Thank you Sister Connie Keyohara for this very encouraging post!!! We are so very thankful for you and yours!
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27
“My peace” The peace Jesus is talking about here is the kind of peace that has no distractions, no ulterior motives, and absolutely no one can take it from you because He is the source of that peace.
Have you ever been told that you can trust God, yet you’re not convinced you can? You want proof, some kind of “still, small voice” to tell you that if you put your faith and trust in Him, He won’t let you down, he won’t abandon you?
Recently I went through a brief, but hard bout of depression and anxiety. It came on me rather swiftly and without warning. As I sought God on this, I really couldn’t seem to get an answer. I didn’t understand how I could go from a place of peace and joy, to a place of despair and fear.
One thing I learned through this experience was that depression and anxiety showed me where my faith was. You see, I believe that I lacked the faith to believe that God could actually take care of my situation 100%
God designed us in his image, which means that we reflect him. We should strive to be like him and to trust him. We should strive to give him every aspect of our lives. Not only to give him our troubles and worries, but to leave them there.
Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
Scripture tells us to Count it all joy, when you meet trials of various kinds, for the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. Let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:2-4
We aren’t exempt from trials, but we must keep our faith while in the midst of them. Peace is not just the absence of a storm, but it’s us pausing and unwinding right in the middle of that storm. Maybe it’s as simple as stepping away from anything that might trigger your anxiety or just being still for a time. We may also need a break so that we can regenerate.
When we go through tough times that cause anxiety or depression in life, we can tend to doubt God and even question Him. We wonder if He’s making a mistake by allowing certain painful situations to occur in our lives. This is where we go to his Word. There is a treasure trove of wonderful advice for us in those pages of the Bible.
Did you know that the phrases like “Fear not”, “Don’t be afraid” are used 365 times in the Bible? No accident that there’s one “fear not” for every day of the year.
Anxiety and troubles can come upon you in an instant, like they did on me. It can happen to anyone, but how quickly you react can make all the difference in the world. For to dwell in the problem for too long, can cause you to sin!
The Apostle Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians to put down every arrogant obstacle, take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” -Jesus
My prayer for you today is that you’d have the peace that only God can give.
Many Blessings,
