Night Light for Couples - Decisions, Decisions

“The head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.” 1 Corinthians 11:3

Among the most controversial Scriptures are those relating to a wife’s obligation to “submit” to a husband’s leadership. This principle offends many women. Furthermore, it places power in the hands of men who sometimes misuse it. And yet, there it is, time and again: “The husband is head of the wife.” Those words can’t be brushed aside by those who rely on Scripture as their infallible guide. But what does this “headship” really mean?

The Bible makes it clear that the husband is to be the leader in his home, yet he has no right to run roughshod over the opinions and feelings of his wife. He is to love her as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25) and to serve her unselfishly and compassionately. A man should include his wife in making mutually satisfying decisions, always working to incorporate her perspectives and seeking compromise when possible. In situations where they simply cannot find common ground, Scripture gives the man the prerogative—and responsibility—to choose and lead. Yet in this case, he must be more sensitive and considerate than ever, bearing in mind that he will ultimately answer to God not only for his choices, but for his treatment of his wife.

Just between us…

• (wife) How would you rate my leadership as your husband?
• (wife) Does our decision‐making process fit the biblical model?
• (husband) How do you feel about your role as “leader in the home”?
• (husband) Am I sensitive to your feelings regarding decisions? 

Heavenly Father, in Your divine plan for marriage You have asked the husband to lead and the wife to submit, and we want so much to obey You. We come humbly now, asking for Your wisdom and help to do so. Amen.

From Night Light For Couples, by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson
Copyright © 2000 by James Dobson, Inc. All rights reserved.Tendencies of the single man from Sexual Suicide by George Gilder (New York, N.Y.: Quadrangle/The New York Times Book Company. 1973).

The Daily Readings for August 8, 2016

Judges 12:1-7
The men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, "Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down over you!" Jephthah said to them, "My people and I were engaged in conflict with the Ammonites who oppressed us severely. But when I called you, you did not deliver me from their hand. When I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my hand, and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the LORD gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day, to fight against me?" Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because they said, "You are fugitives from Ephraim, you Gileadites-- in the heart of Ephraim and Manasseh." Then the Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. Whenever one of the fugitives of Ephraim said, "Let me go over," the men of Gilead would say to him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" When he said, "No," they said to him, "Then say Shibboleth," and he said, "Sibboleth," for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand of the Ephraimites fell at that time. Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in his town in Gilead.

Acts 5:12-26
Now many signs and wonders were done among the people through the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high esteem. Yet more than ever believers were added to the Lord, great numbers of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mats, in order that Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he came by. A great number of people would also gather from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all cured. Then the high priest took action; he and all who were with him (that is, the sect of the Sadducees), being filled with jealousy, arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, brought them out, and said, "Go, stand in the temple and tell the people the whole message about this life." When they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and went on with their teaching. When the high priest and those with him arrived, they called together the council and the whole body of the elders of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the temple police went there, they did not find them in the prison; so they returned and reported, "We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside." Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were perplexed about them, wondering what might be going on. Then someone arrived and announced, "Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!" Then the captain went with the temple police and brought them, but without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

John 3:1-21
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? "Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God."

Morning Psalms

Psalm 89: Part I Misericordias Domini
1   Your love, O LORD, for ever will I sing; from age to age my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.
2   For I am persuaded that your love is established for ever; you have set your faithfulness firmly in the heavens.
3   I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn an oath to David my servant:
4   'I will establish your line for ever, and preserve your throne for all generations.'"
5   The heavens bear witness to your wonders, O LORD, and to your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones;
6   For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? who is like the LORD among the gods?
7   God is much to be feared in the council of the holy ones, great and terrible to all those round about him.
8   Who is like you, LORD God of hosts? O mighty LORD, your faithfulness is all around you.
9   You rule the raging of the sea and still the surging of its waves.
10   You have crushed Rahab of the deep with a deadly wound; you have scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
11   Yours are the heavens; the earth also is yours; you laid the foundations of the world and all that is in it.
12   You have made the north and the south; Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your Name.
13   You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand and high is your right hand.
14   Righteousness and justice are the foundations of your throne; love and truth go before your face.
15   Happy are the people who know the festal shout! they walk, O LORD, in the light of your presence.
16   They rejoice daily in your Name; they are jubilant in your righteousness.
17   For you are the glory of their strength, and by your favor our might is exalted.
18   Truly, the LORD is our ruler; The Holy One of Israel is our King.

Evening Psalms

Psalm 89: Part II Tunc locutus es
19   You spoke once in vision and said to your faithful people: "I have set the crown upon a warrior and have exalted one chosen out of the people.
20   I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him.
21   My hand will hold him fast and my arm will make him strong.
22   No enemy shall deceive him, nor any wicked man bring him down.
23   I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him.
24   My faithfulness and love shall be with him, and he shall be victorious through my Name.
25   I shall make his dominion extend from the Great Sea to the River.
26   He will say to me, 'You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.'
27   I will make him my firstborn and higher than the kings of the earth.
28   I will keep my love for him for ever, and my covenant will stand firm for him.
29   I will establish his line for ever and his throne as the days of heaven."
30   If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my judgments;
31   If they break my statutes and do not keep my commandments;
32   I will punish their transgressions with a rod and their iniquities with the lash;
33   But I will not take my love from him, nor let my faithfulness prove false.
34   I will not break my covenant, nor change what has gone out of my lips.
35   Once for all I have sworn by my holiness: 'I will not lie to David.
36   His line shall endure for ever and his throne as the sun before me;
37   It shall stand fast for evermore like the moon, the abiding witness in the sky.'"
38   But you have cast off and rejected your anointed; you have become enraged at him.
39   You have broken your covenant with your servant, defiled his crown, and hurled it to the ground.
40   You have breached all his walls and laid his strongholds in ruins.
41   All who pass by despoil him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors.
42   You have exalted the right hand of his foes and made all his enemies rejoice.
43   You have turned back the edge of his sword and have not sustained him in battle.
44   You have put an end to his splendor and cast his throne to the ground.
45   You have cut short the days of his youth and have covered him with shame.
46   How long will you hide yourself, O LORD? will you hide yourself for ever? how long will your anger burn like fire?
47   Remember, LORD, how short life is, how frail you have made all flesh.
48   Who can live and not see death? who can save himself from the power of the grave?
49   Where, Lord, are your loving-kindnesses of old, which you promised David in your faithfulness?
50   Remember, Lord, how your servant is mocked, how I carry in my bosom the taunts of many peoples,
51   The taunts your enemies have hurled, O LORD, which they hurled at the heels of your anointed.
52   Blessed be the LORD for evermore! Amen, I say, Amen.

The Forward Day by Day Meditation for August 8, 2016

From Forward Day By Day

John 3:3 (NRSV) Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”

Today we continue our journey with Jesus through John’s Gospel, encountering some of the most beloved messages of all time. Choose a verse from today’s gospel lesson and really think about it using lectio divina—divine reading—a way of intentionally reading a passage of scripture several times in order to explore the gospel wisdom. In preparing to write this meditation, I chose John 3:3, our framing quote for today.

This is how I practice lectio divina in my own way: I read the passage I’m studying out loud to myself, not for information but for understanding—to hear the words Jesus says spoken out loud. I read it again, slowly, and I ponder its meaning, applying it to my own life. I pray, seeking guidance: What is God saying to me here?

This new insight requires a surrender of the normal way of looking at things. Sometimes it’s more important to have a “viewing point” than a “point of view.” Lectio divina leads me to a different viewing point. I sense God’s redeeming love moving me to a different hilltop altogether.

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NIV Devotions for Women - Buried Treasures

Matthew 13:1–58

Are you digging for buried treasure? If not, you should know that it’s waiting there for you.

But wait. Don’t reach for a shovel just yet. For this kind of digging, you need other kinds of tools: your Bible, a concordance and maybe a reliable commentary or two. And bring along your mind, heart, time and a bit of patience. You may ask, “What kind of treasure can I find with these tools?” The answer is profound. You’ll find a wealth of God’s wisdom that can only be found when you search for it as if you were digging for gold or silver buried beneath the earth’s surface.

You may have noticed that if you read Scripture simply to check it off your to-do list, you don’t gain much insight. But when you pray, when you compare one Scripture with another, when you meditate on verses, then you gain insight—then you find the golden nuggets of wisdom and truth that have been there all the time, buried beneath the surface.

In Matthew 11 and 12, Jesus had pronounced judgment on the unrepentant and especially the religious leaders who were uniting against him. But in Matthew 13, Jesus changed his approach in speaking to the crowds. He started teaching in parables—earthly stories with heavenly meanings. Only those who wanted to dig deep enough could understand what he was really saying. Others might pass Christ’s teachings off as simple stories. But these “simple stories” were eternal stories—helping generations understand spiritual principles through physical metaphors. Rural folk could grasp the kingdom of heaven by looking at a farmer working in the fields. People in business could comprehend the kingdom of heaven through stories of faithful or evil servants. All could look forward to Christ’s return via the story of a wedding and bridegroom. Simple stories—profound truth.

Jesus gladly answered his disciples’ questions about his parables and gave them the interpretations. His hidden truths are an open secret for those who are really looking. When you ask the Holy Spirit to give you ears to hear and eyes to see, God will open his treasure house and give you fresh insight into his parables. Ask him for understanding, and he’ll help you unearth buried treasure.

Reflection

1. What Bible study tools or methods do you use on a daily basis?
2. Which of the following would you use to describe your time with God’s Word: skimming the surface or digging for treasure?
3. What new treasure has God revealed to you lately? What could you do with that new insight?

Matthew 13:13 “This is why I speak to them in parables.”

Related Readings

Psalm 78:1–4; Proverbs 1:5–7; 2:3–5; Mark 4:10–12; Romans 11:33

Standing Strong Through the Storm - THE PROCESS OF PERSECUTION-3: INJUSTICE

In his humiliation he [Jesus] was deprived of justice. Acts 8:33a

Christians experiencing persecution are following in the footsteps of their master, Jesus. In Acts chapter eight, Philip revealed to the Ethiopian eunuch that the passage from Isaiah 53 he was reading referred to Jesus who indeed was deprived of justice. Today in the Western world, we would describe His trial before crucifixion as occurring in a “kangaroo court!”

If disinformation about any group, including Christians, is disseminated long enough, no one will help when that group or person is discriminated against. Discrimination relegates Christians to second-class citizenship with inferior legal, social, political and economic status. Once discrimination takes place, no one will intervene when the mistreatment comes.

Examples of such injustice against Christians abound around the world: ID cards in a country where Christianity is an unacceptable entry in the religion column; daughters abducted because they are Christians; expulsion from the community just because they are evangelicals.

Christians in Pakistan are a small minority among a large Muslim majority and often face such discrimination. The problem is compounded by the fact that many Christians are illiterate and poor. One Christian teacher at a center training Christian women recently said, “We do face discrimination because we live in the midst of people who don’t want us to move forward; people who keep trying to push us down so that we will always be in slavery.”

But there is one repeated scene of injustice against Christians that occurs in Pakistan which brings me to tears which involves young Christian girls. As a father of two daughters and having six granddaughters, I shudder every time I read news reports that describe Christian family injustice in this land. The stories usually work out this way:

Muslim women must marry Muslim men but Muslim men are allowed to marry any woman they wish with the proviso that any children must be raised as Muslim. Consequently in Pakistan there are Muslim men who often desire some of the very beautiful young Christian girls in the community but realize there is no way their Christian families will agree to marriage. So these men resort to abduction.

The Christian father’s only option is to go to court where the judge—usually a Muslim—hears the case and pronounces to the Christian father, “Your daughter voluntarily converted to Islam and voluntarily married this Muslim man so you are to have no more contact with her. One of the most recent cases involved two young Christian sisters aged thirteen and ten. In this case, the judge allowed the ten-year-old to return home to her family but not the thirteen-year-old.

Safwan, a secret believer in Algeria, found a Christian pamphlet between the paperwork given him at work and started reading it. Upon discovering him reading the pamphlet, his boss reported him to the police. Later that night the police visited him and searched his entire home. They found Christian CD’s, several Christian movies and a New Testament. “It was clear to them that I had become a Christian. My boss fired me.”

RESPONSE: Today I will work toward justice for everyone in my own country and around the world.

PRAYER: Lord, be with those experiencing discrimination today because they love and serve You.

Women of the Bible - The Woman of Proverbs 31

Her character: She represents the fulfillment of a life lived in wisdom.
Her joy: To be praised by her husband and children as a woman who surpasses all others.
Key Scriptures: Proverbs 31:10-31

Her Story

Proverbs brims with less-than-glowing descriptions of women. There are wayward wives, prostitutes, women with smoother-than-oil lips, strange women, loud women, defiant women, wives who are like a continual drip on a rainy day or decay in their husbands' bones, women whose feet never stay home, brazen-faced women, and even a woman so repulsive she is likened to a gold ring in a pig's snout!

Any woman reading Proverbs may be tempted to conclude that its authors tended to blame women for weaknesses actually rooted in the male psyche, especially when it comes to sexual sin. But to balance things out there are also some odious descriptions of men, including scoundrels, villains, chattering fools, and sluggards. And Proverbs actually opens and closes with positive portrayals of women: first as wisdom personified and then as a woman who can do no wrong.

Just who was this woman on a pedestal described in Proverbs 31? Was she, as many think, the ideal wife and mother? In traditional Jewish homes, husbands and children recited the poem in Proverbs 31 at the Sabbath table. Written as an acrostic, each line begins with a Hebrew letter in alphabetical sequence, making it easy to memorize. The poem describes a wealthy, aristocratic woman with a large household to direct. She was hardworking, enterprising, capable, strong, wise, skilled, generous, thoughtful of others, dignified, God-fearing, serene—a tremendous credit to her husband. She arose while it was still dark to feed her family. She looked at a field, considered its merits, and purchased it. She wove cloth and made linen garments, which she then sold. "Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 'Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all' " (verses 28-29).

The description of the woman in Proverbs 31 offers a refreshing contrast to other ancient depictions of women, which tend to portray them in more frivolous and decorative terms, emphasizing only their charm or beauty. Still, the perfect woman of Proverbs 31 hasn't always been a friend to ordinary women. In fact, she has sometimes been rubbed into the faces of lesser women by critical husbands and preachers unable to resist the temptation. What woman could ever measure up to her? And is a woman's worth to be measured only by what she can accomplish in the domestic sphere? Or is the woman in Proverbs 31 a symbol of all the contributions a woman could make within the culture of her day? Regardless of how you answer these questions, there is more to her story than simply being the ideal wife and mother.

Before we can discover more about her true identity, it is worth posing a broader question: Are there really all that many women running around in the pages of Proverbs? Perhaps, in fact, there are only two main women in Proverbs: the wise woman and the woman of folly (as some have called her). The latter encompasses the adulteress and her many wicked counterparts; the former encompasses wisdom in the abstract and wisdom made concrete in the woman of Proverbs 31.

In Proverbs 3:13-16 a young man is instructed: "Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor." Here is wisdom in the abstract, personified as a woman.

Proverbs 31 echoes this praise: "A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies…. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard" (verses 10, 12-16). Here is a concrete example of what wisdom looks like in a person's life.

By contrast, the man who welcomes the brazen-faced woman, the prostitute, the adulteress is nothing but a fool. He has fallen prey to the woman of folly, who offers deceitful pleasures that will lead to his death.

From beginning to end, Proverbs is a practical handbook for leading a life based on wisdom. In the end, there are only two choices for both men and women: to embrace wisdom or to love folly. The woman of Proverbs 31 may well be meant to inspire both men and women with a picture of what a virtuous life, male or female, is capable of producing: shelter for others, serenity, honor, prosperity, generosity, confidence about the future—true blessedness. Who wouldn't want to be like such a woman? Who wouldn't sing her praises?

Her Promise

Many women find Proverbs 31 discouraging. Don't let that happen to you. Remember, this very capable woman is ultimately praised not so much for all she accomplishes as for one thing: She fears the Lord. The woman who is worthy of praise is not necessarily the one who does all her own sewing or is a great cook or is a natural beauty—the woman who gets the praise is the woman who fears the Lord. That's the target to aim for. Not outward beauty. Not a perfectly decorated home. Not even more intellectual knowledge or business acumen. Instead, aim for a bold, all-consuming love for God. Then you too will be worthy of praise.

Girlfriends in God - You Are Reflection of God’s Glory?

by Sharon Jaynes

Today’s Truth

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands (Psalm 19:1 NIV).

Friend to Friend

My friends Gwen, Lisa, and Bill joined Steve and I for a shrimp boil at my home. We spread out the steamed shrimp and then made a glorious mess as we shucked and ate one tasty morsel after another.

After dinner, Gwen and I challenged Bill and Lisa to a paddleboat race across the lake. “Oh, we’ll cream you guys,” Bill boasted as he and his paddling partner accepted the challenge. He puffed up, knowing that victory was eminent. He was pumped.

I pointed Bill to one of our two vessels. “Here, you take this one.”

“Fine with me,” he said, self-assured.

My husband, with a knowing smile, signaled for the race to begin. Off we went. Bill and Lisa paddled furiously and pulled out ahead. While Bill had his eye on the finish line across the lake, I turned around in my seat and lowered our secret weapon. Unbeknownst to Bill, our boat had a silent, hidden, battery-powered bass motor. I dropped the motor, flipped the switch, and in no time we passed our competitors and left them in our tiny wake. While Bill and Lisa paddled frantically like milkmaids churning butter, Gwen and I sliced through the water like a hot knife through cream.

Bill was confused. We were tickled.

Of course, Gwen and I won the race. We made it to the opposite shore in half the time of our confused competition. As we turned the boat around and headed back toward a befuddled Bill, I called out. “Oh, I forgot to mention that our boat has a battery powered motor!”

He headed right toward us and splashed us good fashion.

Gwen and I paddled back to home base, but Bill and Lisa stayed in the middle of the lake as the sun began to sink and streak the evening sky with the handiwork of God. Orange, magenta and red filled the heavenly expanse. Geese conversed. Crickets chirped. Cicadas sang. Deep-throated frogs gave bass notes to natures melody. The moon rose and reflected its face in the water as the mass of summer musicians celebrated the season. And right smack dab in the middle of the lake sat two of God’s children awe struck. Captivated. And you know what? I was captivated by watching their response to God’s glory.

Isn’t that the way of glory? As we see others living and moving and having their being in Jesus, we want it, too. As we sense their sacred in-loveness, we long for the same passionate intimacy with God in our own lives.

Don’t be surprised if your moments of sudden glory cause others to tug on your shirtsleeve with hungry eyes and want to know more. Tell them! Oh how I pray that you will tell them! Tell them of the moments of sudden glory that brim in a woman’s heart that lives and moves and has her being in Christ. Tell them of glory moments strewn about by God’s willing hand for eyes to see, ears to hear, hearts to embrace. What an amazing truth: God uses me and you to open hungry eyes to recognize His presence all around—to glorify Him—to make His presence known.

This summer, look for the moments. Expect the moments. Savor the moments.

Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father, help me to be a reflection of Your glory today. Help me to be good salt that makes others thirsty to know You, to want You, to crave more of You. Open my eyes to see You in all creation today. I am sleuthing for Your fingerprints on the pages of this day.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Read Psalm 104 and note all the ways God makes His glory known through creation. It is a lengthy Psalm. You might want to spread it out over two days. 

As you walk by a mirror or window today, look at your face. (Weird, I know.) What does your face say to the world? Are you a reflection of God’s goodness in your life? Are you smiling? Frowning? Looking a bit grumpy? Need to exercise those smile muscles?

Want to join me by intentionally smiling today? If so, click over to my Facebook page and say, “I’m smiling!”

More from the Girlfriends

Do you long for something more in your relationship with God? Do you have a “glory ache”—a hunger to experience God’s presence on a daily basis? The good new is that God wants that even more than you do. Right smack dab in the spin of the laundry and the sizzle of the bacon—as you live and move and have your being in Him. This summer, take some time to “be still and know”—to hear His still small voice—to dust for His fingerprints on the pages of your everyday life. My book, A Sudden Glory: God’s Lavish Response to Your Ache for Something More will show you how. It also includes a study guide and free online Bible study videos. And while you’re on my website, check out the Praying Wives app for Apple devices.

Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 1311
Huntersville, NC 28070

His Princess Every Day - I Am Your Peace

Devotionals for Women - Inspirational author and speaker Sheri Rose Shepherd imagines what a letter written from God to you would look like.


I long to give you rest for your soul and peace in your heart. I know sometimes it looks like life has no peace to offer--just one big problem after another. It’s true that the world is filled with hatred, envy, and every sort of evil, so please don’t be looking for peace in people or attempting to position yourself where there are no problems. The kind of peace the world tries to offer is built on false hope and man-made idols that will eventually crumble. The peace I give you will transcend any trial or tribulation that comes against you because it is supernatural. So position yourself completely in My care, and let go of all those things you cannot control. Then you will find true peace. In the middle of chaos and confusion, I will always be your safe place--a place of peace. I’m asking you, My princess, to share with others the peace I give freely to you.

Love,
Your King and your Perfect Peace

Peace I leave with you;
my peace I give you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled
and do not be afraid. - John 14:27 (NIV)

This devotional is written by Sheri Rose Shepherd. All content copyright Sheri Rose Shepherd 2015. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Visit HisPrincess.com for devotionals, books, videos, and more from Sheri Rose Shepherd.

Verse of the Day - August 08, 2016

Psalm 149:4 (NIV) For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.

Read all of Psalm 149