God is Peace

"He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters."
Psalm 23:2

"Abide in Me, and I in you." John 15:4  Throughout John and 1 John, we find that we are to abide.  To abide means to dwell there continuously.  When we are abiding in Christ, we are dwelling in His presence always.  And there in His presence, He leads us to green pastures and still waters.  The very necessities of life - food and water.  God does not throw us scraps, but rather leads us to the best. 

We abide in our homes.  Home should be a place of comfort and rest and safety.  Peace should envelop us as we enter our front door.  We never allowed our children to be disrespectful of one another because home was the safe place for all.  As we abide in Christ we will also find that comfort and rest, that safety and peace.  Your home may be in a quiet suburb or in the middle of a bustling city.  It might be in a war-torn nation, a tsunami ravaged country, or in the peaceful countryside.  It doesn't matter where you reside, just that when you are in your home, there is rest. 

Picture the greeen pastures and the quiet waters.  This is a place of rest from the turmoils of life, work, school, or unsettling relationships.  Here you can be filled, lay your head down to sleep, and rise to drink deeply of clear water.  In the Scriptures we find that we are to be fed with the Word of God and that water is the metaphor for the Spirit of God.  Our green pastures come as we are led to read and pray through the word of God. We rest in His promises and presence and we rise up to be filled with the Holy Spirit which brings joy and strength.

Then we are ready to face our "valley of the shadow of death (literal translation - deep darkness).  That can be depression, divorce, abuse, life's struggles, grief, etc.  We are strengthened from our time of rest, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and steady on our foundation and anchor of the word of God.
He is faithful.  Go to Him and find your rest.  Jesus says in Matthew 11:29-29, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Hint of the Day: Whether you are a stay at home mom or a working mom, your home must be priority.  There should be a sense of peace and rest when anyone enters.  We pray this over our home.  Clean, uncluttered, pleasant to look at, and organized will help make your home inviting.  Candles and accessories are nice too, but not required. Ask your husband what needs to be done at home for him to feel comfortable and at rest. My husband just wanted the bed made and the dishes done. Toys on the floor did not bother him, although we did try to have a general pickup every day before he got home.
Rules for the family members that bring peace and joy and safety is a must!  Our overriding rule when the boys were small was "Make each other feel special."  If what they said or did did not make the other feel special then they were in the wrong.  Be consistent in your discipline and set your standards high with mercy and forgiveness the guiding factors.