Noise Pollution

S top for a moment and just listen. What do you hear?

Maybe the neighbor’s lawnmower . . . the barking dog
a few houses down . . . a clock ticking . . . the cars on the
street.
Now stop for a moment and just listen to the noise
inside. What is keeping your heart from being quiet and at
peace? Most likely, it’s many things, because although we
long for peace, real life intrudes.
A call from the doctor
A note from the teacher about a child’s behavior
A lost job and a pile of bills
Real life does not foster internal peace!
In the last major conversation Jesus had with His clos-
est friends, He spoke about peace—but not as we might
have expected Him to. When I read Jesus saying, “I’ve told
you all this so that you may have peace” (John 16:33), my

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 first question is All what? If I didn’t look back to John 15 to see what
Jesus had been saying, I’d guess that keys to peace would be some-
thing along these lines:
“You’re going to live to a ripe old age.”
“Your children will rise up and call you blessed—even when they
hit fifteen.”
“You will always have enough money for all you need and most of
what you want.”
“You will hear the Lord tell you ‘Well done’ after a lifetime of
faithfulness.”
Sounds good, right? But not one of these things was included in
the strangest “peace speech” I’ve ever read. Turn to John 15 and you’ll
see that Jesus told His closest friends that they would be persecuted
and no longer welcome in places they used to go. Go to John 16:2 and
you’ll find these devastating words: “You will be expelled from the
synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will
think they are doing a holy service for God.”
Clearly the peace Jesus spoke about is not what we think of at all.
He was saying to His disciples—and to you and me today—“It’s going
to get rough down here, but don’t worry. I am with you. I will never
leave you. And I am your peace.”
No matter what is going on in your life, stop for a moment and

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 speak His name out loud: “Jesus . . . Jesus . . . Jesus.” Know that He
is with you and that He is for you even when the storm is raging all
around.

Peace is not the absence of trouble;

it is the presence of Christ.

Five Minutes in the Word

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind

and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world
cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
John 14:27

Those who love your instructions have

great peace and do not stumble.
Psalm 119:165

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 “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in
me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.
But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you

alone, O LORD, will keep me safe.
Psalm 4:8

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government

will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of
Peace. His government and its peace will never end.
Isaiah 9:6–7

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 As a Mother
Comforts Her Child

I t seemed to sneak up on me overnight. One moment

Christian was a little boy who needed his mom for so
much, and the next he was off to college—independent,
confident, and strong.
One morning I sat in my favorite chair with a cup of
tea, looking through old family photo albums and remem-
bering some of my favorite moments from his childhood.
There was the Alaska trip when Christian was nine years
old. Part of our trip package included dogsledding. The
chief “musher” asked Christian if he would like to direct
the sled. When Christian looked at me, I said, “Go for it!
You can do it. If you fall, I’ll be right there.”
I must have said that a hundred times as he was grow-
ing up: “If you fall, I’ll be right there!” Now I say a variation
of it in my prayers for him, thanking God that if Christian
falls, his heavenly Father will be right there.

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 We can find great comfort in thinking of God as our Father. But
did you know that when God wanted to describe how He comforts
His children, God compared Himself to a mother?
In the book of Isaiah, God had some difficult things to say to
His children, the Israelites. Despite His loving care of them, they
had stubbornly rejected Him over and over again. He had sent His
messengers, the prophets, to call His children back to Him, but they
didn’t listen. Finally, the time came when the Lord decided to let His
children have their own way.
But the Israelites had forgotten something important: the same
God they were rejecting was the One protecting them. He warned
the Israelites that when He removed His protection, their ene-
mies would sweep in and take them into captivity. It was terrifying,
heartbreaking news—and God knew it. He couldn’t bear to deliver
it without comforting His children, and when He did, He used this
imagery: “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you”
(Isaiah 66:13).
One of the most precious blessings of taking time to replenish
our souls in God’s presence is the tender comfort He offers us when
we are hurting. It is so easy to run to a thousand other places when
our hearts are wounded, but our compassionate God wants us to
come to Him. He wants us to trust Him with our wounded hearts.
Will you allow Him to comfort you today?
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 If you fall, He’ll be right there!

Five Minutes in the Word

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

Isaiah 40:1

You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!”
Isaiah 40:9

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and
carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.
Isaiah 40:11

Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way
is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God”? Do
you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting
God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired
or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
Isaiah 40:27–28

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 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the
weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men
stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew
their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will
run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:29–31

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 Knowing Where to Look

I am not a natural athlete. To be more accurate, I am not

any kind of athlete. And that became uncomfortably
clear the first time I went skiing with my family.
Although Christian was only ten, he took to it imme-
diately. I, however, spent the first two days on the bunny
slopes—and I would have happily stayed there the whole
week if my pesky instructor hadn’t insisted that I was
ready to move up.
Now I had imagined that the ski lift would be like an
elevator: it would stop, the door would open, and I’d have
a good ten minutes to get on. Not even close! It was a con-
tinuously moving row of seats that didn’t stop—the lift
barely slowed down—and I had to shuffle like a geriatric
wiener dog to line up and then sit down. All I could hear in
the background was my son calling out, “Mom, don’t look
down!”
Peter could have used such advice.

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 Matthew 14 tells us about a truly terrifying moment for the dis-
ciples when they looked up from their wind-buffeted boat in the dark
of night to see a figure gliding across the water toward them. They
thought it was a ghost! Scripture tells us they “cried out in fear” (v.
26). Jesus quickly identified Himself (the disciples were not seeing a
ghost!) and let them know they were safe. When Peter heard this, he
made a remarkable request: “Lord, if it is you, command me to come
to you on the water” (v. 28). Jesus simply responded, “Come” (v. 29).
Peter gingerly slipped over the side of the boat and lowered his
foot to the raging sea. It held firm! Then he looked toward Jesus and,
step by wondrous step, began making his way toward the Savior.
If only Peter had kept his eyes on Jesus! Instead, the fierce wind
caught his attention, and as his gaze shifted from Jesus to the tem-
pest that raged around him, Peter began sinking. In his terror, he
cried out for Jesus to save him—and Jesus “immediately reached out
his hand and took hold of him” (v. 31).
We are guaranteed moments in this life when the winds of adver-
sity rise, when our boat seems way too small for so vast an ocean, and
when we can’t bail water fast enough to stay afloat. We gaze into the
fearsome storm that rages all around us and realize we can’t navigate
it on our own.
In such moments, what can save the child of God? What will

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 bring her peace? Peace comes when we remember whom to call and
where to look.
Is a storm raging in your life today? Don’t look down. Instead,
keep your eyes on Jesus.

When the storm is the fiercest,

fix your gaze on Christ alone.

Five Minutes in the Word

My eyes are toward you, O GOD, my Lord; in you
I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!
Psalm 141:8

Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let

us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for
the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the
shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1–2

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 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace
I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
John 14:27 nlt

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in
me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.
But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 nlt

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are
mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through
the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire
you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”
Isaiah 43:1–2

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 Choose Joy

W hat are your first thoughts in the morning?

Coffee!
A desperate wish for a little more sleep
Anxiety about your job
Worries for your family and friends
I can relate to all of these!
But I have learned a valuable secret: I have the power
to stop those dark thoughts right in their tracks and choose
joy instead. For me, the first step in this transformation is
to turn my worry into gratitude.
I thank God for the bed I slept in and the roof over
my head.
I thank Him that, in His faithfulness, He awakened
me to a new day and has given me a fresh start.
I thank Him for my calling and the ways He uses it to
grow me and provide for me.

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 I tell my heavenly Father how much I appreciate His
promise to faithfully care for those I love.
We aren’t able to control our circumstances or the
difficulties each day brings, but as children of God we
have great power to choose joy by focusing on the ways God
blesses us.
Author Henri Nouwen warned us that “it is an ongoing
temptation to think of ourselves as living under a curse. . . .
Jesus came to bless us, not to curse us. But we must choose
to receive that blessing and hand it on to others.”1
And choosing joy in our lives is actually God’s will for
us, His children. He speaks very clearly through Paul in
1 Thessalonians 5:16–18: “Rejoice always, pray continually,
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for
you in Christ Jesus.”
Ready to give it a try? Open your eyes to greet the new
day and throw the doors of your heart open to joy by mak-
ing a deliberate choice to embrace all the blessings God
has lavished upon your life. Pour out your thanks to Him
for each of His gifts, big and small, before you even put
your feet on the floor.

5 Minutes with Jesus Joy_4P.indd 8 4/11/16 9:59 AM

 There is power in your praise!

Five Minutes in the Word

Let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread
your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.
For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield.
Psalm 5:11–12 ESV

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give
thanks to him; bless his name! For the LORD is good; his steadfast
love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
Psalm 100:4–5 ESV

LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength

every morning, our salvation in time of distress.
Isaiah 33:2

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my
trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.
Psalm 143:8

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Habakkuk 3:18

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 Real Rest

W hen is the last time you felt rested? I don’t mean the
time you managed to get to bed before midnight. I
mean really rested.
We don’t live in a culture conducive to rest. Even in the
church we can end up being overcommitted because we
say yes too often. After all, it’s easier to say no to attend-
ing a neighborhood party than to signing up for a Bible
study. If something sounds spiritual, we too easily think
we should line up behind everyone else and take a ticket.
But being busy for God and knowing God are two different
things. And often they don’t fit together well.
One day when Jesus addressed a crowd, He spoke right
to their bone-deep weariness: “Come to me, all of you who
are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you
rest” (Matthew 11:28). He wasn’t speaking about the kind
of tiredness you and I feel at the end of a good day’s work,

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 when we just want to sink into a chair and not move until Christmas.
No, Jesus was speaking to those who were worn out trying to do the
right thing to please God and earn their salvation. Remember, this
was before the Crucifixion and the resurrection, so if you were a
God-fearing Jew listening to Jesus that day, you still woke up every
morning under the burden of 613 laws. We know the Big 10, the
commandments God gave Moses on Mount Sinai, but there were 603
more for the Jewish people to follow. Add to that weight the reality
that the religious leaders of the day did nothing to ease the people’s
burden. Jesus spoke directly to that fact:

The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official
interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they
tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what
they teach. They crush people with unbearable religious demands
and never lift a finger to ease the burden. (Matthew 23:2–4)

Jesus loves you. That’s the whole sentence. There’s no if tacked on

at the end. It stands alone. Jesus loves you and me just as we are right
now. Despite the countless shades of light and dark that live inside
us, we are loved completely by God. Hard to take in, isn’t it?
That kind of love doesn’t exist apart from God.

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 That kind of love is hard to grasp when we’re busy running from
one activity to another.
That kind of love calls us to rest—really rest—in the presence of
the One who made us, who knows us, who loves us.

Real rest comes with knowing the grace of our

salvation in Jesus. We don’t have to earn it.

Five Minutes in the Word

Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and
carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke
upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and
gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my
yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Matthew 11:28–30

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 I said to myself, “Relax and rest. GOD has showered you with
blessings. Soul, you’ve been rescued from death; Eye, you’ve been
rescued from tears; and you, Foot, were kept from stumbling.”
Psalm 116:7–8 MSG

The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He

lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside
peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides
me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.
Psalm 23:1–3

I see that the Lord is always with me. I will not

be shaken, for he is right beside me.
No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue
shouts his praises! My body rests in hope.
Acts 2:25–26

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will

find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 91:1

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