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by Declan Hayes, Strategic Culture: Genghis Khan would have had General Olexsandr Syrski, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, skinned alive because of the monumental blunder that is his Kursk intrusion. Syrski, who is only a ventriloquist’s dummy for the high-heeled Zelensky and his NATO bagmen back at Ramstein, thought he was a Hannibal or a Scipio, who […]

September 3, 2024 Perfect Peace Is PossibleLYSA TERKEURST Lee en español "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you." Isaiah 26:3 (ESV) Looking to our feelings instead of Truth to steady our souls is dangerous ground. I saw a vivid depiction of this several years ago when we remodeled our house. I invited a friend over and asked for his expert opinion. But when he started staring at the ceiling with a look of grave concern, I knew something was wrong. One of the major beams had been poorly repaired and wasn’t able to provide enough support - a point proven by the sagging floor upstairs. Seeing those broken boards barely hanging on, I felt like God was giving me a glimpse of the unstable places inside of me. It was a loving admonition to stop assessing His goodness based on how my life felt at any given moment. Why? Because feelings are fragile props. Only Truth is solid, unchanging and stable. The beliefs we hold should hold us up even when life feels like it's falling apart. Which brings us to our key Bible passage for today. Isaiah 26 focuses on the strength God gives His people so they can accomplish His purposes. First, we need to know that one of the keys to understanding Isaiah 24-27 is realizing that the prophet Isaiah was looking ahead to the end of all things. Isaiah knew while things may not look good right now, God promises us His plans are good. God is moving us toward that day when death will be swallowed up and He will wipe every tear from His people's eyes (Isaiah 25:8). He has ordained our peace (Isaiah 26:12). But we aren't just promised peace in eternity. Isaiah tells us how we can experience and walk in strength and peace today: "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock" (Isaiah 26:3-4, ESV, emphasis added). The Hebrew word for the phrase "stayed on" means "to brace, uphold, support." In other words, those with minds fully braced, upheld and supported by trust in God and His Truth will be kept in perfect peace. This means an all-embracing peace. It comes from God, by the power of His indwelling Spirit, giving us the strength internally to face whatever comes our way externally. This doesn't mean that our circumstances will feel peaceful, that all our relationship troubles and hardships will suddenly get better, or that all the prayers we pray will suddenly get answered. But our minds can be steadied with God's Truth instead of overrun with thoughts of fear, anxiety and worst-case scenarios. The God who rescued David from Saul (1 Samuel 23), who split the Red Sea so the Israelites could safely pass through (Exodus 14), and who promised strength to His people through Isaiah is the same God you can trust with your life. God is always doing more than you know, working toward a good you'll one day rejoice in. Dear Lord, help me to keep sight of Your goodness in the brokenness of this world. I realize I must keep my eyes fixed on You and the Truth of Your Word. Thank You for the peace You give me. I want my security to be found in You - my unchanging, undeniably good and unquestionably loving God. In Jesus' Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS Not one of us gets to live this life unmarked by hurt. So not one of us gets to live this life without trust issues. Maybe a friend constantly lets you down. A leader or organization you respect turns out to be different than they portray themselves to be. A family member betrays you. And then you begin to wonder, If God let this happen, can He even be trusted? Lysa TerKeurst understands and wants to help you process these thoughts and feelings with her new book, I Want to Trust You, but I Don't: Moving Forward When You're Skeptical of Others, Afraid of What God Will Allow, and Doubtful of Your Own Discernment. Preorder the Proverbs 31 Ministries Exclusive Edition, and start reading today! ENGAGE Find real-life encouragement when you connect with Lysa TerKeurst here on Instagram. FOR DEEPER STUDY Psalm 29:11, "The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace" (NIV). Where in your life do you need the strength of the Lord today? Where in your life do you need the peace of the Lord today? We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments. © 2024 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post Perfect Peace Is Possible –  Encouragement for Today – September 3, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.

A Prayer for New FriendsBy Kelly Balarie Bible Reading"One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” – Proverbs 18:24 NIV Sitting on the folding chair, I leaned forward. I wanted to catch a glimpse of my son on the football field. It would be a tragedy if I missed that special moment when he triumphantly caught a long pass and victoriously scored. Still, though, in between plays, I couldn't help but get a little distracted... An article in a magazine grabbed my attention. It was about friendships. I related. The concept conveyed in this article was why we keep bad friends. It convicted me. Friends, I am guilty of keeping bad friends to feel good about me. What do I mean by this? Many times, I don't want to face feeling like a failure because the friendship didn't work out. I don't want to, down the road, feel guilty that I didn't them win them over with my love. I don't want to have regrets and then be forced to sort through all that.   Underneath it all, I suppose that I fear the future, more than the pain of the passive-aggressive, mean, or unloyal actions of the friend I'm existing with. Is this what God wants for me? Proverbs 18:24 conveys two things that are vital to acknowledge: Unreliable friends cause ruin. Wow. To endure with a bad friend causes certain ruin. This doesn't seem like a wishy-washy conclusion; it seems like I need to make a quick separation. “There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother." God has other friends for me. Reliable ones. True ones. Faithful ones. Often, we don't get rid of what is bad for us because we believe there is nothing good for us out there. We keep horrible things and miss God's great things when we don't believe and receive the second part of Proverbs 18:24. God has great relationships for us. God has friends for us who will stick closer than brothers. This is huge! God has amazing friends for us-ones who understand, ones who lead us closer to Him, ones who encourage us, and ones who stand with us during hard times. We don't have to settle for what is bad out of fear of what could happen. Sometimes, friends are for a season; sometimes, they are for a lifetime. Sometimes friends help us get through a specific trial, sometimes they walk us through life's journey. Sometimes friends are there to pray for us, sometimes we are there to pray for them. Sometimes, friends are there to prune us, and sometimes, they are there so we learn how to use our voices and to stand up. God has a purpose and a season for everything. Perhaps this is a season for you to learn how to move on to welcome new people into your life. He will give you the grace, the power, and the strength to let go and to receive the new friends He brings along your path. Let's pray: Father, give me the grace, the power, and the strength to let go of people that you are not calling me to be close with this season. At the same time, Father, I ask you to also empower me to see and to receive the new friends You have for me. Father, I want your best. Give me eyes to see rightly. Give me a heart that honors and that does not grieve your Holy Spirit. Help me to let go of the people who are not good for me. I ask you to bring to me new friends for your glory and your purpose. Give me an understanding of the purpose of our friendship so that I can walk in that.In Jesus' mighty name. Amen. Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Zorica Nastasic Kelly uplifts believers with boosts of faith; be encouraged weekly by getting Kelly's blog posts by email. Kelly, a cheerleader of faith, is a blogger, national speaker, and author of Take Every Thought Captive, Rest Now, Battle Ready, and Fear Fighting. Kelly loves seeing the power of prayer in action. She loves seeing the expression on women's faces when they realize – their God is faithful! Kelly's work has been featured on The Today Show, CBN's 700 Club, Relevant and Today's Christian Woman.  Related Resource: Remember God’s Enduring Love for You in this Guided Meditation on Psalm 100! This guided Christian meditation from Psalm 100 will help you experience and praise God for his unending love for you. Become aware of God's presence with you, and praise God for his loyal and enduring love from the beginning of time and into the future. Listen to every episode of the So Much More Podcast on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode! Now that you’ve prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below! Visit iBelieve.com for more inspiring prayer content. The post A Prayer for New Friends – Your Daily Prayer – September 3 appeared first on GodUpdates.