For some reason the Holy Spirit whispered a couple of words into my heart last week: "peace and patience." So I meditated on them for a time and then decided that I would just begin asking God daily to give me peace and patience. Well, yesterday morning another word was added to the two: perseverance. OK, so by now I’m seeing a theme here. It’s no coincidence that I had been praying about how to handle several things in my life that were proving to be a challenge.  I believe they can be the triumphant trio for many. I got out my I-phone and typed these words into the dictionary app.  Peace can be defined as "freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, an obsession. etc". Patience can be defined as "the ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with provocation, misfortune, or pain." Perseverance is defined as "steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement." Wow, do we all need a heavy dose of these?! I sure do right now…….and each and every day!

If we allowed it, there are many potential doors of opportunity for discouragement to rear its ugly head (just in our daily lives alone) I won’t even begin to elaborate on the general need for more patience. This world we live in is enough to stress the patience of even the most long-suffering. Peace: even the mere sound of the word makes us want to let out a big sigh of relief. Sometimes all we can manage to do is to cry out to God for peace.

The word "peace" is mentioned in over 400 verses in the King James version of the Bible. Obviously a very sought after and talked about subject since the dawn of trials and trouble. God always seem to give this peace at the very crucial moment of need. In other words, He’s always on perfect time when handing out what we need spiritually. We just need to be always ready to accept and receive….but don’t forget to ask to begin with……so many times we get caught up in the moment, we allow our minds to become bogged down, discouraged, frazzled and hopeless when God’s peace was just a breath away.

Romans 5:3-5  "And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.  Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

Galatians 5:22, 23  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  Against such there is no law."

2 Peter 1:5-10  "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.  For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.  Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble."

2 Thessalonians 3:5  "Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ."

1 Timothy 6:11b  "Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness."

James 1:2-4  "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."