Peace In The Time Of Storm

Good morning brothers and sisters.

We are living in a time of many uncertainties and stress. We are told that the Corona Virus vaccine will take another 1 to 2 years to develop. We know that the economy is adversely affected and there are people losing their jobs. And we are bombarded with news of terrible things happening around the world daily. It is no wonder that many people are feeling anxious about all kinds of things.

I wish to share from Phil 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

1) DO NOT BE ANXIOUS

God does not want us to anxious. Anxiety is a sign of a deeper reality on the inside.

Jesus says that even though we live in this world, but we don’t belong to it. We are called to rise above the circumstance and be more than conquerors through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 8:37).

Anxiety may one of the indicators that a person feels insecure about this life and that he has to fend for himself. This is what an orphan thinks and act, isn’t it? He must take care of his own need by himself because there is no one caring for him. We feel sad for the orphans because they do not have parents who love and take care of them.

Jesus tells us that we are not orphans but children of God. We have a Heavenly Father in Heaven. He loves us and cares for us. He wants to us to trust him. We can trust in God on sunny days and rainy days. God is in control and We must learn to trust that God is able to take care of us and He cares for us and we are loved by Him.

Jesus tells us to look at how God provides for all of His Creation. How God take cares of the sparrows, the lilies of the field which are quite insignificant compared to the gigantic whales and majestic lions. Similarly, God will take care for us. Following we know Jesus tells us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all that we need we will be provided by God.

2) BY PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION WITH THANKSGIVING

You may ask , “How do I pray when I am anxious and burden my problem?”

I wish to encourage you that it is when the storms of life come. That is the time when need to pray most. Having said that, I wish to encourage everyone to build up your prayer life even before the storm come. Start by reading a good book on prayer every few of month and plan a time for prayer into your daily schedule.

When you are found in the eye of the storm, and you feel that the pressure is too much for you to take. … And at that time, what can do? I suggest that you open the book of Psalm and pray along with the Psalmist. The Psalms is collection of the prayers of the Old Testament saints and they sing them to God. The Holy Spirit will use the psalms to minister faith and strength to you. Faith comes when we feed on God’s Word. “Faith comes by hearing, and the hearing by the Word of God” (Rom 10:17).

When we pray, we believe that God is all ears to listen to us. Just like a loving Father listening to his children bringing their needs to him. Therefore, we should always pray with thanksgiving. It is an act of faith, believing that God listens to our prayers and will answer us according to His perfect will.

3) THE PEACE OF JESUS CHRIST.

The peace of Jesus Christ is powerful because He is the Prince of Peace. His peace is not of this world but that which comes down from above. Phil 4:7-8 says that the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. It is imperative that our heart is steadfast in keep faith and trust in the Lord. Likewise, our minds must be set and focus on the Lord.

Paul tells us the spirit of fear works against our mind. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim 1:7). But God comes to give us boldness and sound mind. A warrior must have clarity of mind and boldness of heart in order to be effective in fighting his mortal enemy. This is also like the warrior being fully equipped with the helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness and the rest of armor.