Peace 

This week has become something of a mini-series on biblical passages for specific themes. Read verses for finding God’s Hope, and read verses for receiving God’s Comfort.

Today we ponder biblical passages to meditate on for experiencing the peace of God through knowing the God of peace.

Peace with God through Christ is the basis for experiencing God’s peace that passes all understanding.

Isaiah 26:3

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee (KJV).

Psalm 4:8

I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

John 14:27

“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 16:33

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Romans 5:1

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:1

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:14

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.

Ephesians 3:14-19

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Philippians 4:7

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:9

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Colossians 3:15

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

2 Thessalonians 3:16

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

Hebrews 10:19-23

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

Join the Conversation

What passages do you meditate on to know the God of peace and the peace of God?

Comfort 

Biblical passages to meditate on for God’s comfort:

Psalm 34:18

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 46:1-2

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.

Psalm 73:26

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Isaiah 40:10-11

See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Isaiah 40:28-31

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

John 14:1

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.”

John 14:16-18

I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7     

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

2 Corinthians 1:8-11

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers.

Hebrews 4:14-16

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

1 Peter 5:7

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Join the Conversation

What passages do you meditate on for God’s comfort?

Peace that Passes Understanding

When life is in turmoil, what passages do you read and reflect on to find the peace of God and to experience the God of peace?

Over the past two months, I’ve face life’s turmoil ever since I heard those words that no one likes to hear from their doctor. “We’re going to need to do some tests.”

I’m pleased and thankful to share that, after weeks of feeling like a human pin-cushion, my doctor has finally given me a clean bill of health. But it was, to be frank, a scary few weeks.

We’re all different, so we all turn to different biblical passages to “fear not.” The following list contains the passages I turned to and meditated on repeatedly. For the words of each passage, feel free to read and/or download Scriptures to Meditate on for God’s Peace.

• Genesis 1:2

• Genesis 45:4-7

• Genesis 50:20

• Deuteronomy 31:6

• Joshua 1:6-9 

• Psalm 23:4

• Psalm 27:1

• Psalm 46:1-2

• Psalm 46:10

• Psalm 95:1-5

• Isaiah 26:3-4

• Isaiah 40:10-11

• Isaiah 40:28-31

• Isaiah 41:10, 13

• Isaiah 43:1-2

• Matthew 6:9-13

• Matthew 10:29-31

• Luke 15:20-24

• John 14:1

• John 16:33

• Romans 8:14-18

• Romans 8:23-28

• Romans 8:31-39

• 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

• 1 Corinthians 15:20-23

• 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

• Galatians 2:20

• Ephesians 1:18-20

• Ephesians 3:16-21

• Ephesians 6:10-18

• Philippians 1:20-24

• Philippians 3:7-14

• Philippians 4:6-8

• Colossians 1:29

• 2 Timothy 1:6-7

• Hebrews 2:14-18

• Hebrews 4:14-16

• Hebrews 10:19-23

• Hebrews 11:24-27

• Hebrews 12:1-3

• Hebrews 13:5-6

• 1 Peter 5:5-10

• 1 John 4:16-18

• Revelation 7:16-17

• Revelation 21:1-7

Join the Conversation

What passages do you turn to in order to find peace that passes understanding?

An Almost Indispensable Book on the Bible

Where can you find a book about that Bible that is both pastoral and theological? It’s rare. But one has arrived. It is John Frame’s opus: The Doctrine of the Word of God.

Don’t take my word for it. Listen to what Dr. J. I. Packer says.

“Recently a former student wrote to me as follows: ‘Dr. Packer, is there a reasonably recent work on the nature of Scripture that you would consider magisterial or close to indispensable, other than the Bible?’ At that time, I could not name a book that met these specifications. But now I can, and this is it.”

Packer continues: “The big idea that holds everything in this big book together is pastoral, and that to my mind is as it should be. As I was writing this foreword, I learned of a Chinese lady, a seventy-year-old watermelon grower named Jin, who said, ‘Reading the Bible is like having God talk to you.’ This is precisely the truth that Frame follows through, start to finish.”

• The main contention of this volume is that God’s speech to man . . . is very much like one person speaking to another. . . .

• My thesis is that God’s word, in all its qualities and aspects, is a personal communication from him to us.

Packer concludes: “So where are we? ‘Magisterial’? Yes. ‘Close to indispensable’? Yes again. Would John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, Abraham Kuyper, and B. B. Warfield, Reformed theology’s Fabulous Four (in my book, anyway), enthuse about this volume as I have done? Pretty much, I think. There, I have had my say. Now read on, and taste the good food for yourself.”

In my view, The Doctrine of the Word of God is vital for every Christian. It will be especially significant for everyone interested in biblical counseling. In addition to the themes developed throughout the entire book, Frame has an entire section on The Sufficiency of Scripture.

For a free forty-six pages overview of the book, go to WTS Books.

Join the Conversation

What is your favorite book about the Scriptures?

God’s Healing for Life’s Losses: How to Find Hope When You’re Hurting

GPS: God’s Positioning Scriptures

Countdown to God’s Healing: I’m excited to announce that BMH Books will release my fifth book soon (in April 2010). To read a sample section of God’s Healing for Life’s Losses: How to Find Hope When You’re Hurting click here. To pre-order your autographed copy at 30% off, visit here.

As we countdown to the release, I’ll be sharing periodic excerpts, such as today’s post: GPS: God’s Positioning Scriptures.

A Personal Journey with a Personal God

Moving through hurt to hope is a journey—a personal journey. Finding God’s healing for life’s losses is a trek—a messy trail with far more detours than we would ever wish.

That’s why I’m not promising you eight easy steps. However, as we journey together, I will offer you eight biblical markers on your personal healing journey. As you begin exploring these trail markers for life’s trials, you’ll experience the ups and the downs, the hills and the valleys, the zigs and the zags.

View these markers as your personal suffering GPS: God’s Positioning Scripture derived from God’s Word. Nothing ever written can compare with the honesty and reality of the Word of God. It is totally sufficient to light our path. It is utterly profound in its capacity to resonate with our experiences.

The various “stages” we’ll explore in the grief journey provide compass points in God’s process for hurting and hoping. They empower us not to evade suffering, but to face suffering face-to-face with God.

A Crisis of Faith

When tragedy occurs, we enter a crisis of faith. We either move toward God or away from God. We’ll probe how to move in the direction of finding God in the midst of our suffering.

The end in sight is not quick answers through easy steps. Our goal is deep healing through a personal journey . . . with God, in Christ. He never lets you walk alone.

Our Journey Together

Through God’s Healing for Life’s Losses, I invite you to walk with God and God’s people. At the end of chapters two through nine, you’ll find a built-in “Grief and Growth Workbook.” You’ll be able to trace your journey and you’ll be able to journal about your healing process.

While you can read and apply God’s Healing for Life’s Losses alone, I’ve also designed it for group use. Consider gathering with some other spiritual friends to share your progress along your journey. At the very least, invite one other friend in Christ to be “Jesus with skin on” for you.

Grief tends to tempt us to walk alone. Fight against that temptation. Walk with God and His people as you journey on the healing path.

Join the Conversation

How has God’s Word been a GPS for you in your suffering?

The Anatomy of Anxiety

Part 31: Talk to Yourself Instead of Letting Yourself Talk to You

Note: For previous posts in this blog series, visit: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26,  27, 28, 29, and 30.

Big Idea: Does worry, doubt, or fear get the best of you sometimes? Do you wonder where anxiety comes from and how to defeat it in your life and the lives of those you love? Then we need a biblical anatomy of anxiety. We need God’s prescription for victory over anxiety.

Master Your Thought Life: Biblical Self-Confrontation

Today’s title may seem a tad odd. If so, blame it on Pastor Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones. It was while reading his book on Spiritual Depression that I came across his concept, based upon Psalm 42:5, that David talked to himself instead of letting his self talk to him. “Why are you so disquieted, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God.”

I often tell parishioners, counselees, and friends that “the brain has a mind of its own.” We’re constantly bombarded with ideas, thoughts, and messages—our internal dialogue. To experience Christ’s victory over anxiety, fear, and worry, we have to master our thought life. We have to change habitual thinking, speak the truth to ourselves, and align our thoughts with God’s thoughts.

Catch Your Thoughts: Listen to Your Self

To start with, we have to “catch our thoughts.” We must become aware of the habitual, unhealthy, unbiblical sentences, ideas, and images dancing in our heads. Before we can talk to our self, we must listen to our self!

If you’re experiencing worry, slow down your thinking. Ask yourself, “What is my bottom line fearful belief right now? What images of my self, my world, God, and others are scrolling through my brain?”

Challenge Your Self

Having captured the thoughts that previously captivated your mind, now challenge the lies that you’re believing. Ask questions such as:

*What is the evidence that this belief/idea/image is true?

*Is this belief/idea/image always true, or are there exceptions?

*Where was I recruited into this belief/idea/image?

*What does God’s Word say about this belief/idea/image?

Speak Truth to Your Self

Imagine that you’re about to give a presentation: teach a Sunday school class, speak to a small group at work, share your findings with your supervisors, give a speech in a high school, college, or graduate school class, etc. And imagine that it’s all you can think about. You can’t sleep. As the days get closer, the worry grows deeper. You’ve caught your thinking by listening to your self and by challenging yourself. Speak truth to your self now such as:

*God has empowered me before to conquer my fear of public speaking, He can do so again.

*Even if the worst case scenario occurred, God will never leave me nor forsake me.

*I am ultimately speaking before an audience of One—God—and He will never condemn me.

*I have not been given a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love, and wisdom.

*I am more than a conqueror through Christ who loves me so.

Keeping It Real

Think of something in your life that is creating worry, fear, anxiety, or stress. Walk through each of the steps in the post, applying them to your mental victory.

The Rest of the Story

Having talked to your self, next you can learn how to renew your mind by renewing your ides and images. Yes, God designed us to think both in words and pictures, and biblical mind renewal requires that we address both.

Join the Conversation

Do you agree or disagree with Pastor Martin Lloyd Jones that we must talk to our self instead of letting our self talk to us? Do you agree or disagree with me that “the brain has a mind of its own?”