This month has been very challenging in many ways. We have seen several deaths, including one in our own family. We have been praying for those many loved ones who are struggling with cancer or other illnesses. We have witnessed marriages that have been torn in two and children who are dragged through the process of those painful situations.

There are the day to day struggles and the joys and pains we share in our friendships and family relationships. You watch the news and everything in this world seems turned upside down and in chaos.

Sometimes I long to just hibernate and shut off from it all.

I struggle with how to deal with it all. I love each one and my heart feels everything. The pain, the loss, the hurt, and the struggle. I long to fix each problem and make things better. I long for the words to say that will encourage.

How do we find real peace in the midst of this world? God’s Word says there is only one place to find it.

Jesus encourages us in John 14:27. “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

I am eternally grateful for this gift of peace.

I confess sometimes I do become fearful and my heart is troubled. I ask God how to LIVE in this continual place of peace. I desire to LIVE there.

It is possible to LIVE there. Jesus has promised that He has left this peace with us. He promises that IN Him we can have peace.

How do we LIVE there?

Isaiah 26:3 says, “The steadfast mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because He trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.”

Here God tells us that our minds need to be steadfast. Our minds stay steadfast when we are trusting in the Lord.

Are you trusting the Lord right now? Are you truly trusting Him with every part of your life and everyone in it?

I have struggled with this over the years. I have trusted Him partly but not fully.

When we are living in fear and a constant state of worry and anxiety, we are not trusting Him fully.

We need to let go of everything and everyone in our lives. This is scary. The reality that we control nothing and no one is incredibly frightening at times.

Over the years I have gone through cycles of letting go only days, weeks, months and even years later trying to take it back.

We will never be able to LIVE in that peace that Jesus died to give us if we don’t let go and trust God fully.

Romans 8:6-8 says, “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile towards God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

The question for us is what is your mind set on? Is it the flesh or the Spirit?

This scripture is powerful.

The mind set on the flesh is death and the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.

If we are not LIVING in peace than we need to evaluate our thought life. What is our mind set on? What are we thinking about? What are we putting in our minds?

If our minds are set on the Spirit we will be LIVING in peace no matter what is going on around us.

I want to encourage you today. Meditate on God’s Word and allow Him to examine your hearts and minds today. I will be doing this along with you.

There is only one place to find the peace that passes ALL understanding. The peace that stays through the good times and the difficult ones. You won’t find it outside of Jesus. You may have what feels like peace sometimes but you won’t have the peace that Jesus Christ offers. That peace the world does not give to us.

I pray that you learn to trust Jesus with your whole heart. I pray that you LIVE in the truth that God is who He says He is and He is faithful even when we don’t understand and when we are hurting.

He is true to His Word and He never lies. I am praying that you LIVE in His peace today!

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