John 14:27 "(Jesus said) I am leaving you with a gift --peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid.
My Thoughts
Oh there were so many goodies in my Bible reading today, I underlined and underlined and underlined, but this one on this one is so important. I just didn't want anybody to miss it!!
Jesus is where our peace comes from! We can look all around us and see people from every walk of life unhappy, not peaceful. Because they are seeking their peace in so many other things!! I have been there. Oh if I had only know early, early in life where peace came from!!
I heard about a psychologist once that decided to do an experiment... he had is patients read the 23 Psalm, you know the one The Lord is my Shepard, I shall not want. He had them read that whole some 4 times a day. They were to write it down and carry it with them... if I remember right they were to read it in the morning, at lunch and dinner and before going to bed at night. They had to read if from the paper not from memory. And they had to think on each and ever word. Something like 80% of them were better within the month. I was not surprised when I head this because I had been reading my Bible every day for a couple of years and I knew it worked. But if you had told me that about 5 years ago I would not have believed it. Now I know it is true. Why? Because our peace of heart and mind can only come from Jesus.
I have had anxiety and even panic over the years, sometimes less than others, but I always had it. I had it on my first day of school and it never went away. I have had it in mild forms for long periods of time...then I have had it in incapacitating forms for months on end. The last time I had it was several years ago. My kids were both out of the house so I had nothing to keep me in touch with people and the world around me. My anxiety and panic had gotten really out of hand. I would leave my house to take care of my mom and I could go to Hobby Lobby by myself... but Robby bought groceries because Wal-Mart would give me such anxiety. Robby and I would go out and that was fine because I had Robby with me. But I could tell I was getting worse and worse and worse. Then John-Robert (my son) gave me my One Year Bible for Christmas and since it was laid out in daily readings and I knew where to start and where to end and because it was from him, I was determined to read it from cover to cover.
I started reading my Bible. Now mind you I had been saved when I was 9 and I had been in and out of church all my life. I knew who Jesus was and I knew that I was suppose to love Him so I did. As I read my Bible I begin to fill a change, I begin to hunger after God in a way that I had not ever hungered after God...those words were changing me!! I became thirsty for God's word and I begin falling in love with God and with Jesus... not loving them because I was suppose to...but because they loved me so much and I couldn't help but love them back!!! The more I read and understood, the more peace I had... slowly but surely that peace took the place of the anxiety and panic. It is a peace that does pass all understanding and every day I am amazed. You see the devil didn't have to tempt me with being bad, he just had to keep me distracted with life and fill my head with thought that produced anxiety. But God is stronger that Satin and God will win every time if I keep my eyes on Him.
Every once in a while I feel anxiety creeping in and I know that I am not going back to that life. I reach deep within my spirit and I start saying out loud those things God tells me. Things like I am wonderfully made, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. God will never leave me or forsake me. The list goes on!! And before you know it.. in a matter of less than an hour all that doubt and anxiety goes right away. The thing is... when I renew my mind each morning with God's word there is seldom, and I mean once every few months, a time when I even get a bit of anxiety. That is because peace comes from knowing Jesus. Jesus loves me this I know!! And some days I can even feel Him reach down His hand for mine and that is so awesome!
If you don't have peace, I beg you seek Jesus! If I were there with you I would hold your face in my hand and say, "Jesus loves you!!! Take time to know Him, really know Him!! And your life will be forever transformed!! I promise!" Every minute you spend with God, He will give you back that time seven fold! Don't ever think you don't have time, God will make a way for all you have to do, if you will make time for God!!
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