Maidens of the Master - Issue 18: Peace

Peace
Volume 2 :: Issue 3 :: spring 2016
The Peace of Transparency
De ning Peace
Oh Troubled Heart, Be Still
Hey there dear readers!
3
Beautiful spring has arrived, and with it another issue of Maid- ens of the Master! We are continuing our series in the fruits of the Spirit and this issue we are discussing peace. God’s Word has much to say about peace and how we can nd it. So sit back and relax as we learn about the peace that passes all understanding - the peace that comes from Christ.
As always, please feel free to send questions and comments to [email protected]. Also, to nd out about how you can get involved in this ministry, visit our website, MaidensoftheMaster.com.
4
Blessings! ~Bethany
6


The Peace of Transparency
Written by Marit E.
Finding peace, for me, is a journey that I have been on for my entire life. Through God’s Word and my learning experiences, I have discovered two main things about peace: rst, it comes through transparency; and second, it is a gift to anyone who asks for it.
Peace is not the feeling of calm that comes when everything is perfect and under control. We do not only nd it when our lives have noth- ing wrong going on in them. If that were true, no one would ever have peace, because life will never be perfect until Jesus returns.
Rather, peace is the assurance in the midst of the hardship of life that God has everything planned and under control. It is the remem- brance that He knows what is happening to and inside us; and it is the understanding that no matter how circumstances look to us, God sees the whole picture. He has a much larger
perspective, and He is always working “for the good of those who love Him”. (Romans 8:28) Peace is trust in the midst of the storm.
First of all, I have come to understand that peace comes through transparency by sharing with God and fellow believers. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all under- standing, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Personally, I have found that when I have an is- sue weighing on my heart and mind, it is hard to focus on anything else. But when I go rst to God, then to my parents and friends, and simply tell them what is troubling me, a burden seems is lifted and I feel as light as air and wonderfully free.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marit E. is a sixteen year old Christian girl and the second eldest of six kids. She enjoys hot cups of tea, early mornings, spending time with her friends and family and walking and talking with God. Her passions are writing, cooking, speaking out for Jesus and growing into the woman God has called her to be. Her writing can be found at FindingGodsBlessings.wordpress.com/.


Love, Joy, Peace. Sometimes these sound ide- alistic, as if we were describing a perfect world. But these are fruits of the Spirit. What exactly is a fruit of the Spirit anyway?
going to be alright and there will be a future righting of wrongs.
But they will continue searching, unable to nd
De ning Peace
Written by Bethany X.
true peace. Jesus said in John 15:5, “He that abideth in
me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit.” If we are abiding in Christ, we will bear fruit. Earlier in chapter fourteen, Jesus prom- ised that His Father would “send another Com- forter, that he may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth”.
Fruit of the Spirit is evidence that we are born again, saved by the blood of God’s Son and re- generated by the Holy Spirit. It is the birthmark, so to speak, of the Christian. So this fruit is not simply an unreachable goal or unrealistic ex- pectation. Rather, it is something that should be present in the heart of every believer.
With that in mind, why is peace one of the fruits of the Spirit? The modern world de nes peace as lack of hostility, or a state of tranquility. Every- one around us is searching for peace, whether it be liberation from the effects of war, or simply the inner peace of knowing that everything is
They can’t rest in the forgiveness of their sins, because they do not want to repent of the sins they love so dearly. They can’t have peace with God because they do not want to admit that there is a God they must submit to. They can’t have peaceful relationships with their fellow man because they are sel sh and refuse to sac- ri ce anything to gain that peace.
They can’t achieve world peace because ab- sence of war does not necessarily result in lack of animosity. They can’t experience the peace that comes with trusting God, because they pre- fer to trust themselves. They can’t have peace in looking forward to heaven, because they are condemned to hell.
We were once in this wretched state. “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love where- with he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened (continued on page eight)


The foundation of the Christian’s peace everlasting; it what no time, no change can destroy. It will remain when the body di ; it will remain when the mountains depart and the hills shall be removed, and when the heavens shall be rolled together a scroll. The fountain of H comfort shall never be diminished, and the stream shall never be dried. H comfort and joy a living spring in the soul, a well of water springing up to everlasting life.
Jonathan Edwards
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God.
hebrews 12:14-15a
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 14:27


Oh Troubled Written by Life can be full of worries, anxieties, stressful sit- uations, and sometimes tragedy, and these cares and concerns often burden our soul. Howev- er, as we learn from John 14:27 (see quotes on page 5), Jesus commands us to trouble not and believe in God. Yet how often do we forget this and instead waste our time fretting over mun- dane concerns? Why do we so easily forget that God is always in control?
The twelve disciples also struggled with trust. One moment they would declare Jesus as the Son of God, and the next they were back to doubting. Jesus knew this. And He also knew that two thousand years later His followers would still be struggling with the same thing.
This is why chapter fourteen of John starts out with the encouraging exhortation to not be trou- bled and instead trust God. Jesus was trying to prepare the Twelve for the greatest test of faith they would ever face—that of watching their Rab-
bi, Teacher, and Lord betrayed by one of their own and then enduring a criminal’s death. Nev- ertheless, this exhortation also applies to us.
As Christians, we will face various tests of faith throughout our spiritual walk, and it is during these seasons that we need to remember the words of Christ, “Let not your hearts be trou- bled...” Easier said than done, right?!
Most of us like control: control of our environ- ment, our schedules, our lives. However, as re- deemed children of the one true God, we are to take the limited control we have and surrender it to the One who holds the universe together. Therefore, we should not fret because God is al- ways in control, and the times when our heart is most troubled are often the times when we are trying to take back control of our life.
Surrender is not a once in a lifetime action, it is something we must continually do. But it is so
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kristin R. is a 20-year-old homeschool alumna living in beautiful, rugged Northern California whose passion is to encourage and exhort believers of all ages in their walk with God. She also enjoys cooking, teaching music, drawing others into worship, and spending time with her par- ents and two sisters. More of her devotional writings may be found at SoIFixMyEyes.blogspot.


Heart...Be Still
Kristin R.
worth it! For the secret to peace is surrender, and the antidote to fear and anxiety is trust. And the peace God gives surpasses all understand- ing and guards our hearts and minds from the temptations of the evil one, temptations to doubt and fear which then cause our hearts to become troubled.
So I ask you, have you given God complete con- trol over your life or are you still holding on to the reins? Is Jesus—the King of kings—the King of your life? Is He sitting on the throne of your heart or are you still stubbornly perched there? Are you experiencing the peace and contentment of total surrender or are you tied up in knots with worry and anxiety?
Give God the driver’s seat in your life and trust Him to safely navigate you to where He wants you, and there you’ll nd the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. And may we be people whose trust is fully in the Lord our God, and whose heart is troubled no more.


us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:4-6)
Jesus came and “preached peace” to us (verse 17), and now we are no longer at enmity with Him. In the words of songwriter Bob Kau in, “Once Your enemy, now seated at Your table, Jesus, thank You!”
But again the question must be asked, why is peace a fruit of the Spirit? I believe the answer comes in understanding peace. There are three types of peace, one that is already ours, one that we can gain during our pilgrimage here on earth, and one that will not fully be realized un- til we are with the Lord.
The peace that has already been won for us is reconciling peace. “Therefore having been jus- ti ed by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1) We do not need to do anything to obtain this peace. It is a state of existence. While we were once alien-
ated from God, now we are at peace with Him. What a beautiful truth!
The peace that is listed in the fruit of the Spirit refers to the peace demonstrated in our daily lives. It is almost synonymous with joy. “These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have over- come the world.” (John 16:33) Take heart! Press on! Be calm, restful and serene. Jesus is in con- trol and He has already won the battle!
Finally, complete peace - perfect tranquility, unmarred by sin, sorrow, suffering and death - will not truly be ours until we are in heaven. Isaiah 55:12 describes the future eternity: “For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the eld shall clap their hands.”
Peace, joy and love is an accurate description of living in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ and in His presence for ever!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bethany X. is eighteen years old and lives in the state of Florida as a daughter and a sister of two brothers. She enjoys reading, writing, singing, sewing, playing piano and violin, rearranging hymns, memorizing Scripture, and editing Maidens of the Master.




MaidensOfTheMaster.com
Edited By: Bethany X. Proof-Read By: Deborah X.