21 Days of Peace

Isaiah 55:12
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.


This morning my nana (my mother's mom) died. She lived a full life, bore 9 children, raised 8 of her own teenagers, and shared in the life of 6 adults of her womb. She had too many grandchildren to count and so far only 4 great-grand sons with one little girl on the way. Her life was full and even though my family is still only dealing with her passing, we were all blesed to have had so much time with her.
 
Isaiah 55:12 is a great passage to meditate on during this time. It reminds me to find joy despite the physical pain. Our emotional and spiritual lives are so much more than just our physical relationships and experiences. To wake up to bad news and go out in joy is a strong indication that God is the center of your life. Meditating on his desire for your life is just one way to encourage yourself. Others include counting your blessings, giving to those in need and contemplating on the everyday miracles. When we push ourselves to go out in joy, God confirms his commitment by leading us in peace (remember the covenant we spoke about)!

If you're wondering whether you've experienced peace as a result of your joy check out the second part of this verse. Not only is our perspective renewed but our external environments change. The bible says the mountains will burst into song and the trees will clap their hands! Amen. Stabilize your peace to enjoy a joyous outcome.
 
More and more I've come to know that practicing and excersicing our peace produces increased levels of peace. It's like physical exercise! The more you work a muscle the stronger it gets. Three sets and 20 repeitions of bicep curls a day will strengthen your arms. Take this same formula and apply it to your peace. The more you build the harder it will be to disturb. Practice peac to gain peace. Go out in joy and God will lead you, throught the day, to peaceful outcomes.