“Peace I leave you with, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”   ~John 14:27

​Lean on the Lord for everything, only then will we be filled with God’s pure, perfect peace. Learn to accept whatever crazy things are happening around you, and know that God is still there, even in the storms. We need to stay centered in the Lord—seek Him in everything—in the good, the bad, and the in-between times. This is just as relevant today as ever!

So, how do we stay changed? We stop worrying and living in fear for starters. As the above verse says, don’t walk around with a troubled heart (mind), and simply refuse to let your mind be filled with fear! If you trust in God to handle everything, fear will vanish. No matter how bad things might appear, know without a shadow of a doubt that God is ultimately in control, and then pray. We must pray to stay!

Reading the Bible is, by far, the best way to stay connected to the Problem Solver. It is my daily source of guidance, encouragement, and peace. We must stay in the word of God to stay changed!

I still have those days when I wake up late and scramble to get everything done, those days when I forego my devotion time. And it’s no coincidence that these are also the days that everything seems to continually go wrong.

We need His power-filled words to supercharge our minds. We need this daily reminder that God is in control. We need to have this quiet time at the start of the day to connect and talk, to quietly meditate and surrender, and most importantly, to thank Him. Only then can we be led by His Spirit throughout the day.

“…He led them through the depths, as through the wilderness. He saved them from the hand of him who hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy”   ~Psalm 106:9-10

​Without this one-on-one with our Creator, we will surely go back to our old ways. Our old bad habit of trying to force life, and then feeling frustrated and angry when things don't go our way. All these angry feelings do is lead us right back to listening to Satan’s negativity by losing our faith in God.

“​They soon forgot His word; they did not wait for His counsel.”   ~Psalm 106:13

​We must be reminded every day that Almighty God loves us, that He is on our side, and most importantly that He is in control! He wants to lead us if only we would ask for His counsel and wait for His promptings. The waiting part is still my biggest shortcoming. 

And most importantly, praise! We must reach out to God with a heart of gratitude.  Only by praising Him will we receive the victory over anything. Praise brings victory! There is a summoning of power, beyond our understanding, that goes before us when we praise God in our times of need and fear. Praising God is our greatest weapon against the enemy. No matter what problem Satan throws at us, we can overcome through the power of praise. We must understand that we will triumph in Your praise!

“Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from the Gentiles, to give thanks to Your holy name, to triumph in Your praise.”   ~Psalm 106:47