Peace

Paul wrote this passage in Romans 8 for us and others for such a time as this. Read what he wrote to encourage the Roman believers.

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. 35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-39 [NLT])

Nothing can ever separate us from the Love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Not coronavirus. Not lack of ventilators. Not slowness of a countries' leadership. Not lack of medicine or lack of beds. NOTHING can separate from God those who have been cleansed by Jesus' death, those who have believed He is the Son of God, who came to take away the sins of the world.

What are you letting cause you distress and inner turmoil at this time? That is just Satan trying to make you forget Who is mightier, most faithful, most loving, most merciful, most gracious, ever-present, all-knowing, and almighty. Don't forget about YAHWEH God, the Alpha and Omega, from before time and beyond time. He is greater than anything Satan throws at you. YAHWEH GOD is our KING, LORD, SAVIOR, CREATOR, PROVIDER, HEALER, REDEEMER, FATHER, SHEPHERD, and the ONE AND ONLY GOD! There is no other God!

So, what is bothering you and unsettling your mind today? Pray to God. Ask Him to help you cast Satan away from you. Pray Scripture. Read God's promises. Proclaim them aloud. Listen and sing songs of praise and worship to God. Proclaim Him your GOD! He is with you in every breath your lungs take, in every beat your heart makes, in every breeze that blows across your arms, and in every sight of His creation you glimpse. Praise GOD for even the rocks will cry out, "Hosanna to the King of kings!"

If you are struggling with the overwhelming news from this pandemic and are worried about now and the future, you can message me, and we can chat. If you want to pray with me, we can pray. If you just want to know you are not alone, write to me and we can talk. God is with us, for us, and in us since we are His children by His grace and mercy given to us through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ.

May God bless you today as you

seek Him,

find Him, and

gain His strength to walk through your day.

Jesus told His disciples, "I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So, don’t be troubled or afraid." (John 14:27 [NLT])

Accept His peace. It's right there, just accept it.

Rana's Story

The chubby-cheeked face peeks out of the clothes that warms it and smiles at the love emanating from his mother’s face. He peers to his other side and sees his sister bouncing in place as she looks at him expectantly. The man he’s come to recognize and whose voice booms from the depths of his chest is not visible. Still, he feels secure. Why shouldn’t he? Rana’s world is small. He recognizes just the people who cherish him most. Still, something seems not right. From the look at his sister, nothing appears to be wrong, but a second glance at his mother’s face, her tightly clenched hands, and her worried eyes speak of something he doesn’t know. Rana hears crying, but it’s not him…and it doesn’t come just from one place. Cries bounce against the mud-brick walls and flow liquidly from hut to hut. To Rana, these cries are about more than wanting food. Even in his short life, he recognizes cries from the heart, not just the belly. Could his father’s absence be related to this reverberating and piercing outcry among the walls of huts?

Days would pass, Rana and his sister, Roxana, would become familiar with others holding, feeding, and watching over them. Nights of long walks and whispers would become the new norm for Rana and Roxana. Days of hiding in bushes and having hands cover their mouths felt suffocating. Where is Papa? Why doesn’t Mama smile anymore? Where did the joy in Roxana’s face and walk go?

Many dark days and weeks have passed. Mama doesn’t cry in the dark anymore. Roxana doesn’t dance anymore. She sits and stares blankly at the ground. I cry, but am not always heard. Papa is missing from the family still. Life, it seems, is not easy.

My clothing is tight. My ears have learned many new sounds. Sounds of bass booms and rapid-fire pellets hitting trees. I have missed hearing the birds and fear the sounds of the night animals. I wish Papa was here. I would be safe. Will I ever be safe again?

Roxana would have been 6 today. I miss seeing her face full of joy and her bounce of excitement. Mama tells me she was too small and too sick. She went to Papa, wherever he is. Mama never smiles anymore. She always looks for roots and bugs. I wish we could eat the food my people tell me they used to eat. For now, I am always hungry; a little bug or a stick lined with them is not enough to fill my stomach. Even Mama notices I am small for my age. The clothes I wear as a four-year-old are Roxana’s clothes from when she was two. What must life have been like back home, wherever home was?

Today, I am a man; I am thirteen. Mama and Papa are not here to celebrate with me. Roxana was too small and sick. No more voices of laughter and love echo around me; I am without family. I live as part of the group of orphan boys. We take care of ourselves…mostly. It would be nice to have a Mama and Papa. I see others who are Mamas and Papas and wish I had one of them, too. Maybe then I could feel a hug, see joy, eat meat, celebrate life. Maybe one day, I will get to be with Mama, Papa, and Roxana again. The other Mamas say not to talk like that, but I want what they were to me. I want family.