Peace during hard times

Part of my devotional this morning said this, "Patience & prayer should be our first resort, for they are the tap lines that enable us to find peace even in the midst of life's busyness & noise. They are the doors that lead us into God's peace. And they are the lessons that teach us simplicity." ~Ellyn Sanna


It got me thinking about peace. The last few months of last year were not good ones for me. I had A LOT going on. Way more than I care to disclose right now. But let me tell you, there didn't feel like I had enough peace. Sometimes I felt like I was just going through the motions of life and keeping my head above water. That is NOT a good feeling!

HOWEVER, let me tell you this. I prayed more and stood on God's promises all the more during that difficult time. I never thought of turning away and doing my own thing. I couldn't. He is my Rock, my Fortress, my Strong Tower. Without Him, I really would have fallen apart.

King David, in the Old Testament went through a hard time of running from the man he looked up to because he was trying to kill him. In Psalm 61, David said this about God, "³ For you have been my refuge,a strong tower against the foe. Also, Psalm 91 is a very protective Scripture and can help during hard times when you read it out loud.

When you are dealing with tough times the one thing you can count on is the fact that He will never leave you! Deuteronomy 31says:⁶ Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

God loves me (and you) unconditionally. That means NO MATTER WHAT. So you aren't a size 6, so what?! So you don't pray and read your Bible every day, so what? So your house isn't Mary Poppins spotless every day, so what?!

God's love for us isn't based on conditions. We don't have to jump through hoops, look just right, act just right, do all the right things for Him to love His.

The Bible says, "For God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have ever lasting life." ~ John 3:16

It doesn't say, "When you have your act together God will love you." It doesn't say "When you read your Bible everyday, God will love you."

We live in a sinful fallen world, so bad things will happen to good people. There is no way around it. Just put your faith and trust in the One who is always there and who loves you more than any human being on this planet!