by Francois de Fenelon
Francois de Fenelon was a man born in the 17th Century who was gifted in the understanding of scriptures and God’s heart in them. He was skilled with a great ability to resolve issues between political and religious forces in his day. Born in France in a time of great unrest, he made enemies because he defended the great works of Madam Jeanne Guyon, who was imprisioned for her faith in Jesus Christ and her teachings to the church that people should rise up under the power of His might. Fenelon and Guyon both taught that man could speak to God directly without a priest and should be versed in the scriptures. They gave up comforts, friendships and positons to defend this faith to the end.
The following short letter was written by Fenelon while he was in exile by King Louis XIV. He wrote it to someone who was struggling with the cross that they were bearing and had lost their peace.
I was blessed by it and thought you would be too. The text comes from a short book that a friend gave to me entitled, “Spiritual Letters” by Fenelon.
“Remain in peace; the fervor of devotion does not depend upon yourself; all that lies in your power is the direction of your will. Give that up to God without reservation. The important question is not how much you enjoy religion, but whether you will whatever God wills. Humbly confess your faults; be detached from the world and abandoned to God. Love Him more than yourself and His glory more than your life. The least you can do is to desire and ask for such a love. God will then love you and put His peace in your heart.”
May the Love of Jesus give you the Peace you need today.
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