(Isa. 26:3) “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” What does this verse mean anyway? On the evening of the resurrection when the disciples were hiding, Jesus appeared unto them and said these words, “Peace be unto you.” Meaning that we can have #1) Peace in times of fear. When fear enters the heart, most people react by retreating into solitude, or by hiding behind another. The evening of the Lord’s Resurrection we saw both. Thomas abandoned the disciples and the disciples were huddled together for “fear of the Jews.” But Jesus gave them the remedy for overcoming fear. Faith in him, and the power of his Holy Spirit. God has given to us an entire Bible full of promises to read and claim, and then trust in through the power of His Spirit. So, when we are in fear, we just need to find a verse and trust it. #2) Peace in our ministry. We cannot go and do the ministry without the power of The Holy Ghost, for it’s through His power and peace that we achieve victory, and it’s through his promptings of peace that can forgive, and love, and continue on in the face of impossibility. And, we also have the peace of knowing that what we preach is truth, and that God has sent us to go. #3) Peace in uncertainty. Thomas, had to see and feel the wounds of Jesus, but we are asked to believe without proof. The flesh wants proof, but the Spirit gives us peace without proof. The flesh tells us we can’t but God’s Word tells us we can. The one you decide to believe will determine your peace!
( Gen 41:41-43) “And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt... A nd he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.” When Joseph was introduced to us in chp.37, he was a young inexperienced 17 year old boy, and yet 13 years later God raised him up to rule the nation of Egypt. So, what made him different ? The Answer : “ Time,” and his faith in God ! You see time is a wonderful teacher; 1) Time strengthens endurance . Endurance and faith can only be strengthened over time. Like exercise, we start out not able to do much but over time we find that we can do more. You see, God allows us to go through the ups and downs of life, to help us gain not only spiritual maturity, but also spiritual abilities. Spiritual endurance therefore enables us to handle life’s trials better. 2) Time strengthens patience . Although Joseph, ...
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