June 14

“Too often we try to keep our own hearts and minds in a peaceful condition.  Quite naturally, we usually fail...Human hearts and minds, always sensitive to pain and humiliation and scorn, cannot keep themselves peaceful.  They must be kept....supernaturally by God Himself.”  Eugenia Price, S.P.S., 6/14

The only way we can have the peace of God is to have God Himself.  God is peace.  And the only way we can love as God loves is to have God Himself for God is love.  All of God’s attributes are ours for the having, but we must take Him in the process.  Too often we only want what He has to offer and not Him.  I can only think this is because of our original sin--our desire to have control over our own destiny.  We want to decide what and when and where and how.  But we are God’s creation and who are we to tell God how to run His show?!  It’s in recognizing this and humbling ourselves that we are saved from our own flesh’s attempt to usurp God.  It is in receiving Christ’s spirit that we are enabled to live this humbled life.  And it is in living a humbled life that we will be one with God and therefore experience His peace--a peace that cannot be disturbed.

“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage.”  Hebrews 2:14, 15

May 6

“Never, under any circumstances, has it really in the end paid you to try and exalt your great exacting ME, for always, sooner or later, it has all proved to be nothing but meaningless and a vexation of spirit.”  Hannah Whitall Smith, Daily Secrets, 5/6

Hannah often speaks of “common sense things”.  I am a great believer in common sense, yet when it comes to ME, I am often blinded.  But no more!  I was complaining in my journal this morning that it looked like my husband and sons would neglect to acknowledge the upcoming Mother’s Day holiday to my satisfaction. I didn’t want to feel this way and asked God’s help.  Then I read Hannah’s words and realized that it was ME that was causing me to feel this way.  The big ME wanted to be married and have children, but as usual ME is never satisfied.  Now it not only wants to receive honor, it also wants husband and children to be thoughtful.  I realized that if ME got those things it probably would want more or something else it didn’t have.  In that moment ME was exposed.  This longing I had belonged to ME, not to the new creature that I am.  I felt released from and relieved of the bondage to ME that ME was attempting to put me in.  Why even try to please ME when it always wants more.  The common sense thing is to ignore it when it starts it’s griping and grumbling.  Sooner or later it will grow tired and give up.

“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage.”  Hebrews 2:14, 15