Take What You Needનમૂનો

RECEIVE: 

One of my favorite songs in 2020 was “Lord Send Revival” by Hillsong Young & Free. This song was not only encouraging, but inspiring. The opening line to this song always struck me, and still sticks with me today. It says, “Peace like a river, wash over me.”  Every time that song started, that line became my prayer. 

Many times, peace is viewed as an elusive feeling that is only available when we have everything figured out; something only available with a certain amount of money or vacations. Even if we do you have “peace” for a moment, even the slightest distraction can scare it away. 

Peace is not the by-product of having everything together. Peace is a fruit.

In Galatians 5:19-23, the writer talks about what a lifestyle centered around the “self,” looks like. He uses examples like,  someone who “chases after ‘things’ instead of God, someone argumentative, jealous, who always pushes their own opinion etc.  He describes this combination of how someone thinks, feels, and chooses as there, “fruit.” I believe we can test and prove what kind of life we are living based off of the “fruit” we are producing. The writer then gives a clear description of what a life consumed by the Spirit of God looks like: love, joy, PEACE, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Did you catch that? Yes, PEACE is a FRUIT of living with the Spirit of God. 

So what does all this mean? I believe it leaves us with a simple question: Have you asked the Holy Spirit to be at the center of your life so that you can produce these fruits? When a tree or plant is thriving, it naturally produces fruit. The fruit is a by-product of the life that exists inside the tree. So, is the Holy Spirit alive in you?  The Bible says in James 4:1-4 that we have not, because we ask not. So, ask for the Holy Spirit to be in you, and for the Fruit of Peace! You can’t have true peace without the Spirit, and you won’t have the Spirit without peace. I believe as we begin to ask for the Holy Spirit, and ask for peace, God not only has the ability to give it to us, but has the loving desire to do so. 

Our prayer is for you to receive the PEACE that God desires to give you today. 

RESPOND: ASK FOR PEACE! Ask God to reveal to you areas of your life where He can bring Peace.

LISTEN: Lord Send Revival (Hillsong Young & Free), PEACE (Hillsong Young & Free)