Tag: God is sovereign

Personal Peace

~ Barbara ~ 2 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

There is a River

~ Barbara ~ 1 Comment

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy place where the Most High dwells.
Psalm 46:4

I whisper to my soul, “There is a river,” and my heart stills. With those simple words, I am assured, satisfied, quieted. As an earthly resident of a heavenly city, I treasure the assurances I find in the following verses of Psalm 46.

  • “God is within her, she will not fall.” The kingdoms of this world are in tumult—wars erupt and evil devastates the land and its people. But there is a city of peace where God dwells and prepares for our arrival. I see hints of it in the rivers that flow out of it and reveal God’s grace.
  • “God will help her at break of day.” Every morning God is present to support us, to show us His lovingkindness, and to give us guidance and strength. He keeps us safe until the day we go home and see Him.
  • “Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; He lifts his voice, the earth melts.” Chaos seems to reign on earth—it is undeniably present, but it is not sovereign, God is. The warfare that rages is not against a nation’s armies or our “enlightened” political ideologies, but against evil forces that are not human. All these kingdoms will fall and then… God will lift His voice and, at His word, the world as we know it will melt.

There will be a new world. Our life will be one of peace, and joy, and remarkable revelations of truth. All will be made clear and beauty will abound. We will enter the city of God and drink from its streams because “There is a river,” and it will make us glad.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, 
since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

IMHO

~ Barbara ~ Leave a comment

No more Light Side! We are facing health challenges with our son David and my writing inspiration and time is pretty sparse right now. However, I was impressed with this teaching and want to pass it on for your consideration.

In My Humble Opinion, I found this sermon to be fair and stimulating—Election 2024. It is rare to find moderate, objective commentary that is offered from a Biblical perspective concerning policies in the upcoming election.

In My Humble Opinion, an election is not about a person or personality but about supporting Biblical standards. Even a cursory look at the Old Testament kings shows us that, while God doesn’t overlook sin, He uses sinners for His purposes.

I am so thankful He is the ultimate Ruler and King over all. He is in control of our seemingly out-of-control world. Think on these verses, one from the Old Testament, one from the New.

  • He changes times and seasons; He deposes kings and raises up others. Daniel 2:21a
  • There is no authority except that which God has established. 
    The authorities that exist have been established by God. Romans 13:1b

Lord, your will be done.

Please do not respond with political arguments; I will not engage. Simply hit delete!

Finding Hope, 65 Meditations for a Broken Heart

News Alert (2)

~ Barbara ~ 1 Comment

Top news: the primaries, the slander, the accusations. Opinions are rampant, triggering divisiveness and suspicion. Who can be believed? It is easy to worry and become fearful.

But… this is the confidence we can have when we trust God:

He changes times and seasons; He deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
He reveals deep and hidden things;
He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him.
Daniel 2:21-22

Fold up the paper and turn off the TV. Let the Bible feed your faith and replace your fears.