On the day of your distress there is a place we can go without traveling. Each morning David sang with joy about the Lord’s unfailing love. Because the Lord had always been his refuge and a place of safety, he could sing of God’s mighty strength and power. If we reverse the process and give God praise and sing to Him first, that will develop a fortress and high tower of protection all around you (Psalm 22:3). We must bring heaven to us which takes great faith in God’s word. Faith will bring our souls to heaven. Great faith will bring heaven to our souls. The more of heaven on earth we can get, the better. When heaven comes to your soul, it brings along with it the presence of God which demons and evil spirits can’t stand. Imagine having so much of God on you that a spiritual pathway develops that makes all the crooked places straight of your life journey (Isaiah 45:2). It is the love of Almighty God that allows us to obtain this place of refuge. It is the best stay-vacation for the refreshing and restoration of your soul.

Having pity on the poor is a God thing. Showing kindness and even giving of our resources is a great kindness and compassion towards those who are less fortunate in life. Many people say, ” Well, they look like they can work a job to me”, or “They’re just thick headed and that got them into their situation.” The reason why they are poor is between them and God. We are not here to judge other people’s situations or the way they look. God is simply asking us to help them, show kindness and compassion rather than being judgemental as to why they are now in the streets. Lending to the poor is lending to God. As we become more obedient to God’s word and His direct commands to us, we begin to understand that we are the Lord’s helpers to help other people. It is the bottom line in the kingdom of God to help others along the way of our journey in life. Be a doer of God’s word, not a hearer only (James 1:22-25), act on what you’ve learned from the Bible. Leave your comfort zone, walk with the King, and be a blessing.

Love your neighbor as you do yourself. First off, do you love yourself? Not knowing how to love because you haven’t been loved properly is a common thing with mankind in general. You can’t show love or love someone on purpose if you don’t know how to love. Walking in love is a sacrificial, long-suffering, tough skin developing process. Since the fall of mankind, love was pushed to the background of life and selfishness took its place because of sin. The agape love of God was given to every Christian at the time of their conversion. That love was in seed form indicative of needing growth, it must be developed. Our neighbors are anyone we come into contact with regularly like at our job, or a recurring event where you see the same people often. These are our neighbors as well as the people living next door to your house, along with any random person on the street. The command is, love your neighbor as you do yourself. When we love, we can chip away one offense at a time until we are living above becoming offended.

The peace God gives is a gift the world cannot give. The peace from God cuts through or I should say, never allows disruption due to trouble. The peace of God is comfort during a storm of life. We have a part to play in receiving this peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). The command from God concerning having peace in our lives is to stop allowing ourselves to be agitated and disturbed, fearful, intimidated, cowardly or unsettled about anything. The wherewithall to do this is found in our close fellowship with the Lord. He fortifies us with His ability knowing we can’t do it ourselves. That ability is received through the renewing of our minds with God’s word (Romans 12:1) and constant prayer in our daily routine (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). A bit much? It’s worth living in a way that brings the peace only God can give. This world has shown you the drama, the anxiety, the fear, and everything that takes us from a peaceful life. It’s time for drastic measures for these desperate times we live in. Change from your core with God and start a new lifestyle with more peaceful surroundings, and less internal agitating discomfort due to fear, and anxiety.

Constant peace in your life isn’t something that just happens by itself. According to today’s verse we are to turn from evil and do good, then seeking peace is more attainable. As long as we are around people, situations, and circumstances that are drama fueled, we cannot have peace in the mist of that. What we do in this world has everything to do with our peace of mind and general peaceful surroundings. God gives the peace that passes all understanding to those positioned properly in their everyday walk with Him (Philippians 4:7). By acknowledging the Lord in all our ways He will direct our path (Proverbs 3:6). When the Lord directs our path it will be more peaceful especially under uncertain circumstances. To seek peace we seek the Prince of Peace who is Jesus Christ (Isaiah 9:6). Becoming a disciple of Jesus will include the peace of God in our lives. Peace levels are based on our quality time with God. Bottom line, if you really want peace in your life pursue it like your life depends on it. Our enemy the devil will try blocking it when you’re not strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10). How bad you want peace is indicative of how much you pursue it.

Are you anxious about anything right now? If so the command of the Lord is not to be. If God gives us a command to do something and we don’t act on it in faith, it actually becomes disobedience. The Lord is expecting us to follow His teachings and precepts; so we understand His commands are doable with His help. Do not be anxious about anything. Meaning regardless of the trial, or storms of life that come into our lives, being a doer of the word of God is where we can overcome anything and everything (James 1:22-25). We will go through many afflictions as Christians but the Lord delivers us from them all (Psalm 34:19). Anxiety and fear are close buddies sent to attack our faith in God. Perfect love drives out fear taking anxiety with it (1 John 4:18). The more of God we have in our lives the less anxious we’ll be. Instead we’ll have the peace of God that passes all understanding, that tranquil state of the soul assured of its salvation through Christ.

Being in this world is synonymous with living in trouble. As long as we are here there will be tribulation and trials and distress and frustration. But the Lord is telling us today, be of good courage because I have overcome this world and every bad thing that goes along with it. We just need to be in His circle of life and not in this world’s. The circle of life from this world is very limited with a horrible outcome. As you follow this world’s ways to the letter, you’ll wind up somewhere you don’t want to be. Because of the sinful life you’ve participated with over the years without repenting, you can’t take heart in receiving the gift of God due to your lifestyle with this world’s demonic influence. God tells us these things so we can have peace, not to condemn us. Recognize where you are spiritually with the Lord and make the necessary adjustments to follow Him now! Be of good courage (Joshua 1:9) because Jesus has overcome the world and we are beneficiaries to everything he owns (Romans 8:17) and has accomplished at Calvary.

The only way we can have a real relationship with the Lord is in being still and knowing He is God for ourselves. Patience must be fortified in our lives so we can obtain the promises of God. Through faith and patience we obtain the promises of God (Hebrews 6:12). We can never understand the ways of God until we slow ourselves down. We must leave the microwave mentality and go with a conventional oven mentality. Preheat, and after waiting for the right temperature then we’re ready to begin listening, and knowing God is. He is everything you need to be all you’re supposed to be. Once we recognize the truth and understand that He is God, something on the inside of us gets changed. Once you’ve tasted and seen that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8), and with this understanding of being still and being patient and faithful, your entire perspective on life will drastically change for the better. Slow down, you’re moving too fast for God, then be still and know that He is God.

Paul the Apostle was going through some personal issues in his body. There was a spirit of infirmity sent to Him because of the amount of revelation knowledge he accumulated over the years; it may well have puffed him up in pride a bit, (there are seasons for the deflation of pride, and for humility to stand up a little taller in us). When Paul went to God concerning the pain and discomfort he was experiencing due to the thorn in his flesh allowed by God (2 Corinthians 12:7-9), the Lord said to him, my grace is sufficient for you. What did that mean to Paul? Because Paul was weak from dealing with this physical problem, the Lord told him, my strength is made perfect, more mature in your weakness. In other words I’ve given you through my word, and the experiences you’ve had working my word with success, those victories which validate the fact you can handle this regardless of the pain and discomfort in your body. God’s strength, His ability is made perfect in our weakness. So when we are weak, then are we strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10). The Lord will only allow on you that which He knows you can handle, good or bad.

Good and evil have been around ever since Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Lord put that tree in the garden of Eden and told Adam not to eat from it (Genesis 2:17). After the devil tricked them into eating the forbidden fruit, mankind gave legal authority and control over running the world to the devil (Luke 4:4-8 NIV). So we have good and evil in the world based on the actions of mankind. Unfortunately that act of disobedience from Adam and Eve passed down to the rest of mankind, born into sin (Psalm 51:5). So with the Lord’s help and only by His help can we overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). It’s easy to imitate evil because the world is under demonic leadership from Satan, the devil. By imitating good we leave the everyday evil tendency syndrome that continues to influence us. Jesus overcame the evil in this world and He has given rightful authority and dominion back to mankind (Matthew 28: 18-19). His work at Calvary destroyed the works of the devil, and so those following the Lord have all power returned to them for victorious living.