“CHANGES”

MeMaw Thoughts
Number 414
February 19, 2019///

Changes! There are constant changes all around us. Some are good and some are to advance darkness in this world. But change is inevitable.

And then there are changes that irritate us because it shakes up the way things always work.

I spend a lot of time on my home office computer and the computer at church. My experience has been that updates in programs and replacing a computer is just a pain. No matter that you get the update done after some frustrating times or you finally get the vital things transferred to the new machine, you realize things are not the same or some features are not working correctly.

Now I am all for changes for the better, but in the computer world I find that I just want things to work like they always work. Why change something that is working great.

My home computer kept prompting me to allow some windows updates and I finally hit the ok button. Thus began a long series of updates with the screen telling me not to shut the computer down, etc.

After doing other things for a while, the window updates were finally finished. The first thing I noticed was that my screen background, which is a picture of my entire immediate family was gone. Then I noticed other things that were different or changed. I experienced a level of frustration that was not necessary as I made the statement:

I just hate updates to the computer!!

Before that, a week or so ago, we had to update the church computer program that we keep the church financials in and of course the update would not load, and we had to contact the support people and get the link, etc. We finally were updated and then began to discover problems (bugs) and changes that we did not like.

Again, frustration! But what I found in both cases is that there are some changes that are good and after talking to the programmer of the software we use at church found there was a shortcut around the most frustrating change, and they fixed the bugs.

Why am I telling you this? Two reasons! First, the devil knows what buttons to push to cause you to lose your peace and secondly the Heavenly Father can show you how the changes in your life are good and He can fix the bugs that come with the changes in your life.

Regarding the first reason the Word of the Living God tells us:

1 Peter 5:8 (KJV)
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

The enemy of your soul wants to destroy your peace and knows just what will cause you frustration. And as you lose your Peace, your frustration grows. So, we must guard our peace and begin to praise God instead of getting frustrated.

The second point is that when we keep our hearts and minds centered on the Lord Jesus, He has promised Peace will reign in our heart!

Colossians 3:15 (KJV)
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Philippians 4:7 (KJV)                                                                                                                                                                         And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

John 14:27 (KJV)
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

As we let the Peace of God reign in our lives we are changed to be more and more like Jesus.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (KJV)
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

We can walk in the assurance that the one thing that will never change is the Love of God!

Malachi 3:6a (KJV)
For I am the LORD, I change not;

What steals your Peace? Ask the Father God, the giver of Peace to keep you in perfect Peace when the peace stealer works to rob you of that Peace.

I have learned in all my computer changes that if I just keep praising the one who is my Rock and my Salvation, the frustration flees. Because you see, the only power that evil has over us is what we allow. Think on the good things and embrace Peace.
________________________
Father, thank you for your Peace. Thank you for your reminder that Praise brings Peace and causes frustration to flee. May we bask in your Love and the knowledge that you will never change, and you will never leave us. I ask this in the name that is above all names, the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Amen

Love, MeMaw