June 24: Enjoying His Peace.
HIS CALMING.
"What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready...even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."--Acts 21:13
I distinctly remember the day when I ended up in the emergency room. I had been under severe and prolonged stress, and my heart was acting up. I owned a small computer company with specialized software, and we could no longer survive against the competition. The time had come to close its doors, but I had tried so hard to keep it afloat. That day at the ER, I realized that I had to face the inevitable, and that God would give me peace and wisdom to go through it.
God's plan for our lives doesn't always include removing the troubles in our path, but it always involves providing heavenly peace to face the difficulties. God had revealed to Paul that afflictions awaited him in Jerusalem (see Acts 20:22, 23), yet this didn't deter Paul from going there; he was totally at peace with it. He bid farewell to the elders of the church of Ephesus and sailed towards Jerusalem, making several stops. In some places, fellow church members kept telling him not to go to Jerusalem (21:4), yet he kept on his way. When he got to Caesarea, a prophet named Agabus came from the region of Judea. "He took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, 'This is what the Holy Spirit says: "In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles" ' " (verse 11). Then everyone started begging Paul not to go to Jerusalem. That's when Paul answered: "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus" (verse 14). At that point, they all said, "The will of the Lord be done!" (verse 14). Having preached the gospel, Paul was resolute and at peace to face whatever God would allow. God does not always remove the obstacles in our path, but He will invariably grant a miraculous calm in our souls. God has our best interests at heart; if you are ever in doubt, look back at the cross, at Jesus' resolve to suffer in your place. Trust your Savior to give you peace to go through your most difficult trials, even death. He can be trusted!
My Response:________________________________________________________
HIS CALMING.
"What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready...even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."--Acts 21:13
I distinctly remember the day when I ended up in the emergency room. I had been under severe and prolonged stress, and my heart was acting up. I owned a small computer company with specialized software, and we could no longer survive against the competition. The time had come to close its doors, but I had tried so hard to keep it afloat. That day at the ER, I realized that I had to face the inevitable, and that God would give me peace and wisdom to go through it.
God's plan for our lives doesn't always include removing the troubles in our path, but it always involves providing heavenly peace to face the difficulties. God had revealed to Paul that afflictions awaited him in Jerusalem (see Acts 20:22, 23), yet this didn't deter Paul from going there; he was totally at peace with it. He bid farewell to the elders of the church of Ephesus and sailed towards Jerusalem, making several stops. In some places, fellow church members kept telling him not to go to Jerusalem (21:4), yet he kept on his way. When he got to Caesarea, a prophet named Agabus came from the region of Judea. "He took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, 'This is what the Holy Spirit says: "In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles" ' " (verse 11). Then everyone started begging Paul not to go to Jerusalem. That's when Paul answered: "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus" (verse 14). At that point, they all said, "The will of the Lord be done!" (verse 14). Having preached the gospel, Paul was resolute and at peace to face whatever God would allow. God does not always remove the obstacles in our path, but He will invariably grant a miraculous calm in our souls. God has our best interests at heart; if you are ever in doubt, look back at the cross, at Jesus' resolve to suffer in your place. Trust your Savior to give you peace to go through your most difficult trials, even death. He can be trusted!
My Response:________________________________________________________
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