that heavy equipment is very dangerous when it is running and can kill someone very easily. So, we have a healthy fear of each one of those pieces of equipment and treat each one with great respect.

So, how should someone deal with real fear?
When used in the Bible, the word “fear” generally refers to something that causes anxiety and frightens a person. Fear could almost be considered as an alarm system that something may not be right and that something very dangerous may be happening. Fear has the ability to terrify us and cause us to panic. I have often heard people say that they were “scared to death” of something. My son-in-law, who is a very big and strong young man, is “scared to death” of heights. He almost refuses to get on a tall ladder to fix something. So, we know that certain circumstances can make us afraid. When that happens, notice the simplicity of what Psalm 56:3 says that a person should do.

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” (Psalm 56:3)

Often times God uses frightening circumstances to help teach us that we can always trust Him. He is right there with us and He wants us to know that truth in a very real way. When my wife was teaching our young children how to swim, they were very afraid at first. They were afraid of the water being over their head because they did not know how to swim and were afraid that they might drown. Yet, I can remember how my wife stayed right there with them, and she would constantly be saying to them “Don’t be afraid. Mommy is right here with you.” Well, that is what this verse says to us when we may be afraid. God is saying to us “Don’t be afraid. I am right here with you.” He knows exactly what is happening to us and has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us.

What can God’s peace do for me?
In our verse in John 14:27, Jesus knew that after He was resurrected that His disciples were going to be facing many very difficult moments in their life that could easily cause them to be afraid. They would be beaten, thrown in jail, and eventually put to death. However, in the midst of all of those potentially fearful moments, Jesus wanted them to know that He had something that they needed. He had a supernatural “peace” that He would give to them in the midst of those fearful moments. When He spoke those words to them, they were afraid then that He was going to leave them and that greatly frightened them. What Jesus is saying to anyone who becomes afraid of something or someone is that one thing that is desperately needed in those circumstances is His peace. His supernatural peace is something that creates a calming effect in a person’s life. His peace helps reassure us that He is really in complete control of our circumstances. When my children were afraid of drowning, my wife was in complete control of their safety and would never have allowed them to drown. She wanted them to have great peace in the midst of something that was making them afraid — and the same is true of what God desires for our life as well. He is always in complete control of everything that is taking place in our life, and He wants us to understand that spiritual reality.

So, what should I do when I become afraid?
Well, more than anything else, we need to always be committing ourselves to our heavenly Father. By fully committing ourselves to Him, we are learning to trust Him. The greater our trust in His love and care for us, the less fear we will experience when the very difficult moments come in our life. Fear has the ability to paralyze a person both emotionally and spiritually. It has the power to overcome them so that they cannot function in life. I know a young man who was severely injured in an automobile accident and he was completely paralyzed from his neck down. He cannot do anything for himself — and that is exactly what fear does to a person. It prevents them from being able to see God’s hand in their circumstances and it takes their focus off of God and puts it on their circumstances. However, God desires the opposite — that our difficult moments help us to place our focus on God, and so there will always be times in our life when He allows us to be in circumstances that make us afraid so that we can learn that He can be trusted even in the midst of those trying moments.

Pray this week:
Father, I know that different things often make me afraid, but I truly want You to be the center of my life. I do not want to be paralyzed by fear. Would you please help me to face the fears that seem to threaten my life and to genuinely give them to you?

Would you be willing to write down all of the things that make you afraid and give that list to God and ask Him to help you overcome each one of them?

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

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God’s Words: Peace

June 15, 2019

Life-Transforming Words

Written by Gary Fleetwood on 08/08/2017
Series: Weekly Devotional
Tags: God, Jesus, Peace
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23
When someone mentions the word “peace” to you, what comes to your mind? Unfortunately, the absence of peace in our world is what may stand out to you. There is so much hatred, unrest, and so many unbelievable acts of evil against innocent people, that we wonder if it will ever end. It seems that the whole world is always talking about how to achieve peace, but the sad reality is that they never have any real peace no matter how much they talk about it. What the world fails to understand is that true peace can come only from God. So if we leave God out of our “peace equation,” then we can never attain it. Only God has the power to give peace to our lives. In fact, one of the great titles of God is “God of peace.” (Hebrews 13:20)

What do you think the word “peace” actually means?
The word “peace” pictures joining two things together that had become separated from one another. I remember seeing a true story about a family who had become completely separated in a tsunami while on vacation. They were all swept away by the huge waves, and each of them was hurt very badly. They just knew that their other family members had died in the disaster; they each felt helpless and alone. However, God miraculously reunited them as a family, and they were overwhelmed with peace and joy.

So what does God’s peace actually do for me?
The peace that God gives also includes the idea of having a kind of inner restfulness. For the believer, that rest is given to them because they are actually at peace with God. The Bible says that before we came to Christ, we were actually His “enemies” (Ephesians 2:14). However, Romans 5:8 reveals why we no longer have to be enemies with God. It says, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (also see Romans 5:1)

When Jesus Christ died for our sins, His death enabled His enemies to actually become part of His family. That is so amazing! Now, we not only have peace with God, but God actually gives His peace to help when very difficult things happen to us. That is the peace that Paul is talking about in Galatians 5:22 — the actual “peace of God” that is working in our heart and mind — and especially when difficult things happen in our lives, over which we have no control.

Did Jesus ever talk to His disciples about God’s peace?
In John 14:27 Jesus was talking to His disciples because He knew that after He left that they would be facing some very strong trials in their life. He said this to them: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27)

So, what happens when I go through something very difficult?
Some people think that they will have peace when they no longer have any problems. However, the peace that Paul talks about is a supernatural calmness that God places in our heart, no matter the difficulty of our circumstances. Jesus says in this verse that when we lose our peace, we often become afraid. We do not know how a difficult trial may actually work out for us, so we are fearful — and in the process we lose our peace. So, when Jesus talks about His peace, He is not saying that we will never have troubles in our life. Rather, He’s saying that when we do suffer difficult things, we can know that He will be right there with us (also see John 16:33).

What should I do when I am afraid?
One of the great passages in the Bible about anxiety is Philippians 4:6-7, which says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

What a great promise for when we become afraid, nervous, or restless about something. As we pray and seek God’s wisdom and will for our life, He gives a supernatural peace that goes beyond our understanding. It is actually powerful enough to guard and protect our mind and our heart from worrying, so that the trials and difficulties no longer disturb us or make us afraid. We know that God is “guarding” us. So, the more we yield our life to Christ, the more His peace will help protect us from fear, from worry, and from thoughts that upset us.

Can I really experience God’s peace?
Paul encouraged the Thessalonian believers in 2 Thessalonians 3:16 with these words: “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.”

This passage tells us that God really wants to experience his peace! What an amazing prayer for both us and these believers — peace at all times and in every way possible! That is what the God and Lord of peace wants to give to each and every believer.

Pray this week:
Lord Jesus, would you please help me to yield my life to you so that I can enjoy your peace in my heart?

Do I truly believe that I can know the amazing peace of God when very difficult trials come into my life?

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member