Follow the Leader

~ Barbara ~ 2 Comments

Did you play Follow the Leader as a kid? Everyone lined up behind the leader and mimicked the series of antics he performed. One by one, each child floundered until only one follower remained and became the next leader.

I just read the Exodus account of the Israelites following Moses through the Red Sea. Although familiar, the story still amazed me. What an awe-inspiring demonstration of God’s power and dramatic escape across a dry riverbed! I loved their bold faith when they safely stood on the shore of the river and, as their leader, Moses led them in a song of worship that praised God’s spectacular capabilities:

  • The Lord is highly exalted.
  • He is my strength and my song, my salvation.
  • The Lord is a warrior who drowned our enemies.
  • His right hand is majestic in power.
  • His love is unfailing.
  • Nations will tremble before Him.

These proclamations reflected Moses’ faith, the very thing that made him a good leader, then and during the forty years they wandered in the wilderness. Moses knew who God was and exalted Him above the frightening situations before them. Unfortunately, the Israelites fell out of line, floundering like the children in the game. But one followed closely and became the next leader, Joshua.

A good leader doesn’t waver when circumstances are adverse, but points to the truth that is higher than the challenge: who God is, how He acts, and what He says.

I am dismayed by the poor leadership I see, elected officials who rant and rage but do not honor God with their words. Do we follow leaders with the loudest voices and highest emotional charge? Or those who trust God to be God?

I want to follow leaders who honor God, whether in government, in church, in medicine, or in personal relationships.

Let’s follow the leader who believes God and knows that anything is possible with Him.

Better yet, you be the leader who proclaims God’s power, wisdom, and sovereignty over all things. Lead others to a higher level.

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Imparting Peace

~ Barbara ~ 3 Comments

Peace 4/4

Everyone would love to see world peace. Peace is a treasure we seek—in our world, in our personal relationships, and in our hearts. We thrive when we are at peace, and so do others. So I ask, “If peace is such a precious commodity, doesn’t it make sense that it would be our priority to impart peace?”

What if our words, those we speak to God, share online, and say to others, were words that offer peace rather than feed division? Some would argue, “I’m just saying what’s true!” Really? Paul gives us some guidelines. Even AI knows them!

  • “We will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ” (Ephesians 4:15).
  • “Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them” (Ephesians 4:29). 
  • “Let your conversation be gracious and attractive…” (Colossians 4:6). 
  • “Encourage each other and build each other up…” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). 

Solomon, a man renowned for his wisdom, shares his insights with us:

  • “Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body” (Proverbs 16:24).
  • “The soothing tongue is a tree of life…” (Proverbs 15:4).
  • “The tongue can bring death or life…” (Proverbs 18:21).

Be a blessing! Promote unity, speak edifying words, and impart peace.

Image from DailyVerses.net

Personal Peace

~ Barbara ~ 3 Comments

Anxiety is a cruel taskmaster. His minions accompany him: tension, worry, panic, dread. They afflict us with wild imaginations, edginess, and sleeplessness. I found only one remedy—a change of focus that shifts our eyes from what we see to the One who is above it all.

In my book, I Was Broken, Too, I wrote a section about the importance of Holding your Eyes Higher, and referred to Israel’s fears and feelings of abandonment while in captivity. Isaiah gave them simple but sage advice: “Look up into the heavens.”

He followed this with a question, “Who created all the stars?” Then he assured them that God “brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of His great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing” (Isa 40:26). Like the stars, God created us. He knows each of our names and has not lost or forgotten a single one of us.

Look up, my friend. Don’t focus on what you see on Earth’s level, because there is always more at play than we can see. God is sovereignly in control. He has a plan and the power and authority to execute it. As your Creator, He knows you better than you know yourself. His purposes will not be thwarted. We cannot comprehend the wonder of His intentions or the glory of His objectives.

Wars, on battlefields and in our hearts, are in His control. Answers are in place before we ask. Trust Him; your survival depends on it.

  • Pray about everything and thank Him, and His peace will guard your heart and mind (Philippians 4:6-7).
  • Believe Jesus’ promise to gift you with peace of mind and heart that is unlike anything the world knows. Let His words comfort you: “Don’t be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27)
  • Share Isaiah’s confidence in God and declare, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (Isaiah 26:3)

Personal peace can be ours when we choose to shift our focus from here to there, from what we physically see to what we spiritually believe. I leave you with this blessing from 2 Thessalonians 3:16:

Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you His peace
at all times and in every situation.
The Lord be with you all.

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

Relational Peace

~ Barbara ~ 1 Comment

Harmonious relationships are a precious gift.

Who do you enjoy being with? I expect it is someone you respect, and who also respects you. You share personal joys and sorrows. You feel safe in their presence. You likely agree on the important issues of life. Your time together is peaceful.

But then there are other relationships where you are on your guard, with defensiveness on both sides. There are those who hurt you, and you can’t seem to get past it. Or, a barrier of jealousy or pride has been erected between you.

Whether a person is a good friend, an acquaintance, or someone you would prefer not to rub shoulders with, God wants us to live in harmony with one another—the BFFs, the agitators, and even the haters. He desires peace in our relationships. And, honestly, doesn’t that sound good?

The ball is always in our court. The choice is ours. Peace begins with us.

The Apostle Peter offers uncompromising truth in his first letter:*

  • Be like-minded – agree on Biblical non-negotiables and a shared desire for Godliness.
  • Be sympathetic – give the benefit of the doubt, respect individuality, and honor the unique experiences and personality of others.
  • Love one another – not an option! You may need to start with Jesus’ command to “Love your enemy” and work up from there.
  • Be compassionate and humble – care, be understanding, show kindness, swallow your pride.
  • Repay evil with blessing – you were hurt, you suffered at their hand, you didn’t deserve such treatment. Neither did Jesus, and He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”  

Peter cites Psalm 34:14, with a clear-cut command and a bold challenge:

Seek peace and pursue it.

The choice is ours, and the benefits are eternal.

*1 Peter 3:8-9