Month: January 2023

In the course of a day, a lot of things touch our senses, and while we may not think about each one, they leave their marks.  They may not be an audible sound like a voice or music, but they speak to us in different ways.  It could be the laughter of a child that we heard.  Maybe it’s a butterfly that flitted silently by in front of us that we saw with our eyes.  It may be a replay of a conversation we had yesterday.  Or maybe it’s the touch of a friend’s hand on your shoulder.  Then there’s the taste of chocolate chip cookies right from the oven.  Or the fragrance of flowers or cologne that you just walked by.  All our senses are involved in “listening”.

These can all speak positively or negatively to us.  We get to choose.  The music could be annoying.  The laughter of a child might cause us to remember one that is no longer with us.  The  butterfly might be part of a memory that wasn’t pleasant.  The conversation could have ended in an argument.  The touch may have turned to abuse.  The cookies may have burnt your tongue, or the fragrance may have made you sneeze.

Let’s look at the positive side now.  A friend’s voice caused me to look up and smile.  A child’s laughter reminds me of the good times in my childhood.  Whenever a butterfly flits by, it always makes me smile because they are so pretty and carefree, and remind me of new life in Christ.  If I think about a conversation I had with someone, it can encourage me.  The touch of a friend means they are here for me.  Chocolate chip cookies from the oven are the best when they are still soft and gooey.  Fragrances bring a brightness to the day that arouse the sense of smell.

Sounds like positive thinking, doesn’t it?  Maybe a little.  Our mind can take an innocent gesture and twist it into something it was never meant to be.  I’m familiar with the plot line in Christmas romance movies where boy and girl meet, fall in love, someone says something that is misconstrued or taken out of context, and the romance is off.  As a watcher, being able to see both sides, I think all they need to do is talk with each other and be honest.  What they think happened was not what really took place.  We need to do that with the things we hear and allow to reside in our hearts and minds.

We use our powerful God-tools
for smashing warped philosophies,
tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God,
fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse
into the structure of life shaped by Christ.
II Corinthians 10:5, MSG

Could you be listening to Satan’s lies?  He’s great at twisting the truth, telling lies, and pitting people against one another.  When we become aware of his tactics and pay attention to our thoughts, we will learn to recognize where those thoughts originated and be able to refute thoughts that don’t come from God because THAT is what destroys our peace.  Are you free to experience peace or is something holding you back?  I’ll talk about that in the next post.

You’re sitting in your living room and you hear a noise.  You say to your husband or wife, did you hear that?  They ask what? Because they did not.  So you say Sh!  Listen…now do you hear it?  Depending on the ears and concentration of the other person they might now hear what you hear.  Maybe you have to turn down the music or stop rustling papers, or maybe just be still for a minute.

Listening closely helps to tune in to a specific noise or conversation.  It also helps us to refine Peace.  When there are things or people around us making noise, it’s hard to hear that still small voice of the Holy Spirit.  Sometimes I need to stop what I’m doing and focus on the peace rather than the noise.  My cat is good at that even though she’s been deaf now for almost a year.  (She’s over 15 years old.)  I look up and see her focused on something so small I don’t see it until I get up to look.  It’s her way of getting my attention to come see what she’s found for which I’m thankful because it’s usually a bug of some kind.

There’s listening and then there’s listening.  You know what I’m talking about.  Someone says something to you and you’re preoccupied so you mumble uh-huh.  But then they say, well, what do you think?  You have to admit you didn’t hear a word they said.  That’s listening with your ear.  Then there’s giving the other person your full attention and responding.  That’s listening with your ear and your mind as you engage with the other person.

When my kids were young, one in particular talked a lot and asked a lot of questions.  When it went on and on and I needed to focus on something else, I’d tell him that Mommy’s ears were tired and needed to rest.  Sometimes that was all that was needed for him to go off and play quietly for a while.  That can apply to hearing in general.  The world is constantly bombarding us with all kinds of things it thinks we need to see or hear, but tuning all that out rests our tired ears, clears our mind, and gives us opportunity to hear from the Lord.

“But whoever listens to me will live without worry and will be free from the dread of disaster.”
Proverbs 1:33, GW

When we’re preoccupied with other thoughts and things, we can’t truly hear or feel the peace God wants to give us.  We need to be quiet and disengage from the distractions around us.  Then the Holy Spirit will be able to speak to us and give us His perfect peace.  Even when the world around us is loud and demanding, God’s perfect peace will still be in our hearts, calming our fears and steadying us in the midst of this topsy turvy world.  Is your heart at peace?  If not, could you be listening to Satan’s lies?  We’ll talk about that in the next post.  Until then, can you hear it?  Listen closely.

What are the most important items for surviving during a siege?  Let’s think about what we would want or need if we were stranded somewhere.  You pick the place and situation.  You might be stuck in your disabled vehicle at night on a back road.  Maybe you’re lost.  You might be in a country other than your own and got separated from the people you arrived with.  You might even be in the middle of a war or natural disaster and have to shelter in place.

OK, now that you have the scene in your mind, what do you have with you that would be useful?  Keep in mind that this situation was not part of your plan so you didn’t arrive prepared.  What do you need?

Probably most of us would go to our cell phone for help, so let’s start there…assuming you had your cell phone in your pocket when you arrived.  That’s a good place to start IF we have cell phone service and the phone’s battery is charged.  But there’s a place even better to start.  PRAYER!  It doesn’t require a service plan nor a battery.  God’s service plan is free and His power never runs out.

If you knew you were going to be in a particular situation, what would you make sure you had with you?  Here are a few that came to my mind:

• Food and water are a priority for sustenance of life.  When you’re at home and it’s within reach, you probably don’t realize how much you munch during the day.  When your stomach growls, you just head to the kitchen, or if you’re at work you open your desk drawer or go to the vending machine. 
• Identification is a must, especially if you’re in another country, but is also essential in case of accident or injury so that your emergency contact can be notified.
• Pen and paper is an essential for me wherever I go because I need to write down things or I’ll forget them.  I also jot down inspirational thoughts that come to me so I can write about them at a later time.
• Charger for my phone and tablet or laptop keep me in touch with friends and family.

Let’s take these items and liken them to our spiritual life.  After all, peace is not a material thing that we can go buy at some store down the street.  Peace is a gift from God and resides in our spiritual heart where He keeps it and guards it from disturbances from the world. 

• Just as food and water are a necessity for physical life, God’s Word and prayer are a necessity in our spiritual lives.  We need that guidance and encouragement from the Bible and the fellowship with God to keep us going.
• We are sons and daughters of our great God.  We belong to Him and we can identify with Him.
• When we talk with God and read His Word, He writes in our hearts.
• I recharge my spiritual batteries when I read, pray, sing, and worship.

What does this have to do with peace?  Focus on the essentials in life and be prepared for the unexpected.  There will always be things that take our time and energy but they’re not always the best choice nor necessary.  Those are usually the things that rob us of our peace because they take up too much of our time, make us tired, distract us, and cause worry or frustration.  Look to God for His perfect peace, not to people and things.  Be prepared is not just a Boy Scout motto.  It is a spiritual prerequisite to perfect peace.  More in the next post…

Years ago I didn’t give a second thought to going shopping at night, walking alone on a country road, or going out to eat or to a concert alone.  I never gave it much thought, but I guess I felt safe…until there was reason not to.  When I started seeing things that made me suspicious, fear crept in and before I knew what was happening, it took hold.  Soon I wasn’t going out at night, especially alone, and I became tense when I saw a person or car near me that I didn’t know or recognize.

As the Covid pandemic approached in 2020, I looked around me and listened to what others were saying.  They were fearful and paranoid of getting germs from someone and getting sick.  While everyone was donning their masks, I was more concerned about the things I touched than what I was breathing in, so I chose to wear gloves everywhere during the height of all the hype.  But overall, I wasn’t too concerned about getting sick.  I’ve been in good health and I knew God would take care of me.  We just need to use common sense and be wise in our interactions with others, especially when they are ill.

About a week before the quarantine took effect, I was praying and I’m not sure if I specifically prayed for peace, but I felt God’s awesome perfect peace descend over me like a blanket of love and protection.  I’d never experienced anything like it before.  Even though things around me hadn’t changed, the quarantine kept everyone isolated from one another, and I still had suspicions about some things, God’s peace reigned in my heart and mind, and kept me out of Satan’s clutches.  I began rejecting fear every time it’s ugly head poked through.

The other day I read in my daily devotion on my Tecarta Bible app (January 19, 2023) a very interesting explanation that helps in understanding the key verse for this blog (Isaiah 26:3):

The word “keep,” when used as a noun, is actually the strong central tower of a fortress. The keep is the most defended area of a castle, containing the most important items for surviving during a siege. That’s why Christians around the world often conclude their worship service by singing the benediction: “May the LORD bless you and keep you” (Numbers 6:24, NCV).

When we are in the “keep” or the center of God’s heart, it is the safest place to be, and He will keep and protect us from the fiery darts of Satan that try to destroy our peace.

What are the most important items for surviving during a siege that’s destroying our peace?  Come back for the next post.

I love to have visual and audio pieces when I’m studying or meditating.  It helps me to picture and feel what I’m experiencing.  Yesterday in my church’s worship time, we sang the song Perfect Peace by Joe Zichterman (on YouTube), and the first line of the song got my attention (See the text under the video in this link for the full lyrics of this song.).

“When life’s burdens get so heavy and it seems I’m all alone…“

Isn’t that what eats away at the peace we want?  You bet!  The things of life weigh us down.  People desert us whether by death, distance, or a number of other ways. 

The Fall scenes outside your window are full of vibrant yellows, oranges, reds, and even browns that paint a beautiful picture of God’s creation.  But all too soon those colors turn to drab browns that are dull, boring, and cause us to feel down, for some because they know Winter is coming.

In Spring things start turning green, flowers bloom, and sunshine warms us after the cold dark days of Winter.  We feel refreshed and renewed, for some because they look forward to swimming, picnics and other Summer activities.

Peace according to the dictionary has several aspects to it, to name a few:

• freedom from disturbance; tranquility
  • A mom of busy young children might say, “Just give me a few minutes of peace and quiet.”
• freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions
  • A dad with a major decision to make might say, “I don’t have peace about this.”
• harmony in personal relations
  • A teenager might say, “I wish my parents could get along and be at peace.”

To have peace as our own, though, we need to dig deeper and look at where that peace comes from and how we can get it.  I won’t be covering it all in this post, so please come back and keep reading.

Here are two word pictures for you.  How do you feel looking at each one?

(Above two photos from Pixabay free stock photos)

Does your life look and feel more like the desk in the first one or the clean orderly room in the second one?  Keep searching and do some housecleaning.  That’s a good start to finding peace in your life.

“Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.”
Proverbs 4:23, GNT