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AS MERE PEACE OF MIND.
YOU SEE, OUR OWN PEACE IS DEPENDENT ON OUR CIRCUMSTANCES.
WE CAN FEEL GREAT PEACE AND HAPPINESS WHEN EVERYTHING IS
GOING WELL IN OUR LIVES, BUT WHEN TURBULENT TIMES HIT,
WHEN THERE'S A MEDICAL CRISIS OR A FINANCIAL DIFFICULTY OR
RELATIONAL TURMOIL, THEN SUDDENLY OUR PEACE TURNS INTO
ANXIETY AND WORRY AND FEAR.
BUT THE BIBLE SAYS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT IN GALATIANS THAT
WHEN WE RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST AS OUR FORGIVER AND LEADER,
WE BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE OVER TIME SUCH QUALITIES AS MORE
LOVE, JOY, PEACE AND PATIENCE.
GOD'S SPIRIT, WHO TAKES UP RESIDENCE INSIDE OF US WHEN WE
BECOME A FOLLOWER OF JESUS, HELPS MANIFEST THESE QUALITIES
IN US MORE AND MORE OVER TIME.
WE'RE NO LONGER TETHERED TO THE SHIFTING CIRCUMSTANCES
OF OUR LIVES.
BUT GOD CAN GIVE US PEACE WE NEED EVEN DURING
THE DIFFICULT TIMES.
JESUS PUT IT THIS WAY WHEN HE WAS TALKING TO HIS DISCIPLES
IN JOHN 16.
HE SAID, "THESE THINGS I'VE SPOKEN TO YOU THAT
"IN ME YOU MAY HAVE PEACE.
"IN THE WORLD YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TROUBLE.
BUT TAKE COURAGE," HE SAID, "I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD."
IN OTHER WORDS, EVEN IN THE MIDST OF THE WORLD'S TRIALS AND
TRIBULATIONS, IF WE'RE ANCHORED TO JESUS,
HE CAN GIVE US THE PEACE TO FACE THE PRESENT
AND COURAGE TO FACE THE FUTURE.
MARGARET WAS MY BELOVED WIFE AND MATE FOR 19 YEARS.
AND ABOUT 15 MONTHS AGO SHE PASSED AWAY FROM BRAIN CANCER.
IT WAS THE MOST INTENSE TRAUMA OF MY LIFE.
BUT THROUGH MY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST,
HIS SUSTAINING POWER HAS JUST CARRIED ME.
HIS PROMISE OF NEVER LEAVING ME OR FORSAKING ME WAS PREVALENT
ALL THROUGH MY CHALLENGE.
GOD GAVE ME HOPE IN SO MANY WAYS AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST
WAYS IS THROUGH THE PEOPLE HE WOULD PUT IN MY LIFE.
MY FRIENDS, MY FAMILY AND EVEN STRANGERS,
PEOPLE WHO ENCOURAGED,
SUPPORTED AND EVEN PRAYED FOR US.
MY FRIEND GEORGE CHESTNUT SINGS A SONG THAT MINISTERED
TO ME POWERFULLY.
IT'S A SONG TITLED "HE WILL CARRY YOU".
IN IT HE SAYS THERE'S NO PROBLEM SO BIG
THAT GOD CANNOT SOLVE IT.
THERE IS NO MOUNTAIN SO TALL THAT GOD CANNOT MOVE IT.
THERE IS NO STORM SO DARK THAT GOD CANNOT CALM IT.
AND THERE IS NO SORROW SO DEEP THAT GOD CANNOT SOOTH IT.
IF HE CARRIED THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD ON HIS SHOULDERS,
THEN HE WILL CARRY YOU.
AND THAT'S WHAT EXACTLY GOD DID FOR ME AS HE CARRIED ME.
IN MANY OF THE DARKEST MIDNIGHT HOUR WHEN IT SEEMED NO HOPE
WAS IN SIGHT GOD GAVE ME AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE THAT
WHATEVER IT WAS THAT WAS GOING THROUGH MY LIFE WAS ONLY GOING
TO BE FOR A SEASON.
AND HE CONSTANTLY REMINDED ME OF THE SAYING THAT WHATEVER THE
CHALLENGE AHEAD OF ME, IT WILL NEVER BE GREATER
THAN THE POWER BEHIND ME.
AGAIN, ABOUT 15 MONTHS SINCE MARGARET'S GLORIOUS HOME-GOING
AND JESUS CONTINUES TO SUSTAIN MY FAMILY.
IN FACT, HE DOES DONE MORE THAN THAT!
HE HAS MADE ME AN OVERCOMER. HE HAS MADE ME AN OVERCOMER.