Fight fear with Faith = Peace

This past Fourth of July, I (Jessica) went kayaking down the Broad River with some of my family and a great friend of mine, Jen. I am not one to check the weather, and it definitely never crosses my mind to check it on a gorgeous day. About an hour into our trip on the river, it starting getting really dark and the clouds started rolling in. The next thing we knew it was raining and then the floodgates opened, it was pouring. We continued down the river because we thought it was just going to be a summer shower, turns out this was not summer shower, at all. As the rain poured down and the winds started picking up, I started to panic on the inside. A huge bolt of lightening struck in front of us, and that panic on the inside turned into screaming and yelling in terror. My heart was racing and the thunder rattled and boomed with great intensity. I was flat out scared to death. We all somehow made our way to the edge of the river and climbed up a steep embankment, and then the hail came that pierced and pounded against our skin. To make matters worse the winds were blowing so hard it was causing the trees to bend, which were nearly touching the river. We all grabbed onto one another scared for our lives, and as I sat helplessly I prayed with all my might that God would let the storm pass. After what seemed like hours, the storm finally did pass, I was in disbelief that we made it through the storm. Lets just say I will never forget the bang of that 4^th of July. EVER.

As I think about my thoughts of fear and feelings of helplessness in the storm I was caught in, I can relate to how the disciples must have felt in the midst of raging storm on the Sea of Galilee. In the book of Mark we find the story, 

“A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” I was thinking that too as the hail beat down on my skin, I was begging for God to calm the storm because I struck by fear. During the storm Jesus “rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet, Be Still!” (4:37-39). 

So there you have it, Jesus with all his great power stopped the storm with no problem at all. We have to come to grips with the fact that He is always in control and He can calm any storm no matter how great we think it is. Jesus replied to the disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” It is so important to realize that even though we do not always feel that God is with in the midst of the storm is really is right there with you, and the good news is that peace comes through him when we put our complete trust in him.

What is Holding You Back ?

What do you do when the messiness of life comes flying at you, which makes you feel scared, defeated, helpless? 

What happens when you are so stressed you feel like your suffocating? 

Or maybe your relationship is so messy you cannot find an easy way out?  

Does money seems to always be an issue, are you in the hole and that debt is piling up? 

Maybe someone has let you down and it has broken you into a million pieces, how do you overcome the sadness and anger you are feeling? 

Are you sucked into sin that you cannot seem to shake, is the temptation just too strong? 

I could keep going on and on because the Devil feeds us all this mess and He is good at it because He is trying to make you feel scared, defeated, and helpless!!! These feelings of fear is A LIE that the devil is pouring into you. I do not know why you do not have peace, but I do know that God can give you peace if you let him in on the situation. I know that you want the storm to pass because it is scary and it is painful, I have been in plenty of storms.

So I will lay it out straight for you, everybody STRUGGLES with something, but not everyone handles their struggle the right way. So you have got to get over your thoughts of my problems are too messy to fix, everything always goes wrong, or maybe you are event to point of feeling like there is NO WAY that God can bring you peace. Well I will say, if you keep on with those negative thoughts then yes you are absolutely going to continue to be in your hole of misery. . . keep playing your pity party game it will only get worse though. I have been in the midst of all the messiness before, and I thought because my life was unsteady and broken that it was not even possible to fix it, so I continued to shatter it more through continuous sin. Take this for it's worth, QUIT THINKING YOU ARE TOO FAR GONE and take action and responsibility over you life. I know the storms are brutal, but I am here to let you know that God will stand right by your side as you fight through it, just let him in and he will bring peace.

No, I do not have it all together and I still struggle, but I do have great God that I have it alltogether with, and he carries me through storms all the time. I seek him and pray with my everlasting might, and he follows through with peace every single time. Maybe you just are not even buying that God can mend your brokenness and bring peace into your life. 

Well I am living proof that God pours peace out freely to those who love and trust him. I was so caught up in sin that I could not see the light of what was coming at me next, I was just fighting for a breath in the moment of life to keep me going. I got fed up with the junk that I fueling my life with, it was ridiculous and I was a million light years away from peace. So I slowly started pulling myself from negative influences and surrounding myself with more positive ones, and with time God showed me that he was a forgiving and loving God and that I did not have to maintain the uneasiness of my life any longer. I let go and let God take control, and I am telling you from the bottom of my heart that I have never felt SO much freedom and peace in all my life. He wants you to obey and walk with Him in peace and we know we can find the truth in Jeremiah, 

"Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you. But they (Israelites) did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward." (verses 23-24 NIV)

I will leave you with this wise man,Oswald Chambers, words, “Then look up and receive the undisturbances of the Lord Jesus. Reflected peace is proof that you are right with God because you are at liberty to turn your mind to him. If you are not right with God you can never turn your find anywhere but on yourself.”

Challenge

Change your thoughts 

memorize truth, &

ditch the lies:

Quit throwing a pity party for yourself.

"He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the muck and mire; He set my feet on solid rock" Psalms 40:2 NIV

Obey God and believe he will save you from your situation.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not own your understanding; in all ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight" Proverbs 3:5-6

Believe that you are an amazing person made by a GREAT GOD, who wants peace to be with you !!!

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27

Peace and Blessings,

Jess :)