Peace unyielded

Don’t get upset about evil people. Don’t be jealous of those who do wrong. They are like grass and other green plants that dry up quickly and then die. So trust in the Lord and do good. Live on your land and be dependable. Enjoy serving the Lord, and he will give you whatever you ask for. (Psalm 37:1-4)

It is easy to get rattled by what we see and hear these days, isn't it? Did you ever stop for a moment to consider the great 'filters' God has given us so that we aren't easily swayed by what we see and hear? His Word, Holy Spirit, and our own conscience can do a 'bang up job' of interfering with those things so we don't become swayed, giving into fear, or much worse - believing and following what we see or hear. Trust God, live uprightly, and give into the joy that comes from doing so. God isn't swayed, nor is he caught off-guard by the political climate, the threats of war, or even the rumblings of this earth along quake lines once silent. He is still in control. We just need to press into his truth more, learn what he says, look around us at the evidence of his grace that still remains, and trust him. 

It is easy to get upset - it is harder to trust. There is only one choice for a believer, though, and that is to trust with all your heart! Begin to be 'dependable' in the way you live, and you will begin to realize all the 'saber rattling' of our enemy is really nothing more than scare tactics meant to sway us from our convictions. Satan has done this 'saber rattling' from the beginning of time and he isn't about to stop now. We have truth and that far outweighs anything he can throw our way! Sometimes he is so proud of himself because he manages to steal away our joy by all these worries. The longer he interrupts your joy in serving Christ, the more you will fear the 'saber rattling' you hear and the attacks you see coming. Settle back into that joy that is based in trusting God with all that is going on and he soon realizes you possess an 'unrattled resistance' to his attacks!

Trust in the Lord - not your own understanding. Do good - even when it seems there might not be any outward evidence that things are changing for the better. Live for him right where you are - being dependable in your work, service, and worship. Let his peace and love bring about a truly 'unrattled' joy within you. Others will see how you live, observe your peace, and they will be curious as to how you can remain so 'at peace' in unsettled times. It is then that God can use your life to be a testimony to those who seek similar peace. Just sayin!