" May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.” (Numbers 6:26, NLT)
I received twenty-four calls this weekend that centered on one kind of crisis or another. Though unrelated, each person described situations that left them . . . well . . . tipped over. A variety of emotions were described; however, helplessness threaded through each of their stories.
Along the course of a lifetime, crisis occurs and individuals lose their balance. And . . . by the way . . . have you noticed? When we are tipped over . . . we become a magnet for crisis. What is up with that? If it is not one thing . . . then it is another. Yikes!
Difficult circumstances often block our awareness of the presence of God. When we can’t see God, we tip over. Whenever we tip over, life becomes a series of challenges; the simplest task seems too difficult to do.
The one thing I know is that to get up when we are tipped over is a process. How life proceeds is not dependent on being crises-free but to be set free through the peace of Christ. Peace, the kind of peace that comes from Christ, breaks down the power of circumstances. The Apostle Paul said of Christ:
For he himself is our peace . . . (Ephesians 2:14, NIV)The Hebrew blessing found in Numbers 6 proclaims the desire for peace to be given to another individual. Peace, the active work of God, will move us into an upright position.
Life changes when we receive peace.
Stop.
Breathe.
Be still.
Become aware of the peace of Christ.
Receive the peace of Christ.
Take time and allow the peace of Christ to occupy you.
Learning with you to manage the tipping point through the peace of Christ,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2007 All Rights Reserved)
