Hustle and Bustle

THerefore being jUStified by faiTh,

we have peace with God through our Lord JEsus Christ:

Romans 5:1 

Do you ever create your own hustle and bustle? Maybe you've added busyness to your Christmas season. Perhaps your desire to get one more gift for everyone has hurled you into a whirlwind of frenzy and you're not sure how to break free. Maybe now it will feel more like Christmas?

It's funny...well, not really...that we do this in our relationship with Christ too. We add activities, checklists, and requirements that keep our heads spinning. While designed to draw us to Him, they've only driven us into a furor of religious activity that has yet to calm our anxious hearts. 

Paul tells us in Romans that our peace with God is possible not through a strategic plan of action, but rather through our faith in His Son. Our peace doesn't come through a list of accomplishments, but instead through something that was accomplished by our Savior. 

So while you're tying that final ribbon in place, rest in the peace that passes all understanding, the peace that comes from knowing Christ, the peace that eliminates all hustle and bustle.

~Rebecca Phillips

Stand and See

Stuck between a rock and hard place. 

Caught between the devil and the deep, blue sea.

Sound familiar? Some situations in life just seem made for Hollywood: full of drama and danger.

In our Sunday School class, we've been studying about the crossing of the Red Sea. Those folks camped by the sea were just in a panic. It seems remarkable how quickly they forgot about all the wonders they had seen in Egypt. They were sure that God had forsaken them, and here's the amazing thing: They were ready to return to Egypt.  They were so hungry for security and escape from danger that they were willing to return to slavery, to back-breaking labor and oppression.

Then Moses stood before them and said, "Do not be afraid. Stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today" (Exodus 14:13).  We all know what happened next. God caused a strong east wind to blow all night long. In the morning, thousands of people, along with their flocks and herds, walked across the Red Sea bed into the promises that God had for them.

What a miracle they would have missed if they had fled back to imagined comfort and safety!  It is so tempting to want everything to just be calm and normal, to enjoy a dependable routine.  I'm as much a creature of habit as anyone, I guess.  I love a schedule and knowing what's coming next. But if we never get into those hard places, we will never see God's amazing deliverance.

I hope the coming weeks are full of joy and peace for you. But if they aren't, try the advice of Moses: Stand still and see the salvation of the LORD. Then be sure to share with the rest of us so we can rejoice with you in God's deliverance.

--Sherry Poff