01/11/2021
Donna’s Message 6pm service:
“It Was Right In Front of Me!”
Searching for Peace, and then Accepting It
Before we even begin, let me say that I’ve already learned more this past week than you may glean from my message today. But, maybe, that’s what God intended when he guided Pastor Mike to ask me if I would lead our service today.
This teacher’s very own learning experience and closer walk with our God and Holy Spirit is captured in two simple verses from Proverbs.
Proverbs 3: 5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
As soon as I hung up from talking to Pastor Mike and his request for me to give today’s message, my first statement was, “What have I just agreed to?!” Then, I immediately began sincerely praying, talking to God, and grappling with ideas, topics, verses, and themes on which to base my presentation…..I’m definitely not going to call it a sermon.
Since we recently turned the last page of the 2020 calendar, I wanted to talk about “resolutions” or changes and improvements, opportunities for Christian growth in the new year, or even a “feel good” talk about optimism. I had a list! Let me remind you that I had already asked God for his guidance.
With every appropriate and/or favorite verse I explored, researched, and generated thoughts, those thoughts always circumvented to the word, “Peace”.
We’d just experienced the wonderful Christmas season celebrating Christ’s birth and celebrating “Peace on Earth”.
As I would search out supporting and relevant verses relevant to what I wanted to talk about, that word, ‘peace’, would be right there somewhere leaping at me from almost every verse I turned to.
Exasperated, I thought, “I don’t want to talk about ‘peace’!” After all, that’s what one of Randy Lantz’s Advent sermons was about. (This was on the Sunday when our churches met for “F2F” service.) I didn’t want you to think that I had to have a “hook” on which to hang my talk.
What did I way just a few sentences ago?! I had already prayed and asked God repeatedly to guide my thoughts and give me the words for His work and His will.
However, not really disobeying God, yet procrastinating quite strongly (some of my students have taught me well), I bemoaned to Rodney and asked ‘why’ had I agreed to this and what I was going to talk about?!?!?!
Immediately, he said, “With everything that’s going on in the world around us: a pandemic, and all the people who are sick, in pain, emotionally hurting, angry, and grieving, why don’t you talk about ‘peace’”. . .
Ouch! That’s when it hit me, I had been proverbially running away from God and refusing to listen and obey just like Jonah!
So folks, “PEACE” it is!
Proverbs 16:7 When a man’s ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
What ways ‘please’ the Lord? The answer to that is found in Philippians, Chapter 4. When Paul wrote these words, he was imprisoned. Even while in prison, Paul experienced peace.
Philippians Chapter 4:
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Let’s look at verse 8 again and really think about what “ways” and ‘things’ Jesus said to think on: those that are honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous things, and things/events worthy of praise.
Not one of these conveys negativity. This tells me that we are not to dwell on the negative. If Paul could talk like this while imprisoned, surely we, with all our comforts and advantages, we can ‘think’ positively and peacefully.
How do you feel when you “dwell” or fret over negative thoughts or situations? You know, “when bad things happen to good people”.
When I find myself drifting and shifting my focus away from God’s peace and toward a negative situation or conflict, I become restless and maybe even a little edgy, grouchy, or even angry. But at the very least there are sensations of agitation or frustration rippling through my mind and body.
When this happens, I try to check myself, rein it in, and realize that the old devil is trying to tempt and lure me away from my walk with God. I want to have those ways that “please the Lord” as it says in Proverbs.
Here is how awesome our God really is. You may think that my inspiration for this message arose from the tragic events that occurred this past Wednesday. However, you need to know that Pastor Mike asked me to do this prior to last Sunday. In fact, I think he asked me to do this either on New Year’s Eve or on January 2.
I began wrestling with this message immediately…from that moment on…..while at the same time I was preparing and giving nine weeks exams remotely, begging students to turn in work they should have done in October, getting that work graded, answering panicky emails from students sent after many midnights, finally finalizing the semester grades and watching the nation’s latest tragedy unfold.
Peace? Where is there any peace in that?! This is truly when I realized that God is always in control. Remember that list I made of message “topics”? No matter where I started, no matter the verse I was drawn to, it always steered me back to “peace”. . . Now, that’s a “God thing”!!!
I am sure God knew what tragedy would unfold this week and what stresses and frustrations I would face with my students. He knew how much I would need this reflection, and I hope that I have served him by sharing His peace with you today.
Genuine peace can be found only with God. Only when we anchor our minds and hearts with Him (and allow the Holy Spirit to act within and through us), will we find true peace, that “peace which passeth all understanding” . . . even in the darkest hours.
Gary Zimak, full-time Catholic evangelist and author widely know for his talks on overcoming anxiety wrote these words:
“If you're searching for peace, here's what I recommend. Ask the Father to fill you up (just like Stephen) with a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Then give the Spirit permission to work in your life by inspiring your thoughts, words and deeds. Ask Him to transform you into the image of Jesus (that's His job, BTW).
Then surrender control of your life to Jesus and unite your suffering with His, asking Him to use it for good. Repeat this at the beginning of every new day.
If you get into the habit of doing this daily, I am confident you will eventually find the peace you seek. Don't be upset if you're not flooded with instant peace. More often than not, it will happen gradually. Don't give up. Just keep trying. Speaking from personal experience, I can assure you that it will get better.”
For our benediction, I have chosen a verse from John:
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27) ---Amen---
