My body is retaliating from doing house projects. It just does not want to move today. I think it may need to be a day of laying instead of moving. I am so thankful God is my physical strength to complete projects Doc wants done. I am thankful for the financial strength God provided yesterday to buy paint and supplies. I also am thankful for the wisdom He gives me to know when I need to stop. Plain and simple. I am thankful. This morning I am thinking about a verse from our Bible study last night. We are studying the Beatitudes. One of the verses was Matthew 5:9. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God. Who are the peacemakers? When you read this, it is the children of God. I have seen many people who call themselves children of God who are not acting or speaking as such. I've heard or read words unbecoming of a child of God that hurt my heart greatly. When people read or hear our words of anger and know we call ourselves His child, what does that say about our relationship with Him? Are they going to desire to be in relationship with Him? We never can agree with everyone all the time but we don't need to be nasty in our disagreement. If God fills our heart, He will pour out of our words, actions, thoughts, and attitude. When Jesus gave this great sermon, He didn't do it just for the fun of it. There are great teachings in it. One dictionary gives the definition to peace as inner state of well being and calm. When we are in right relationship with God, we will experience His peace. If we allow the enemy an open door, we will experience great chaos. I hear and read people blast out politicians; agree with protestors; and ridicule people for wearing masks during the coronavirus pandemic. The old saying 'if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all' needs adhered to by all of us. The enemy loves to cause division and that is exactly what I am seeing not only in friends and acquaintances but also in families. It's ok to disagree but when you take a nasty attitude about it God will not bless it. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:18, If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. The key in this verse is so far as it depends on you. When we listen to God, we will know how to be at peace with others. That may mean we need to keep our mouths shut and our opinions to ourselves. It may mean we don't try to change others opinions to line up with ours. It may actually mean we need to take a step back from a situation so God can get us to realize our opinion is not of Him. Ouch! James 3:17 reads: But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. Yes! This is exactly the kind of wisdom I desire! I desire my words, actions, thoughts, and attitude to be pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. This is not possible in my human state but it is possible in my spiritual state when I live in His presence. Woo hoo!
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for our study on the Beatitudes! Thank You for giving me the desire in my heart to be a peacemaker! Thank You for being my Peace in the midst of the storms of life! Lord, I pray for Doc today as he is once again feeling so yucky. May You continue to be his strength. I pray he will receive a healing while on this earth, sooner than later. I also pray for: Linda as she makes decisions from her medical testing; Mandy and Lynn as they have their medical test today; and the little guy being tested for leukemia in the near future. May You be greater than their physical ailments. I also pray for You to be greater than the hurt my friends are going through from the loss of loved ones. Tricia, Gay, and Kathy. May You be their Great Comforter. Father, heal our land. Use Your people to love with Your love. Open up eyes and hearts to those who are tearing down Your Kingdom instead of edifying it. Thank You Jesus for being My Peace! Amen.
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