2023-08-18
Good Morning Dear Ones,
No matter what his lifestyle or challenges, every person needs to find peace in his life. Needles to say, we all seek it in different ways. However, our Lord Jesus is at the heart of what we, as believers in Him, must do to find it. JN 14: 26-27, “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and remind you everything I have said to you. 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.” Last week, I was commanded to write about a list of challenges that often beset us and didn’t have space to write about peace while awaiting God to answer our prayers, peace in the face of sadness and tears, or peace in the face of the death of a loved one. So, that is my task for God today.
Previously, I have written about the three possible answers to our prayers that God might give us: “yes,” “no,” or “maybe later.” Our loving God knows how and when to give His reply, and because He has no evil in Him [1 JN 1:5] He always answers in the time and way to maximize the good His answer can do. We must remember that His plan of salvation makes it His decision when and how He chooses to answer [IS 46: 9-10]. We must realize that GA 5: 22-23 lists the gifts of the Holy Spirit. They are love, peace, joy, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, kindness, and self-control. Think about it; we are given what we need to react as God desires to the answers we receive. We mustn’t forget that if something is God’s will that we are praying for, He will answer is with a “yes” [JN 15: 7]. When that “yes” comes, it’s a time when the benefits are maximized.
Now, let’s look at when the answer is “no” to our prayers. God is omniscient and thus knows all the pitfalls of being granted a “no” answer. We might not have anticipated them. For example, suppose we ask for the ability to identify an organism that will eradicate a disease. That organism might also kill off another that upsets the delicate balance of nature leading to unforeseen problems. This is what happened many years ago when lamprey eels were found clogging the river dams in the Midwest. The problem was eventually solved, but not before there were many troubles to overcome. If the negative consequences are greater than we can solve, then God will say, “no.” right away.
And then, there are the many times when God says, “maybe later.” Usually, He will do this when there are usually important lessons He wants us to learn. If you have read my devotions for any length of time, you already know the story of how my husband, Peter, and I needed to downsize our living quarters and we had a terrible time finding the right house. It took 1 ½ years while our larger home didn’t sell, and I was driving around the neighborhood we chose unable to find the right home. I went into every house there which was for sale. I prayed constantly, asking God to lead me to the right home, as we lost 21 years of savings in the process. Finally, our larger home sold, but at a reduced price. It was on that very day, the right house came up for sale in our chosen neighborhood. The lesson God had for us was that we could have a very good life on much less money. Yes, that’s the way our loving God teaches us through the Holy Spirit, to do His will! We mustn’t forget patience as we wait for God to act is one of those gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Next, we look at the times when we are sad and maybe even in tears. I remember a time when a friend’s 17-year-old son was killed in a motorcycle accident. I was in a car close enough to see another car that was speeding hit the motorcycle, knocking it to the pavement. Some passengers in cars stopped nearby, including me, and jumped out to help this lad. But it was too late; he had multiple injuries including a fractured skull, which took his life. You can imagine how I felt when I recognized him as my friend’s son! It’s a sight I can’t forget, and it led to me telling my own son to forget ever getting a motorcycle. In the next few days, I found myself trying to comfort my friend and control my own tears at this loss. I prayed with her, and I knew only the Lord Jesus in Whom she was a strong believer could truly comfort her over time.
I have often heard it said, “death is a part of life.” While that statement is true, it alone can’t comfort a person in the face of the loss of a loved one. My own tears don’t come easily, because I had been reared to think they are a sign of weakness. Admitting weakness is not easy to do, but I had to when my beloved Peter, my husband of 44 years, passed away. I believe that His soul is with the Father in a much better place than here with all Peter’s needs being met. So, my crying was for myself at the prospect of losing the company of my best human friend in this life. Thankfully, I had the good sense to take Griefshare’s 13-week course, so that I could deal with my grieving for him. In addition, God gave my son and daughter-in-law the kindness to invite me to come to live with them. So, I’m blessed by my faith and how God was at work taking care of my needs. I have the hope that someday, I will be reunited with Peter in heaven, but must go on serving God and moving forward with my life. God gave me constructive stubbornness, which has allowed me to turn some of my health issues in a good direction. I keep thinking of Paul’s story of His painful illness in 2 COR 12: 7-9. “Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” What a lesson for us that is! We find peace in God’s reasoning so much more than our own. PR 3: 5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”
PRAYER: O Lord, the advice in PR 3 above, if taken, will grant us the wisdom and peace that Your perspective gives us. Of course, it takes prayer and time to eventually see the Lord’s way, but when we do, He gives us a peace that goes beyond human understanding [PHIL 4:7]. We thank and praise You for helping us through tough times in a fallen world. You love us so much that nothing can separate us from that love [RO 8: 38-39]. We are grateful and offer You our love, loyalty, faithfulness, obedience, and praise. In Christ’s holy/mighty name, we pray. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I’ve been commanded to write next week about how God gives us peace. This process is another way of being reminded that God remains on the job of listening to our prayers, helping us to draw closer to Him, and wanting as many of us as possible to gain eternal life with Him. PHIL 3: 12-14 gives us motivation for living in the Spirit and not by the letter of the written law. “Nothing that I have already obtained all this, or having already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do. Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Thanks and praise be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn, JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2023. All Rights Reserved.
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