Peace Be With You by Ann Elaine Broughton

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7 NIV).

Are you at peace? Do you take time every day just to be calm and be at peace, not thinking about anything? I believe this is so important because otherwise a person can just be busy from morning until night and eventually become so exhausted. We have a tendency to think, worry, and obsess and not consider that the peace of Christ is available to us if we just take time to be still.
My favorite Bible story is when Jesus was in the boat sleeping in the midst of a huge storm. “A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. Then the disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:37-41 NIV). Every time I am in a situation where I truly need peace I imagine Jesus standing up in front of me and shouting, “Quiet! Be still!” And I imagine all the stress leaving me just like when the waves got all calm. I let His peace rush over me.
When my mother was dying of cancer, I felt like I was battling a fierce storm within myself. My mother was my best friend and watching her slowly leave me was so very difficult. When I went to visit her I would pray that God would give me strength so that I would not cry and sob in front of her. Every time I went to see her I found peace within me and didn’t cry. Believe me, that wasn’t due to my own strength. It was God’s peace working inside of me.
This peace is available to you too. Just be still, pray, and have faith that He is with you and will give you His peace. Trust me, it will happen.
Dear Lord,
Help me to be still every day to feel your peace in the midst of life’s storms and stresses. Help me to remember that you are the only one who can give me the peace that passes all understanding.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Be At Peace With Everyone by Ann Elaine Broughton

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18 NIV).

So how are you doing with this? Living at peace with everyone is a tall order, but if we all did it what a wonderful world this would be. Paul also says; “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love” (Romans 12:10 NIV). A good friend of mine gave me some wonderful advice. I was told to view people with love, compassion, and forgiveness. After all, this is Jesus’ teachings in a nutshell. Since then I have really tried hard to do this. I have a tendency to judge people rather harshly. So now when someone gets on my nerves, I remember that I am supposed to view them with compassion and love. It has helped me to remember how Jesus treated other people also. He was constantly surrounded by people pushing, shoving, and wanting his attention. He never got angry with them, but showed his compassion with them on every occasion even after a long day.
For example: Matthew 14:13-14 tells how Jesus had compassion even when he was mourning his cousin, John the Baptist’s death. He had withdrawn in a boat to a private place, but the crowd had followed Him on land. When he needed some time to be alone and mourn, he was surrounded by 5,000 men, besides the women and children when his boat landed. Instead of yelling at them to leave him alone, scripture says he had compassion on them and healed the sick. What a wonderful role model for all of us. He put others’ needs above His own. That is what we are to do.
So this week when someone is perturbing you or getting on your nerves, view them with compassion and love just like Jesus’ did.
You will feel better mentally and you just might bless someone else by your positive attitude.
Dear Lord,
Help me to follow your example and treat everyone with love, compassion, and forgiveness. Help me to try to be at peace with everyone so that my lifestyle will be the Christian witness it should be.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Step Out In Faith by Ann Elaine Broughton

“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62 NiV).

Are you questioning your purpose in life right now? Do you wonder if you are doing what God wants you to do? Has the Lord put something in your heart and you are afraid to step out in faith and try to do it? God has a special purpose for you and wants you to pray and follow His lead for your life. Sometimes that is difficult because it might take you out of your comfort zone, but if you truly feel led by God to do something, then He will surely open up opportunities to bless you. If it isn’t the Lord’s will then there will be blocks put in place so that you won’t get hurt. Heed them, because God is telling you to stop.
When we moved to McComb I had several interviews for teaching positions. One was a resource room in a small town near McComb. I called and called them until I’m sure the principal was totally annoyed at me. I tried to literally beg the guy to hire me. It didn’t work. Then there was another job opening and I was worried because it was too far to drive. Then a position opened up in the town I was raised in. Everything went fine in the interview and I have been there for 17 years. It has been such a blessing working there where I can pray with my Christian friends before school. I have learned so much about literacy because of working there and feel so privileged to work at a school that puts kids first. You see God knew what was best for me. I just had to wait for the right position to open up and everything fell into place. That is what happens when you trust God and walk in His will.
God has a special place for you too. He needs you to work for Him in special ways that only you can do. Trust Him to show you what that is, pray about it, and watch for the open doors. Once you feel positive that you have found what He wants you to do, then step out in faith and never look back. The above verse was spoken by Jesus. Don’t look back. Keep your hand in His and trust Him totally to help you. God will bless you as He has done me in my job.
Dear Lord,
Help me to believe that you have a special purpose for me. Help me to trust you to open up the door that you would have me walk through to serve you in a special way. Once I step out in faith give me the wisdom and courage to stay on this path and not turn back.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Breaking Down Strongholds by Ann Elaine Broughton

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4 NIV).

Do you have strongholds in your life that need conquered? Are there habits, addictions, sin that have made you a victim? I have an addiction to sugar that is really bad, especially since yeast has a foothold in my whole body and it affects my health. I need to completely not eat any sugar, wheat or goodies. That is so hard when the yeast inside me is craving it like crazy. I found an excerpt in the Bible that is helping me. It is about David and how he had to overcome a lot of odds to conquer Jerusalem. It was quite a large task, since the people there told him that there was no way he could do it. But that didn’t stop him. He took his soldiers and conquered a very large stronghold. “The king and his men marched to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, “You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.” They thought, “David cannot get in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, the City of David” (2 Samuel 5:6-7 NIV).
I love this passage because of the word “nevertheless”. The Jebusites had ridiculed him but nevertheless David took the city because he knew his power came from the Lord.
You see the power that we have in the Holy Spirit is our weapon to demolish our strongholds. What we cannot accomplish in taking control of our weaknesses, the Holy Spirit can give us the strength and courage to say no. It is so easy to get caught into a trap of lacking self control and feeling awful afterwards. But instead, we must remember that we have divine strength inside of us and we “can do all things through Christ” (Phillipians 4:13).
So if you are battling a stronghold remember the word “nevertheless” and how David conquered his enemies with the Lord’s strength. I know this word is going to help me as I struggle with something that could ruin my health. May God bless you as you continue to strive to please the Lord in every aspect of your life.
Dear Lord,
I know that I have the Holy Spirit within me. Help me as I continue struggling to conquer a stronghold that is unhealthy. Help me to be strong in your strength and believe that I can take down this stronghold in your strength.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Dealing With Obsessions By Ann Elaine Broughton

“We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5 NIV).

What do you find yourself thinking about the most? Remember the Lord knows your thoughts. “You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar” (Psalm 139:2 NIV). I believe we forget that our thoughts are being measured by the Lord every moment. If you are obsessing over something that is not good for you the Lord knows it. You might think that it is hidden and that it is fine to do something in private because nobody knows it. But God does know it. It can also be obsessing about a person that either you love or you hate.
I was in a Bible study by Beth Moore about Esther and there was a chapter on Haman and how he hated the Jews so badly that he made it an obsession. He hated a Jewish man called Mordecai the most. He was Esther’s uncle. He went out of his way to try to kill him. He even made a gallows to hang him on, but as it turned out Haman ended up hanging from that gallows. You see if you have an obsession about someone you end up hurting yourself in the end. That obsession takes over your life so much that happiness can never be found.
In the study Esther, It’s Tough Being A Woman, Beth says “that a person becomes a snare to us any time he or she consumes an excessive and unhealthy space in our thoughts, whether negative or positive. The individual may be someone:
• We are attracted to or feel threatened or defeated by.
• Whose approval eludes us or whose happiness consumes us.
• Whom we adore, despise, or, far more complexly, both.
The people who have become our biggest snares to us are the ones about whom we’re most prone to say, “I never act this way with anyone else” (p. 121-122).
I don’t know if you are struggling with this, but I do know that we have a wonderful Savior who does know and will help you overcome an obsession. Just lay it at His feet and ask Him to help you guard your thoughts. Pray for help to heal the brokenness inside you that is leading to your obsession. He will give you peace in this area if you willingly offer it up to Him.
Dear Lord,
Help me to guard my thoughts so that they are pleasing to you. If I am obsessing over anything or anyone more that I should, please help me to stop it. I lay my burdens down at your feet and believe that you will change my heart so that I seek only what will make you happy.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen