The Peace of God...

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;

6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7 ESV)

Paul’s Recipe for Peace...

I have read a lot on this, but in my own words the recipe for finding true peace is setting the Lord always before me and making a practice of bringing all to Him in prayer.  These moment by moment small acts of faith bring my heart to that place where it has truly come to realize that I AM NOT ALONE.  When I feel my stomach begin to churn and I begin to have anxious thoughts, I remember that my God is with me and for me.  And that I can rely on Him.  I am not sufficient for any of this life.  I am not suppose to be sufficient for any of it.  But He is and He is with me and dwells in me.  Gods desire for me is to depend on Him. Getting thru this life is not my job...it is His.  

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice...

The Lamp is the Lamb...

For you are my lamp, O LORD, and my God lightens my darkness.  (2 Samuel 22:29, ESV)

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, "You shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel." (2 Samuel 21:17, ESV)

This verse always brings great comfort to my heart. What a blessing to know that when I sit in darkness my God will be a light to me.  Unto those who open their heart to God and believe there arises light in the darkness of this world. He give light to those who sit in the shadow of death and guides their feet in the way of peace. Here, however, is what I learned as I read today.  David was called the lamp of Israel. (2 Samuel 21:17) David gives all glory of that title to His God. God was David’s lamp.  David’s job like mine, like yours, is/was to reflect His light...the light of the glory of God.

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6, ESV)

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. (Revelation 21:22-23 ESV)