RISE UP WARRIOR, in PEACE not PIECES
RISE UP WARRIOR in PEACE not PIECES!
Have you ever felt a spirit of anxiousness rush over your soul? Maybe you’ve felt this from an ongoing financial, family, or friendship hardship, or maybe it came out of nowhere as a spiritual attack. In moments where tears wanted to roll down from your eyes in overwhelming pockets of anxiety, open your Bible to John 14:27.
“My peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled or fearful.” -John 14:27
Peace… what a simple word we easily overcomplicate. Have you ever looked up at Jesus and said something like:
God, if only you would resolve this situation, then I would have peace
God, if only I had a little more money, then I would walk in peace
God, if you just give me an answer, I’ll trust you and do whatever you say. I’ll go wherever you lead me!
Interesting, isn’t it? We pray for resolution through situations to have peace instead of praying for peace through circumstances with God. This past week, God reminded my soul of a dream He gave me a few years ago, one I had completely forgotten! In this dream, I was at this summer camp with my family. As we laughed and walked into our cabin, Jesus walked in! He laughed and jumped on one of the beds, and then He asked my family to give us the room. I knew in this moment there was something Jesus wanted to tell me. As my family closed the cabin door, Jesus patted His hand on the bed, so I jumped down and sat next to Him. Jesus and I started immediately laughing together, but when I took my eyes off Him and looked down, I felt like the bed was going to fall! I immediately gasped and covered my eyes with my hands. Then, I opened my eyes and looked at Jesus. He was just smiling, and I started laughing! I said, “I don’t know why I was just scared, I’m with you!” As soon as I woke up, my mind drifted to Matthew 8:23-27 and I began thinking about how the wind and the waves obey God.
“As he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. Suddenly, a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves—but Jesus kept sleeping. So the disciples came and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to die!” He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him!” -Matthew 8:23-27
While in the presence of Jesus, His disciples fell in fear rather than abiding in peace! The whirlwind of the storm took hold of their attention and emotion rather than the Prince of Peace Himself! What spiritual, mental, physical, or emotional storm are you currently walking through? Are you overwhelmed with pockets of anxiety, fear, or worry? In these moments, are you praying for resolution/answers for peace or are you praying for God’s presence and peace as you navigate your storm(s)? It’s time to RISE UP WARRIOR in peace not pieces! It’s time to RISE UP WARRIOR and speak the name of Jesus over EVERY fear, EVERY ounce of worry, and EVERY pocket of anxiety over our mind. Fear is a liar! Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Let’s RISE UP WARRIOR and turn our fear into FAITH, our worry into WORSHIP, our anxiety into God’s ARMOR over our mind, spirit, heart, and soul!
“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.” -John 14:27
This verse doesn’t say, “EARTH’S peace I leave with you,” it says “MY peace I leave with you. MY peace I give to you. Do not let you heart be troubled or fearful.” The Holy Spirit gives us God’s peace each and every day, regardless of the troubles we face and valleys we walk through but we must keep our eyes on Him! When the world tries to give us fear, anxiety, and uncertainty, GOD gives us peace, assurance, and clarity! God doesn’t give us His peace for a minute or for an hour but for an entire lifetime! When our world feels like it’s falling apart, when our mind is at war, when pockets of anxiety and worry overwhelm our mind, we need to RISE UP WARRIOR and fight our battles with living, breathing Word of God! It can be so easy to allow anxiety and fear to dictate the way we think, live, and feel but when we rejoice in the Lord and pray with thanksgiving, just like Philippians 4 tells us, we will experience the peace of God which surpasses ALL understanding, guarding our hearts and our minds in Jesus Christ!
So, RISE UP WARRIOR and join me in accepting and resting in the promise of God’s abundant, comforting promise of peace, protection, and provision, today and every day after.
