What fruit of the spirit would like more of in this life season you are in right now?
For me, I need more peace and glimpses of joy regardless of the chaos swirling around me and the circumstances that I cannot control.
Father,
I pray that you surround us with Your presence as we venture out today. Guide us into the plans You have for us. Thank You for being our guide and protection. May we leave the people that we cross paths with better than before. Give us open eyes, ears, and hearts so we may discover the treasures and delights You have scattered along today’s journey.
“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.”
Quiet your mind a moment. Imagine how it feels to rest between the Lord’s shoulders. I feel joy, delight, peace, and so much safety wrapping me up tightly in warmth and the scent of Heaven. It’s beautiful.
We are shielded all day long. We can rest, we can let go, and we can be ourselves because He wants us that way – just how He created us.
I can think of no better, safer, more joyful, and freeing place to be then in God’s presence – resting between the shoulders of the King of Heaven’s Armies.
As you navigate all that today holds in store, I pray that you pull up this image of being tucked in and held by the One who’s footstool is the heavens. Let that wash over you and bathe you in peace and confidence. He’s got you and yours. You are so loved. Peace be with you.
I lift up the one who needs some peace today. The tug of to-do lists, others’ expectations, and lack of restful sleep has them at their breaking point. The exhaustion is smothering and they just need a place to breathe. Please intervene, Jesus. Speak calm to the chaos, silence to the demanding voices, and peaceful rest to the tired mind and body. Your presence dispels worry, pushes out fear, ushers in joy, and delivers them into a spacious place of safety. The pressure that stifles is lifted. They can breathe You in. The fragrance of Your breath as You speak life to their soul is scented with love and peace. It is full of healing. Thank you for meeting them right where they are and wrapping them up in Your arms.
Today, I pray you find moments of quiet serenity where the voices and noise of the world cease for a bit. I pray you sit in the peace of Christ that shields you, inviting you to rest your body, mind, and spirit as He ministers love, joy, and contentment to your soul.
You are safe with Him, you are enough, and so deeply loved. Peace be with you.
Peace has many different faces and invades every situation. It can be quiet and unobserved, waiting to be noticed. It happens in the wee hours of the morning while rocking a tired, cranky baby, praying for rest and calm until suddenly you feel it— peace. It was there waiting, gently and softly. Rest. Peace. All is well; you are safe and secure. Sheltered.
Peace is there on an ordinary day when things are flowing smoothly, life is pleasant, and people are kind.
Peace is there in the absence of storms, just as real, alive, and powerful as it is during grueling trials that seem endless. Peace is there when the Doctor takes a deep breath and says, “I’m so sorry. You have breast cancer.” Peace keeps you from losing yourself to terror when desperation blasts in and you feel like you are drowning and have no control. Peace is there in the middle of the “what-ifs,” saying, “Yes! What if you are healed? What if you are well taken care of and never alone in this? What if you are held in arms that are bigger than all your fears, sheltered amid all this hurt and chaos? What if? What if…”
Peace reminds you that it was there before this storm hit, and it will be there forever after. Peace lifts your face and asks you to fasten your gaze steadily into the eyes of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. It is Jesus; peace is Jesus. Such calm, such safety, such rest.
My searching and desire for peace lead directly to Jesus. I won’t find it inside myself. That will fall short every time. I have tried being self-reliant and strong enough. The One who created me, when I was but a thought in His mind, wants me to feel peace, to know He is working out all things for good, according to that beautiful, unique plan that is my life. Your life. The time He took to carefully place us right where we are, surrounded by the people and circumstances that He brought into being, shows that He knows what He is doing. We win because He is victorious over death and sin. It is ok to not know what to do if you know the One who does. It is ok not to have it figured out. He already did that.
Can we walk out not knowing? We do it every day, don’t we? We wake up and go. However, the going is easier when we understand that He has us in His hands and that nothing comes toward us that He has not first filtered through hands of love, a mind of infinite wisdom, and a heart that loves us fiercely, intensely, and intimately. This is a wild love. It is not tame or controllable. Yet, in this fierce and protective love, we find the greatest of peace. Jesus.
In this scripture, the Lord is declaring what He delights in – kindness, justice, and righteousness. I want to be about what He delights in. I want to love those that He loves, see those that He sees, exercise kindness, stand for justice, and do my best to be like Him. He knows we are not perfect and can’t do this on our own.
May we be people who follow after Him, go where He leads us, be clothed in kindness, and treat others the way HE would treat them, the way He treats us.
Extravagant Hope 