Your Daily Devotional for May 19, 2007

 

May 19,  2007

 

 

Joy and Peace

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

 

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."

 

Romans 15:13

 

 

As human beings we have emotions that are many times affected by our circumstances. But as Christians, Christ wants to be the source of hope, joy, and peace in our lives. He wants to guide our emotions. When we place our trust in Him and look to Him during difficult circumstances, He will give us joy and peace.

 

Throughout our Christian lives, God desires to encourage, renew, and change our hearts. The heart is the innermost part of our spiritual being. It is the seat of our emotions, and it is what controls our emotions. When we walk with the Lord, our hearts and our emotions will be in line with God's Word.

 

When we fix our hearts on Christ, He will give us joy. Many people are looking for joy and happiness through the possessions of this world, yet nothing can bring lasting joy into our lives like Christ. He is the source of all joy! First Peter 1:8 says, "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." When we trust Christ and let Him have control of our hearts, He will bring us joy.

 

Not only will Christ give us joy, but He will also give us peace. Many people have never experienced the true peace that comes from God alone. In difficult times, many look to alcohol, possessions, or other worldly things to bring them "peace." Yet, only Christ can provide a peace that calms our hearts during difficult times.

 

When we give God our hearts, we can trust that He will take care of us. Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." We don't need to worry about anything in our lives! When we give Christ control of our hearts, He will give us peace.

 

Someone once said, "Peace that Jesus gives is not the absence of trouble, but is rather the confidence that He is there with you always." God does not promise to remove the trials from our lives, but He does promise to be with us. When we go through trials and difficult situations in our lives, we can have joy and peace because we know Christ is with us.

 

Do you have joy and peace in your life? If not, make sure Christ has control of your heart. When He controls our hearts, He will be able to give us joy and peace no matter what we are going through. Spend time with Christ right now and let Him have control of your heart today.

 

 

 

Daily Bible Reading

1 Chronicles 7-9 • John 6:22-44

 

 

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