John 14: 27 "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." NIV
God is greater than anything we can ever hope or imagine. (Eph 3:20) No cirumstance that we may be facing, no storm that may be raging around us can change who God is. He is our Healer. He is our Redeemer. He is our Comforter and Protector. He is our Refuge in the midst of the storm. These days there seems to be so much in the way of storms and turmoil. In the midst of these struggles, we often hear Satan whisper that there is no hope, no joy to find and that we have been left to drown in the muck and the mire. In the middle of this I take great comfort in knowing that God IS my refuge and my strength. The bible says that Satan comes to kill, steal and destroy but God has come so that we may have life and have it in abundance. (John 10:10) God's purpose for our life is not to be trampled in the trials of life but to over come them. To seek Him in such a way that His love overflows to us so that our life may be abundant in the things of His kingdom - peace, joy, contentment.... I am not saying that as we seek to know God and learn to live in Him that we will not have trials. Certainly not. But what I am saying is that we can find a peace in Him that helps us over come whatever Satan tries to throw at us. He will be with us every step of the way. One of Satan's favorite tools is loneliness and separation. He wants us to feel alone in our struggles. He wants us to feel isolated and that no one understands, no one cares, no one hears.... do NOT accept these things! They are all lies! So many times during His time on this earth Jesus stated that He is always with us. In Matthew 28 He says that He is with us always, even to the very end of the age! When Satan tries to tell you that you are alone in your struggle, take heart! You are not alone!!
I am so frustrated by the storms that have been raging in the lives of those around me. My heart's desire is to dive into the midst of the storms and take them all away. Yet on my own, I am powerless to calm the storm. Through all of this, God has reminded me that HE is our refuge and strength. HE is our redeemer and the restorer of our faith. He is not sitting back and letting Satan trample over His children! No matter how the tempest rages, there CAN be peace. Our peace is found in Him who will not leave us in the muck. Phillippians 4:6-7 speaks of this peace. In John 16 Jesus is speaking with his disciples saying: "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Have faith! There can be peace in the midst of these storms. I urge you to meditate on these verses. Lay your troubles, struggles, hurts, and fears down at His feet and He WILL give you rest. Seek after Him with all you have. He is aching to hold you, comfort you and bring you peace like this world can never offer!
John 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me."
