Over the past few days and weeks, we have spent a lot of time with the people of Israel and there are a few things that I have been dwelling on I’d like to share one of them with you.

God gave them a LOT of rules, laws and statutes to follow... Being honest with you, a lot of these rules seemed pretty pointless, unnecessary and restrictive to me, but then I considered the fact that this massive group of people had no government, no justice system, no national health service and no scriptures or religious institutions.

You could say that they were a blank slate, apart from the fact that they weren’t... They had been living in slavery in Egypt and Egypt worshiped many “gods”, their governance and laws were wildly unfair (unfair is an understatement) towards the people of Israel. The people of Israel were beaten into submission and oppressed for many generations, so you can only imagine the level of anger, distrust, low self-worth and warped ideas of what was the “norm”.

This vast nation of people, needed direction and they needed boundaries, and so the laws that God gave them actually had the potential to provide security, freedom and prosperity!! We get little glimpses of this but more often we see their rebellion which didn’t do anyone any favours...

I will leave it there as I have said a lot!! But let’s allow the Holy Spirit to teach us and challenge us through this, as we may find some similarities between the people of Israel and our selves, in the way we relate to God!

Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

God has been teaching me a lot about peace recently - what it actually looks like in the day to day. It’s becoming more and more of a reality for me which I’m so grateful for and I’m recognising that it’s one of the greatest gifts we can receive from Jesus. It’s also something that, when we walk in it, immediately makes us stand out in the world. It’s powerful for us and others.

Three main things that God has been teaching me about peace are the following:

1. I can be confident in the decisions I make knowing that His grace is sufficient for me regardless of what that decision is. If we believe He is Lord, can we really ever run too far from His ways? Therefore, I can take this off my list of worries. I often become so unsettled questioning my decisions but, recently, I have been trying to make a decision and stick with it (even if it turns out to be not the best) because even in my failures and mistakes His grace and mercy will follow me all the days of my life (Psalm 23:6).

2. I can have confidence that, as long as I am submitted to Him, I will become more like Christ. He is doing a work in me that WILL come to completion. Another anxiety I can remove from my thoughts. (Philippians 1:6 & Psalm 139)

3. Jesus is the Prince of peace which means I can continually raise my expectations of what peace looks like. If I’m not sure if something gives me peace, it probably isn’t peace. His peace is so divine and so richly beautiful, I should never doubt when I have encountered it. Another anxiety I can remove from my thoughts.

Here is a little video of Bishop TD Jakes speaking on peace, I hope it encourages you as much as it has me - https://youtu.be/wMvtX_2nmw0

Another, slightly longer video, is by Bill Johnson. Also a great Word- highly recommended.

https://youtu.be/k7qlPG1aRC4

Blessings,

Lydia x

I read this Kris Valloton post this morning and it encouraged me that despite all the challenges of life, whether the worry of world events or the pressure of situations closer to home, the best thing is still to keep pursuing God through reading the bible. He said this: "Have you ever opened your Bible hungry for an encounter with the Lord, but uncertain where to start? Instead of receiving fresh revelation, you felt restless or resentful that the words on the page didn’t leap out and speak directly to your heart?

I’d like to propose, reading Scripture is so much more than a check off a holy to-do list or for a 30-minute set aside quiet time. It’s an opportunity to encounter the living Word of God.

Scripture is a place to discover and learn, to allow Truth to take root in your soul, and become your guide to life.

Some days won’t be filled with an exhilarating encounter or enlightening experience, but it doesn’t mean something is wrong.

I want to challenge you to learn the discipline of approaching Scripture no matter what you receive in return. We must not approach the Word of God to simply receive something, but allow ourselves to be with the Word of God. Scripture helps filter out the noise and bring Truth and Kingdom perspective to every complex situation we face.

Ask yourself, how can you approach Scripture this week? When can you set aside time to simply sit and be with the Word of God?

So today we read about Mary and Joseph having lost Jesus as a boy for three whole days!

I can only imagine the emotions that were running through them until they eventually found him in the temple Court in Jerusalem listening to the teachers and asking questions.

I imagine myself in that situation, and feel it must have been a massive reminder/wake up call for Jesus's parents of who's son He really was and their role and purpose in this world.

I think sometimes we have these 'wake up' moments in our lives where we've been cracking on with life and then suddenly something happens where we're reminded of who God is, His purpose and desires for our lives.

I'm sure Mary and Joseph hadn't forgotten who Jesus was and how Jesus was brought into the world, but sometimes life can get in the way.... Shift our focus and be quite distracting.

Let's remember every day who Jesus is, all He has done for us, and all He continues to do for us.