Discovering Peace, Healing, Peace, Words of Endurance

What Can We Do to Seek Peace?



“…seek peace and pursue it.”
PSALM 34:14



Trust God – The Scriptures assure us that those who trust God will have peace.



You will keep in perfect peace
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust in you.
ISAIAH 26:3



Obey God – Peace is a by-product of obedience.



Strive for full restoration, encourage one another,
be of one mind, live in peace.
And the God of love and peace will be with you.
2 CORINTHIANS 13:11



Depend on God – We can’t possibly walk with God – much less obey Him – in our own strength or by our own efforts. Jesus said …



“Apart from me you can do nothing.”
JOHN 15:5



Jesus Himself relied on God during His earthly ministry. If Jesus had to rely on God – how can we do less? Jesus said …



“I do nothing on my own”
JOHN 8:28



Learn About God – As we spend time in the Scriptures we learn more about God and His character. That knowledge not only helps us better understand God, it will produce peace.



Great peace have those who love your law,
and nothing can make them stumble.
PSALM 119:165



Walk in Godly Wisdom – God wants us to walk in His wisdom. He instructs us to ask Him for wisdom and promises to give it to us when we do.



If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you.
JAMES 1:5 (NLT)



Peace is a result of walking in Godly wisdom.



Blessed are those who find wisdom,
those who gain understanding,
Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.
PROVERBS 3:13,17



Make Peace a Priority – God wants us to pursue peace in all our relationships with others. When peace is our goal we are less likely to do things that cause dissension and disrupt our peace.



If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
ROMANS 12:18



Hand Our Concerns to God – Presenting our concerns to God is a prerequisite to receiving His Peace.



Do not be anxious about anything,
but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7



Abide with God – When we consciously decide moment by moment to invite God into our thoughts – when look expectantly for His presence regardless of our circumstances – when we talk to Him heart to heart throughout the day – when we trust He is with us even when we don’t feel His presence – we are “abiding” with God. Jesus promised to give His peace when we abide in Him. Jesus said …



“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.”
JOHN 16:33



On the journey with you,
Dave & Jan Dravecky

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Discovering Peace, Peace, Words of Endurance

Peter, suddenly bold, said,
“Master, if it’s really you, call me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come ahead.”
Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus.
But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet,
he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, “Master, save me!”
Jesus didn’t hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand.
MATTHEW 14:24-31 (THE MESSAGE)



The story of Jesus walking on the stormy waters of the Sea of Galilee and calling Peter toward Him is one of Jesus’ best-known miracles. It is a powerful image and it represents so vividly the choice we have when we face the storms of life.



I’ve spent my fair share of time sinking beneath the storms of life. At one time I thought it was impossible to have peace in the midst of a storm. But like Peter, I’ve learned that I don’t have to succumb to the storms of life. I have learned that I can be at peace even in the midst of the most terrible storm. I can be at peace because I can safely place my hope in Jesus my savior, who is greater than any storm and He is faithful.



But I am no spiritual giant – my peace ebbs and flows. Just because I can choose to focus on Jesus does not mean I always make that choice initially. To be honest, I hate surprises. I like to be prepared. So when a storm hits and I am blindsided – it initially throws me for a loop. When the shock wave hits me – I worry – I am afraid – I get angry – then I feel guilty. I experience a whole list of peace busters. But I have learned that I don’t have to stay there and continue to sink. I can choose to change my focus from the storm to my Savior.



The Scriptures say we are going to have troubles in life (John 16:33) but they also give promises related to those troubles. So when I am sinking into despair the first thing I do is choose to remember the promises of God. I go through the mental exercise of remembering God’s promises. I recall DEUTERONOMY 31:8.



“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you.
He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”



I read ISAIAH 43:1-3 so that I can be reminded that I am not alone in the storm because God promises to walk beside us through our trials.



“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.
For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”



The words of PHILIPPIANS 1:6 assure me that God will not abandon me and that He will continue to work in me.



And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you,
will continue his work until it is finally finished
on the day when Christ Jesus returns.



And when I feel weak and vulnerable I focus my thoughts on JOHN 10:27-29 and know that nothing and no one can snatch me from His hand. He is holding me.



My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.
No one can snatch them away from me,
for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else.
No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.



Those promises are the first things I call to mind. They remind me of what is true about God and my relationship with Him. Next – I remember past storms and what I have experienced in my walk with God – His faithfulness to me.



As I recall the “monuments of God’s faithfulness”, I can see that some of the biggest storms of my life – storms I never would have chosen – have turned out to be the biggest blessing in my life. By focusing on these “monuments” I am reminded that any challenge that I may face – no matter how difficult or painful – it is not the end of the story.



When I start focusing on God rather than on the current storm – no matter how bad it is – an amazing peace overcomes me and I am able to walk through the storm. This does not mean my situation improves or my pain goes away. It simply means I have peace in the midst of the storm. I have peace because I have hope. I have hope because God is trustworthy. I can trust His promises. I know He will be faithful to do what He says He will do.



We are imperfect human beings. For those who call themselves Christians – learning to focus on God and give Him control is our lifelong pursuit. Peace is an overflow – a byproduct of our relationship with Him. It is available to the weakest of us in the midst of any storm. We can be assured …



The faithful love of the LORD never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!”
LAMENTATIONS 3:22-24 (NLT)



On the journey with you,
Jan Dravecky

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Anxiety, Discovering Peace, Peace, Words of Endurance

*Divine Disconnection – God is the source of Peace, so when I don’t have a relationship with Him – when I don’t spend time with Him through prayer, worship, meditation or experience Him through Scripture – I’ve unplugged myself from the source of peace.



You will keep in perfect peace
all who trust in you,
all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
ISAIAH 26:3 (NLT)



*Wrong Reliance – When I trust in my own ability, in my own strength to overcome or deal with my problems more that I trust God with my situation – I won’t experience peace or God’s blessing.



This is what the LORD says:
“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans,
who rely on human strength
and turn their hearts away from the LORD.
They are like stunted shrubs in the desert,
with no hope for the future.
They will live in the barren wilderness,
in an uninhabited salty land.”
JEREMIAH 17:5-6 (NLT)



*Worry-Warting – When Peter bailed out of the boat to be with Jesus (Matthew 14:24-32), he walked on water just fine until he focused on the waves around him. As soon as he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the surrounding storm, he sank like a rock. When my focus is on my surrounding circumstances, worry takes over and my peace will sink out of sight too.



Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Then you will experience God’s peace,
which exceeds anything we can understand.
His peace will guard your hearts
and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7



*Consuming Conflicts – Human relationships are important to God. Jesus told us to treat to others the way we want to be treated (Matthew 7:12) and to resolve our conflicts with others before we pray or offer service to God (Matthew t:23-24). When we have unresolved conflict in our relationships – our relationship with God suffers – which disconnects us from our source of peace.



Work at living in peace with everyone …
HEBREWS 12:14 (NLT)



*Refusal to Release – God promises His peace to those who present their requests to Him. When I don’t hand my problems over to God, He can’t hand His peace offer to me.



I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people.
Ask God to help them;
intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.
Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority
so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives
marked by godliness and dignity.
1 TIMOTHY 2:1-2 (NLT)



*Borderline Behavior – Righteousness or right behavior produces peace. The two are inseparable. When I mess up – hurt someone – or do something I know is wrong – my peace evaporates like water in the desert.



Oh, that you had listened to my commands!
Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river
and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.
ISAIAH 48:18 (NLT)



*Detrimental Direction – God’s peace is supposed to “rule” in my heart. When His peace disappears – it is like a warning light telling me something is wrong. I may be heading in a wrong direction or considering a detrimental course of action.



And let the peace that comes from Christ
rule in your hearts.
For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.
And always be thankful.
COLOSSIANS 3:15 (NLT)



On the journey with you,
Dave Dravecky

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Discovering Peace, Peace, Words of Endurance

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart.
And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.
So don’t be troubled or afraid.
JOHN 14:27 (NLT)



As strange as it may sound, I was at peace when I was wheeled into the operating room for the amputation of my left arm. During the previous months, my arm had become more than a nuisance to me. Three surgeries had removed much of my upper arm. I was fighting a staph infection that had left three open, draining holes in my upper arm. It hurt and I could hardly use it. With all the physical complications, I was at peace with becoming an amputee.



I wasn’t fooling myself by thinking this was going to be a breeze – not at all. I knew that when the arm was completely gone I would have a whole new set of problems. But at the same time, I had deep-rooted peace because I knew that God was in control. I also knew He would give me the strength to get through whatever lay ahead. I was ready to move forward with my life.



BUT … Despite the fact that I was at peace with God and I was at peace with losing my arm, I was not prepared for what I was about to face. It was one thing to face the physical challenges – I knew it would be hard but I was certain I could handle that. But I had no idea of the emotional impact of being an amputee – no longer being a “whole” person – would have on me.



In some respects, the peace I had was shattered. It was as if someone had taken a beautiful piece of pottery and smashed it into pieces. The amputation shattered the peace of who I was. I had to look myself in the mirror and face myself. It wasn’t a pretty picture – I didn’t like what I saw. The amputation forced me to search and struggle to find out who I truly was.



But as I struggled, God took me – like a broken pot – and started putting the pieces back together. He redefined me – showing my heart who I was in His eyes – not who I was in my eyes or the eyes of others. As a result, I began to experience an even deeper peace than I had known before.



That peace did not come without frustration. It did not come without pain – emotional and physical. In fact it came as a result of brokenness. It came through the Refiner’s Fire.



When the heat is on – when we’re feeling the pressure of suffering – we have a choice to seek God or to fight Him. I did some of both. I did my share of whining and complaining. I clawed and scratched my way through it but I eventually faced the “big question.” It wasn’t about whether or not I was a baseball player. It wasn’t even about the uncertainty of what lay ahead on my life’s journey. The question was between God and me. It was about whether or not I would trust God in the midst of the uncertainty of life.



I walked out of that experience saying “Yes! God can be trusted. I can trust God for the strength to live life regardless of what it throws my way. Not only that, I can even trust Him for the ability to experience joy along the way!”



Discovering that I can truly trust God has given me a great sense of peace. That peace is not dependent on anything that happens in this life – not even on whether I survive. That peace rests in God and the promise He has made that I will spend eternity in heaven with Him. The real peace that is in Dave Dravecky is the hope of heaven, a hope made possibly by what Jesus endured on the cross for my sake. And nothing – nor anyone can ever take that hope away from me.



If we are called upon to suffer,
we may be perfectly sure that we shall be rewarded
for every pain and blessed for every tear.
Underneath will be the Everlasting Arms and
within will be the deep assurance that all is well with our souls.
Nothing can separate us from the love of God –
not death, nor life, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature.
A.W. TOZER



On the journey with you,
Dave Dravecky

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