This guest blog is brought to you by four of the greatest gifts in my life – my kids! Psalm 8:2 says, “You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you.” They each had a word to start with, and chose some verses to encourage you with. We pray you are built up and strengthened as you read! And that you receive these gifts from the Father today – joy, love, peace and hope.

JOY

Matthew 6:10 says “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.”

I chose this verse because it talks about Heaven, and God lives in Heaven. God has joy and He wants us to have joy. We pray for joy to come to us.

“The ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” – Isaiah 51:11

“You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” – Isaiah 55:12

~ Ava

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LOVE

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

I think these verses mean Love is one of the greatest things you could ever receive. It also does not partner with sin and evil. Love is better than sin.

~ Jackson

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PEACE

“Peace Be With You”

Webster’s definition of the word peace is “a state of tranquility or quiet.” They are basically saying that peace is quiet. This isn’t totally wrong, but here is the Greek definition of peace that I believe is more accurate: “the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and content with its earthly lot, of whatever sort that is.”

The Greeks thought that peace (they called it ‘eirēnē’) went much deeper than something you feel. Peace is the state that your soul is in when you feel peace. You are certain of your salvation in Christ, and you have no worries of your life at the moment. Did you know that peace is a gift from our Heavenly Father?

In John 14:27, Jesus says to his followers, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” When Jesus’s life as a human on earth was about to end, He promised peace to those that believed in Him. When we believe in Jesus Christ, the gift of peace enters us, as well as many other gifts that Jesus promised us, such as His Holy Spirit. Jesus loves each and every one of us, and He cares about us, which is why He sent the gift of peace to us.

Even better, we don’t have to earn the gift of peace. We don’t have to fight for it; we don’t have to do anything, we just need to receive it! When you believe that Jesus died for you, that He loves you with a never-ending, never-failing, never-giving up love, you receive His peace. It’s a gift from the Creator of the world! It’s free. God gave this gift because first of all, He loves us, and secondly, He knows that we need it.

When you receive the gift of peace from God, He doesn’t want you to just hold on to that. No, instead, He wants us to give it to others. He wants us to share the gift with others. And if people keep sharing the gift of peace that you shared with them, soon the whole world will have the peace of God! When you see situations in your life that need peace, that is when you need to give the gift of peace to others. Be a peacemaker.

In Matthew 5:9, Jesus tells his disciples and those that were following Him, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Not only will we be called children of the Most High God, but we will bring many more people to heaven with us! It is an honor to please God, and spreading His peace is one way to make Him proud of His special creation. When we spread the peace of God to others, we find the favor of God. With the peace of God, we don’t need to be afraid. In fact, when we believe in Jesus Christ, He will care for us and cover us with His wings. Psalm 91:4 talks about this concept: “He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

Throughout the Bible, it talks about how God is the Prince of Peace. He is peace. No matter what happens in life, He will comfort you and provide you with His peace. Peace is not just the absence of trouble or fighting. It is a gift from God.

Finally, I will give you this verse to think about. Philippians 4:7 says “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” The peace of God will protect you in Jesus’ mighty name.

~ Laci

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HOPE

Psalm 42:5 says “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” I chose this verse because God wants us to have lots of hope for the future and leave it to Him. Like if you’re running low on something, you can pray to God and choose hope; He will provide it for you.

~ Elijah