August 19th, 2025
The Upward Look, by Jon Forrest
RIP
A four-year-old and a six-year-old presented their mom with a houseplant.
They had used their own money to buy it and she was thrilled.
The older of them said with a sad face, "There was a bouquet at the flower shop that we wanted to give you. It was real pretty but it was too expensive. It had a ribbon on it that said ‘Rest in Peace,’ and we thought it would be just perfect since you are always asking for a little peace so that you can rest.
When someone dies, we often use the initials RIP in describing our hope for that individual, meaning Rest in Peace. It is true that all who follow Christ will rest in peace when they die and go to be with God. We all look forward to that perfect time in heaven where we will be able to rest and have perfect peace. However, The Scriptures tell us that Peace and Rest are not limited to after death. The fact is that Jesus came to give us the peace that passes all understanding that Paul wrote about in Philippians 4:7 that will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
We don’t have to wait to die in order to rest in peace. God gives us rest from our labors of trying to prove to God we are worth being saved. He gives us peace when the storms of life beat against us because we know God won’t let the ships of our lives go down to ruins. Instead, he gives us peace to know his presence and power to rescue us no matter what tries to destroy us.
The world is in panic. If you want to overcome the panic, rest in the God of peace who will keep us in his strong and powerful arms.
I look forward to expanding on this with you Sunday as we look at Peace, based on Mark 4:35-41. Bring yourself and everyone you know who could use a little peace in the midst of the storms of life.
Peacefully,
Jon
RIP
A four-year-old and a six-year-old presented their mom with a houseplant.
They had used their own money to buy it and she was thrilled.
The older of them said with a sad face, "There was a bouquet at the flower shop that we wanted to give you. It was real pretty but it was too expensive. It had a ribbon on it that said ‘Rest in Peace,’ and we thought it would be just perfect since you are always asking for a little peace so that you can rest.
When someone dies, we often use the initials RIP in describing our hope for that individual, meaning Rest in Peace. It is true that all who follow Christ will rest in peace when they die and go to be with God. We all look forward to that perfect time in heaven where we will be able to rest and have perfect peace. However, The Scriptures tell us that Peace and Rest are not limited to after death. The fact is that Jesus came to give us the peace that passes all understanding that Paul wrote about in Philippians 4:7 that will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
We don’t have to wait to die in order to rest in peace. God gives us rest from our labors of trying to prove to God we are worth being saved. He gives us peace when the storms of life beat against us because we know God won’t let the ships of our lives go down to ruins. Instead, he gives us peace to know his presence and power to rescue us no matter what tries to destroy us.
The world is in panic. If you want to overcome the panic, rest in the God of peace who will keep us in his strong and powerful arms.
I look forward to expanding on this with you Sunday as we look at Peace, based on Mark 4:35-41. Bring yourself and everyone you know who could use a little peace in the midst of the storms of life.
Peacefully,
Jon
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