“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:7; KJV).

There are many people in the world today who do not have peace of mind. They are mentally troubled (or agitated) and fearful. However, in his gospel, the apostle John quoted Jesus as saying: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). Jesus himself gives us his peace, a peace that is far superior than any peace the world has to offer. The Greek word for peace is eirene and it means the secure, assured state of peace and tranquility that Christians have as we rest in all the promises of salvation that Christ won for us.

Jesus will show us how to walk in the peace he has made available to us (Luke 1:79). In the book of Colossians, the apostle Paul exhorts us to: “let the peace of God rule in your hearts” (Col 3:15) and he assures us in his letter to the Ephesians that Jesus: “IS our peace” (Eph 2:14).

If we have Jesus living on the inside of us then we have peace on the inside of us (Gal 2:20). Peace is a fruit of the spirit and as we spend time abiding in the God’s word that fruit will develop and we will experience more of God's peace in our lives. “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them” (Ps 119:165).

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When troubles, trials and challenges come our way they may involve people but people are not our problem, the opposition comes from satan and his minions. We face a spiritual battle: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph 6:12; KJV).

In Ephesians chapter 6, the apostle Paul went on to write that God has given us armour for this battle (v13). Now the wonderful good news about this warfare is that we are already winners as Christ won the victory over satan and all his minions (Col 2:15; 1 Cor 15:57). We just need to stand and walk in that victory (Eph 6:13-14) by faith.

I love this passage from Ephesians on the armour of God (Eph 6:14-17) and as I read it again the other day, I realized that it all comes down to knowing and standing on God’s word. We are told to stand with the truth around our waist (v14); truth is God’s word. We are to have our feet prepared to run with the Gospel (v15). We need the shield of faith and we know that faith comes from hearing God’s word (v16; Rom 10:17). In v17 salvation comes from knowing about God, Jesus (the word) and it says our most effective weapon is the sword of the Holy Spirit which is the word of God. When troubles, trials and challenges come against you find out what God’s word says about your situation and stand on his word in faith, speak it, and the word says satan must flee from you (James 4:7).

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"The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant” (Ps 25:14; KJV). It would appear that God does not keep secrets. Isn't it amazing that the Almighty God would be willing to share his secrets with us mere mortals?

This is confirmed in the book of proverbs where King Solomon wrote: “For the forward is abomination to the Lord: but his secret is with the righteous” (Prov. 3:32). The apostle John recorded that toward the end of his ministry, Jesus called his disciples his friends (John 15:15). Jesus assured them that he revealed to them everything that he learned from his Father. Well, if we are truly following Jesus, we are also disciples and friends of his.

The disciples once asked Jesus why he spoke to the crowds in parables and he replied: "Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given" (Matt 13:11). That word mystery means a secret or something hidden to the mind and only revealed as we prayerfully study God’s word and allow his Spirit to reveal it to us. As Christians we have the Holy Spirit in us (1 Cor 6:19) and the Spirit reveals God’s word to us (John 16:13-14).

As you spend time with God today in prayer, ask God to tell you some secrets from the word and he will.

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“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me" Rev 3:20 (KJV). A very familiar scripture verse, which has been used greatly to bring people to salvation (myself included).

However, this verse was actually intended for a Christian church, albeit a lukewarm church. Nevertheless, whether we are non-Christian, lukewarm Christian or any other kind of Christian this verse reveals the heart of God. He wants to have fellowship with us; in fact, that is why he created mankind. Before they sinned, Adam and Eve had a wonderful walk and fellowship with God: “And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day” (Gen 3:8). What a beautiful picture of fellowship. “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3).

God does not force himself on us but is politely knocking and hoping we will invite him in and allow him to have that true, intimate fellowship with us. Fellowshipping over a meal isn't something you do with a casual acquaintance but a close friend or relative. God wants to have close fellowship with us. Why, because he loves us and wants to minister to us, encourage us, change us and reveal his plan for our lives.

Most people lead busy lives, but make sure you are not too busy to open the door when you hear him knocking.

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Do you agonize over decisions and wish you could see God’s direction clearly? Jesus called us his sheep and said we would hear his voice (John 10:27). So how do we hear from God? Well you need to remember that we are made in God’s image, we are Spirit beings (1 Thess 5:23). Our spirit is our spiritual heart or conscience. God contacts us largely (Holy) Spirit to (our) spirit. God can communicate in other ways but by way of his Holy Spirit is the most important.

How does the Holy Spirit guide us? He reveals God’s word to us (John 16:13-14), brings us understanding (revelation) and if we read the word prayerfully, he will bring guidance through the verses we read. How often we read and reread a section of the Bible and suddenly a verse jumps out at us, that’s the Holy Spirit.

The other main way that the Spirit speaks to us is by the still small voice that Elijah heard (1 Kings 19:11-12). How do we know this is God? Well, that still small voice comes with a sense of peace and assurance that it is God. God’s wisdom is peaceable and lines up with his word (James 3:17).

To hear from God, we need to still our minds and learn to recognize the voice of his Spirit (Rom 12:2). It’s a bit like the offence in a football team trying to get directions from the quarter back in the face of a noisy opposing crowd of supporters. Talk to God and spend time in his word; allow the word and time with him to quiet you (Isa 26:3). He doesn’t always answer right away but often when we least expect it.

My wife and I had a major decision to make and we agreed to both pray independently and seek God for several months. When we compared notes, we had heard almost identically from God. God is good and he wants you to walk in peace and assurance knowing you are in his will (Prov 3:5-6).

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