Peace that Overrides Understanding

My Devotion

My Heart

Peace that Overrides Understanding

Teresa Jenkins

Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice! …Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcend all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:4, 6-7

There is a peace that goes beyond my understanding that pushed though all my anxiety yesterday.  As hard as the decision was to make, my help, whatever, I could possibly do is inadequate to God’s power, mercy, grace will do in the circumstance I am enduring. I cannot fix this circumstance, I cannot make it better.

The determining factor to peace is release.  As I prayed, in my broken heart and through my anxiety God’s peace gently flowed through me.  God did not give me an itemized itinerary to His plan of action, but I heard Him say, “I’ve got this, do not be anxious I have heard your cries and I will restore.”  Oh the overpowering love that takes hold of you when you surrender.

Anxiety will literally crush you and keep you defeated.  Anxiety defined, an unpleasant state of mental uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession or concern about some uncertain event.  Now if you can just think of all the hazards to your health that anxiety causes and at the same time does not solve the problem, or circumstance you are going through.  Have you noticed that Anxiety is a prevalent issue in health?  It takes over your whole being, life, and everything you do. I suffer anxiety silently, it’s always smoldering just under the surface and when something does arise that I know I cannot do anything about, it will escalate to points of physical pain and illness.  My mind obsesses over every detail that I know I cannot change or do anything about, but the Bible tells me something different, I can do something.

Philippians 4:4-9 is God’s assignment in every kind of trouble.  He first says Rejoice in the Lord always.  Be gentle.  Do not be anxious.  In everything by prayer and petition (write it down, share it with your prayer partners, getting others to pray according to His will with you) with thanksgiving give your requests to God, make your presentation to your Father who in heaven.  Then here is what God will do for you, His peace that is over all your understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  The mind of Christ will take over and with every anxious thought that tries to push you back will be held captive in the power and might of God.  Thoughts of whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, anything that is excellent or praiseworthy will fill your thoughts.  Think on them, put them into practice and the God of peace will be with you.

I have done that and when my heart feels anxious, He reminds me, “I’ve got this.”  All you have to do is Rejoice, the good news will arrive right on time.  We don’t have to know how God will do what He will do, or the details of His plan, that is not our concern.  Our part is only to trust, praise, worship, and rejoice in the victory that is at hand.  Even if the victory does not look like anything we wish for, God always works everything out for the good to we, who love Him and we have been called according to His purpose.  Giving God the glory for He is worthy.

Don’t be anxious, Peace that overrides understanding is within reach, it’s in His hand of mercy reaching out, it’s all good, take His hand, He will because He already has.  Remember God is already there.  Dwell in the shelter of the Most High and you will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

In All Circumstances, Really?

My Devotion

My Heart

In All Circumstances, Really?

Teresa Jenkins

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  1Thessalonians 5:16-18

Life is full of it, trouble on every corner, every step of the way, bad is lurking its ugly head.  We are not in Eden any more, Satan stole our heaven on earth with a lie.  Since that time we have struggled with sin and with the result of sin.  Not one person is immune from it, we commit sin, we are affected by sin, and the guilt of sin is on our hands.

But there is freedom through the blood of Jesus Christ and it is our personal choice to claim that freedom.  It’s an individual choice.  No one can make it for you, no one can force that choice on you.  Be prepared whatever choice you make there will be a result.  I have made some really bad decisions in my life that still haunt me to this day.

I am a mother with a broken heart, as hard as I tried all those years raising 4 boys alone, they grow up and you pray that something you taught them about Jesus sticks.  It’s that choice thing.  One of my sons has made some very bad choices and he sits in jail far away from me and I cannot fix this problem for him, his own choices have put him where he is.  And God’s Word tells me to give thanks in this circumstance for this is God’s will.

It’s not God’s will that my son made the choices he’s made, but I know that giving thanks to God is the act of faith on my part that He is at work.  He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.  Colossians 1:17   He is before everything, He was already there before it ever happened.  All God ever did was love us, and when we rebelled—implement a plan—to rescue us.  He will leave the 99 to rescue one who has gotten lost.  As much as I love my son and it breaks my heart at what he has done and is going through, God loves Him even more, there is no mountain He won’t destroy, no depth He will not enter to save us.  At Jesus’ death he entered hell and took back the keys and shook them in Satan’s face, he could not hold Jesus in the grave and through His resurrection we have hope.

Give thanks in all circumstances is not a punishment, it is an act of submission and trusting God’s process.  The days, weeks, and maybe years will be difficult until that lost one surrenders, but oh the joy and the testimony he will have because through this circumstance he will have no doubt that God is real, that God loves him, and that God saved him from his own destructive devices.

In this world we will have trouble, but take heart, be courageous, and thank God for His faithfulness and enduring love.  He promises that He will never leave us or forsake us, take Him at His word.  He knew whatever you and I are going through before it ever happened, our part is surrender with thanksgiving for all circumstances.  What is there to be thankful for in the really bad circumstances? It is one more opportunity for God to receive glory for what only He can do.  Trust the process that He has already put into place, God is relentless in demonstrating His love for all. 

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.  Hebrews 11:1  He who created everything by speaking it into being has all our circumstances under control.  Be thankful.

My Devotion

My Heart

What’s worse?

Teresa Jenkins

And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.  I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.  However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.  Acts 22:22-24

What is worse? Knowing what is going to happen, or not knowing?  In either good or bad situations some think if I could just know the outcome I can endure anything.  Paul didn’t know exactly what was going to happen to him, but he knew it wasn’t going to be good, because he was almost single handedly spreading the gospel of Christ, through his mission trips, through his writing and encouragement of the saints who have already accepted his message.  He was a threat to the very way of life he used to defend.  He was powerful as an enemy of God and after his conversion he was even more powerful as a messenger for Christ.  He was an educated man who knew the law and understood the meaning of grace and mercy.  Yet everywhere he went he faced danger.  What kept him going?  He knew God’s grace was more powerful than living by the law.  He knew the mystery, the secret.  My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in who are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  Colossians 2:2-4

We all go through things that even in the middle of the situation we don’t know from one day to the next what is going to happen, conflict in relationships, conflict at work, sickness, financial struggles and the list goes on.  Letting go of what we cannot control will consume us in one way or another.  For me when struggles come that I don’t have a clear solution to or have to wait it out, I get ill, headaches, heartburn, upset stomach, aches and pains, either one or all depending on how much I dwell on what is absolutely out of my control.  If it directly affects me or someone I love and I am powerless to make changes the worries really eat at me.

Struggles, hardships, and failures happen for many reasons, lack of faith, disobedience, rebellion, or testing.  The number one reason most people think they are having troubles is because they have been told their faith is not big enough. More times than not that is not true, Jesus said all we need is a mustard seed size of faith and we can move mountains.  Disobedience, doing things our way and not God’s way is a very good way to experience trouble and conflict.  Testing, 1, 2, 3…Test this is only a test.  How many times do we face the same struggles over and over?  If you keep doing the same thing you’ve always done you keep getting what you always got.  Many struggles happen because we just don’t get that concept.  Make a bad choice get a bad consequence.  Struggles can also be the best way to test the faith you do have.  God will allow struggles to show us how much we will trust Him and depend on Him to help us through.  It’s all a process.  Sometimes we must keep going through the same process until one day the light comes on and we say “OHHH ok, this would work better if only I would do this instead of that.”  We are a stiff necked people, stubborn and strong willed.

Sometimes the struggles we face are training for the next level, the purpose for which we were created.  An athlete never becomes great without endurance training, practice, and trials in his/her sport.  We cannot run our race effectively unless we go through some endurance training, if the little things trip us up and make us fall, we’ll never get over the bigger hurdles around the corner and for those who come behind us may see the power of God at work in our lives my press on in their own race and purpose, for seeing others overcome encourages and gives strength to the weaker younger believers.

Knowing what is going to happen is not as important as knowing that God is in control and will provide all wisdom and strength needed for any task that is put before you and me.  Without God we can do nothing, but with God all things are possible not to just endure but to be more than conqueror through Him who loves and gave His only Son that we might live.  Knowing this one thing makes all the struggles worth the gain.  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.  Romans 8:28 and Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  Philippians 1:6  God will never allow more than we can handle with His help.  So don’t worry about knowing it all, just know the One who knows the ending.  Trust His heart He loves you more than all His creation.  If He brings you to it, He will bring you through it.