Apples of Gold
Radio Script for December 15, 2008
“Don’t Be a Stressed Out Peacemaker”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
Have you ever seen Star Trek, where someone gets “beamed up?”
They go in the transporter room and stand on this circle of light, and over their head is a big tube. I guess some kind of rays come down on them and the next thing you know they are on the planet Argelius.
Now picture them standing there on that circle, and this shaft of light coming down over them. Can you picture that?
That is the picture I see when I think of coming into the presence of God.
It’s not that God is the “old man” sitting way up there on a throne, far away. It’s more like He is Light and Spirit. He’s not separate. Instead, He is actually both around me and in me. He is coursing through me.
I love the idea of standing in that shaft of light, the light of God’s presence. It is there that I receive all I need, all my strength and peace and hope.
This enables me to deal with other people because I’m not counting on getting something from them. I don’t need to receive from them because I am receiving what I need from God.
I’m not saying I’m the Lone Wolf. We all need each other, and that’s the way God designed it. We are all parts of the body of Christ.
What I’m talking about is the inner needs of my soul; things like peace and joy and love. I am not counting on people to provide these. These come from God alone.
The holidays provide many occasions for stress. People can stomp on your peace in an infinite number of ways.
When you throw a bunch of family members together, opportunities are ripe for turmoil. You picture Currier and Ives but end up with cursing and hives
And I know, I know. You’re the peacemaker. You are the one who wants everything to work out, for everyone to be fine with everyone else. Why can’t everyone just get along?
Maybe you’re feeling it right now, that gnawing in your gut that comes from stressing over how to keep the peace.
Let me tell you, it’s hard to keep the peace when the peacemaker is stressed out!
Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers…” but how can you be a peacemaker when your own soul feels like a Cat. 5 hurricane?
I think the key is letting the Lord into the inner sanctum of your soul and keeping everyone else out.
In that Star Trek transmitter room, no person has access to the insides of those men. But that shaft of light courses through every fiber of their being.
That’s the way I picture God. When I come into His presence, He is a shaft of light that surrounds me and courses through me. And He brings great peace to my inner being.
You have probably felt His peace. It’s like total rest and satisfaction, like achieving a perfect balance.
But then someone comes along and slams the balance. Your peace flies out the window and you go from harmony to hatred in .3 seconds.
So how can you keep the harmony, even when someone is desperately trying to slap it out of you?
The key is to stay in the shaft of light, to stay in the presence of the Lord and keep receiving from Him. And the great thing is, we have the Holy Spirit inside of us to help us do that.
In that shaft of light I am constantly receiving from God – and that includes His peace.
First John 3:19 says our hearts find rest in His presence.
Psalm 89:15 talks about walking in the light of His presence.
How can we do that?
One way is to keep our minds steadfast on the Lord.
I like what Isaiah 26:3 says, especially in the King James Version: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee…”
And then it adds this little phrase, “…because he trusteth in Thee.”
So we put our trust in the Lord. We trust Him to provide for us, including a great peace for our souls. We keep our minds on Him and stay in that shaft of light, which is His presence. And we receive from Him and Him only – we don’t let anyone else shovel their stuff into our inner man.
This gives us the peace we need. And then we can actually be the peacemakers Jesus wants us to be.
So don’t be a stressed out peacemaker this holiday season!
Instead, fill up with God’s peace by staying in the light of His presence.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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