Our June edition of my, "Fruit Of The Spirit" series is taking a look at the fruit of Peace. May the Lord's peace rule and reign in our hearts today and every day this week.
God bless you, love Lucy x
Galatians 5:22-25
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
Fruit Of Focus- PeaceGod bless you, love Lucy x
Galatians 5:22-25
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
"Gracious Father, Gentle Saviour, Lord You have been good to me.
Jesus, You have saved my soul and called me to a life that’s free!
Help me Lord, to serve Your people. Keep my heart in check, I pray.
Since I now live by the Spirit, may I walk in step each day.
Guide me on the path that’s holy, let all inner striving cease.
May I bear the Spirit’s fruit and help me show the world Your peace.
Though this life has many troubles, may I not be full of care.
You have taught me in Your Word to lift each trial up in prayer.
May my actions stand as witness, pointing to the promise true;
You will keep in perfect peace, those who put their trust in You.
Set my thoughts on God my Saviour, may I dwell on lovely things.
Use my peace to testify of Jesus Christ, the King of kings!"
Philippians 4:6-7
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Isaiah 26:3
”You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”
2 Thessalonians 3:16
“Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.”
Food For Thought
In order for fruit to grow, both the ground and plant need to be well looked after and cultivated with care and attention. Being able to have the fruit of peace within our lives during difficult or upsetting times can be really challenging but this is why it’s so important to make sure we feed and water the soil of our heart with God’s Word each day.
I referenced Philippians 4:6-7 in both the poem and after the poem with the full Scripture. This verse really guides us in how to practically cultivate peace in our lives in spite of all the problems going on around us.
It seems that when the Apostle Paul wrote those words in Philippians 4, he gave us a wonderful format to follow as the antidote for worry and a pathway to peace.
Sometimes I personally feel it can be too easy to charge into the presence of God and immediately start blustering through the list of things I need help with. As Paul shows us through these verses in Philippians however, the first thing we should do is pray! True prayer is to commune with God, to acknowledge who He is and give Him the praise He is due before we start to present our petitions to Him.
Paul goes on to outline that our supplications come second, followed by the giving of thanks to God for all He has already done. It’s when we go through this process that things will be put into the correct perspective and we’ll be filled with God’s peace which surpasses all understanding. Our situation may not change but we’ll be changed within our situation by the peace that only Jesus Christ can give.
With so many “unknowns” to face in life, there are some things we do know for certain. Jesus is Sovereign, He’s still on His Throne and will guard our hearts with His perfect peace, one day at a time.
Questions For Personal Reflection
Am I resting in God’s peace today? Is there something troubling me that I need to bring before God’s Throne in prayer? Am I anxious or “full of care” about a certain situation right now? Do I follow Paul’s format in my prayer life or do I tend to jump straight into listing off my problems to Jesus?
Is there a time in my life when God’s peace surpassed understanding and overruled the chaos going on around me? Would others look at the way I handle stressful or upsetting situations in life and see God’s peace working within me? How can I help encourage others to cultivate the fruit of peace in their own hearts and lives?
