Prince of Peace: a devotion by Ann Broughton

“And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6 NIV).

Jesus came on earth to give us peace. His whole ministry was offering peace to those around him. He healed the sick, preached that people needed to love their neighbors and enemies, told the people not to worry, but trust God, and calmed a storm by just speaking, “Be still”.

These are just a few examples of how he displayed peace. If you read the account of his sentence and crucifixion, you will notice that he displayed peace in front of his accusers also.

This peace that Christ displayed is also available to you. Jesus told his disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you” (John 14:27 NIV). In the Beatitudes Jesus spoke: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God” (Matthew 5:9 NIV). Jesus wants us to have peace and display it for others to see.

Since this peace is always there for us all the time. Do you feel it and portray it? Is there something in your life right now that is making peace difficult to find?  Is your peace being thwarted by your own personal problems? Sickness, death of loved ones, financial problems, and chronic pain are just a few things that can take away your peace. But you must realize that the peace Christ has to offer you is still there. Whenever I start fretting and worrying and complaining about my problems, I know that I can start spiraling downward into despair. I have learned to say to my self, “Stop it!” and then I pray in earnest for Christ to fill me with His peace. The most important thing for you to do when you are in a downward spiral of despair is to call upon the Lord to fill you with His peace, because it will happen. Trust me, because I have been in the miry pit of despair before, and He has filled me with a peace that I cannot even describe to you. He is definitely my Prince of Peace.

So the next time you feel as if the world is falling in all around you, remember that your Prince of Peace is only a prayer away and will give you the peace that you so desperately need.

Dear Lord,

There are many things in life that can threaten our peace. Help us to know that you will never abandon us in our time of need, and that your peace is available if we take time to calm down and pray.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

Give Thanks Always: a devotion by Ann Broughton

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16 NIV).

As we approach Thanksgiving, we are reminded of all of our blessings.

It is a time to remember what God has provided for us and thank Him for His steadfast love for us. But thankfulness should not be saved for just this holiday. We should be in a mood of thankfulness every day.

Do you honestly give thanks in all circumstances? It is very difficult to do if you are in pain, lonely, sorrowful, or poor, but if you can honestly look at your life and see the good that also has happened your outlook can change remarkably.

I just read an article of a lady who had crippling arthritis. She was feeling sorry for herself and then decided that she would look at it in a more positive light. She thought that she was lucky to have two legs to walk on because some do not. She was determined to get better and her philosophy wrapped around the idea that there is a bright side to everything. She said her thinking more positive thoughts about it was more powerful than any steroid. You see it is all about perspective. Thankfulness is a thought changing and life changing act.

You must remember that no matter your circumstances God will never fail you or leave you. Jesus promised that, and He never breaks a promise. Start every prayer with thanking God for His steadfast love for you. Concentrate on the blessings and it will be difficult for you to stay in the miry pit of  “Woe is me”. 

I highly recommend that you keep a journal and write down a blessing in it every day, or start a blessing jar and write a blessing each day on a strip of paper and put it in it. Then when you are feeling down, just sit down and read those blessings. It will lift your spirit and help you to see that God has not abandoned you.

So remember that every day holds a blessing for you to be thankful about. Look for it and you will surely find it, and then be a blessing to someone else.

Dear Lord,

Some days it is very difficult to be thankful. Help us to see the blessing in every circumstance and be joyful always even when we don’t feel like it. There are so many ways you bless us. Help us to look for those instead of the negative things.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

The Full Armor of God: a devotion by Ann Broughton

“Put on the full armor in the Lord so you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11 NIV).

Are you prepared for the temptations of life? It is so important to put on the full armor of God. I love this reference to what the Roman soldiers wore during this time frame. It gave the Ephesians a visual on what they should do to be prepared to face the devil’s schemes. The most important thing to remember is that you just can’t have one of these, but you need all of them. Let’s see what a Christian should wear as armor.

First, Paul states that we should have the belt of truth buckled around our waist and a breastplate of righteousness in place. The belt of truth is centered around our belief that God is truth and never lies. (Isaiah 45:19) The breastplate protected the soldier’s heart, just as living in righteousness will help us to have faith during times of trials. When your heart is broken, God will heal it and give you strength to carry on without losing hope. Your feet need to be “fitted with readiness that comes from the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15 NIV). We should be ready to bear up to trials and temptations with peace, knowing that God is with us and will fill us with His peace when we need it. “Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16 NIV). It is so important to have faith that God will be there to protect you and give you courage to withstand the temptations that befall you. “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God” (Ephesians 6:17 NIV). Read the Bible to help you live the Christian life.

It is important to remember that you have to have on this full armor if you are to stand your ground against the evil one. You just can’t have one, because then you are vulnerable in the other areas. The devil knows your weakness and will hit you with a flaming arrow right at that weakness.  Let’s review what you need. You must have truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and knowledge of the Word of God. If you have all of these in place you will be successful in quenching those flaming arrows from the evil one. Take on this full armor and know that God is there to help you fight your battles in this life. Trust Him.

Dear Lord,

Help us to put on the full armor of a Christian each day, knowing that you will always be there for us when we are faithful. Help us to remember that you always need to be first in our lives.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

The Word of God: by Ann Broughton

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than a double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12 NIV).

How much time do you spend reading the Bible (word of God) every week? It is so easy to get busy and put the Bible on the shelf, never looking at it until you go to church on Sunday. The Bible gives you instruction on how to live a Godly life. It is so important that you study it every day.

Sunday we had a Gideon speaker come to our church. I have such respect for those who are Gideons. They take the word of God to people who would not have any other way to get one. He told a story of a father who berated his daughter for reading the Gideon Bible that was given to her and told her it was full of lies and fantasies. He took it from her and headed to his mining job. Later that day the mine collapsed and he and 30 other men were trapped. Many days later they finally managed to dig to rescue them only to find out they had all died. They found the father with a Bible in his hand. In the back he had written that it held truth and he wrote how he had accepted Christ as his Savior. Under his name were the names of all the other men who had accepted Christ as their Savior too. The word of God is powerful and can change lives. It gave these men hope and eternal life.

You know if you try to get a job, you have to have to be taught how to do it. Some of us have spent money and a many years to get a degree for our jobs. Anyone who has any kind of job has to be taught. But more important than all of these hours spent in learning for your job is learning what you need to do to live a Christian life. The world will pull you to sin and you will end up following ways that are not Godly. Reading the Bible every day, especially the New Testament will help you to remember how you are to behave as a Christian. After all, according to the above verse “it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart”.  It can also inspire you to do more for others, serve others, and have a joyful spirit in times of stress. There are so many times in life when I have been in stress and a Bible verse would come to my mind that would fill me with peace. I urge you this week to pick up your Bible every day and read it and pray. God will help you to understand what you are to do to live a life that is pleasing to Him.

Dear Lord,

Sometimes it is so easy to forget to read the Bible every day. Help me to be committed to doing this so that I will not stray from your truths to follow worldly pleasures. Help me to remember that: “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness..” (2 Tim 4:16 NIV).

In Jesus’ name,

Amen