The secret to perfect peace
"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you" (Is. 26:3).
There is no lack of things to be worried about today. From terrorism across the ocean to the abundance of bloodshed in our own nation, we can't go a day without hearing of another atrocity.
Then add in our day-to-day individual struggles: debilitating disease, grief and loss, tormenting memories, seemingly unsolvable family or financial situations...
The overload can tempt us to shut down our emotions just to survive. We begin to question if "perfect peace" is even feasible today.
The fact is, it's not only feasible, it's promised. So if we're not experiencing it, what are we missing?
We get a clue when we realize the Hebrew word translated "steadfast" means to lean or lay upon, lean against, or to brace oneself.
So the secret is this: Leaning or laying upon something requires action. You cannot go from holding yourself upright to laying back without movement. It is impossible to brace yourself without reaching towards the source of your support.
We will have endless opportunities to be troubled, depressed, hopeless, or defeated. Our emotions will always try to scream louder than our knowledge of God's will and Word.
That's when we must make a choice. We can drown in the storm or we can run into the presence of God.
Your hurt will not surprise him. Confusion and disappointment don't shock him. Just do it - take your situations, your emotions to Jesus. Be real with him.
Then take a breath. As you lean into him, let your attention turn from yourself to him.
Let the beauty of his majesty begin to overwhelm everything else. Lean back in amazement as the raging tides of feelings sweep back out to sea. Brace yourself on a renewed realization of his faithfulness and sovereignty over everything else.
"Perfect peace" is a very real promise. Don't allow it to be robbed from you! Lean into God until your perspective changes, even if your situation doesn't. As you do, you will find a peace that cannot be shaken no matter what comes.
There is no lack of things to be worried about today. From terrorism across the ocean to the abundance of bloodshed in our own nation, we can't go a day without hearing of another atrocity.
Then add in our day-to-day individual struggles: debilitating disease, grief and loss, tormenting memories, seemingly unsolvable family or financial situations...
The overload can tempt us to shut down our emotions just to survive. We begin to question if "perfect peace" is even feasible today.
The fact is, it's not only feasible, it's promised. So if we're not experiencing it, what are we missing?
We get a clue when we realize the Hebrew word translated "steadfast" means to lean or lay upon, lean against, or to brace oneself.
So the secret is this: Leaning or laying upon something requires action. You cannot go from holding yourself upright to laying back without movement. It is impossible to brace yourself without reaching towards the source of your support.
We will have endless opportunities to be troubled, depressed, hopeless, or defeated. Our emotions will always try to scream louder than our knowledge of God's will and Word.
That's when we must make a choice. We can drown in the storm or we can run into the presence of God.
Your hurt will not surprise him. Confusion and disappointment don't shock him. Just do it - take your situations, your emotions to Jesus. Be real with him.
Then take a breath. As you lean into him, let your attention turn from yourself to him.
Let the beauty of his majesty begin to overwhelm everything else. Lean back in amazement as the raging tides of feelings sweep back out to sea. Brace yourself on a renewed realization of his faithfulness and sovereignty over everything else.
"Perfect peace" is a very real promise. Don't allow it to be robbed from you! Lean into God until your perspective changes, even if your situation doesn't. As you do, you will find a peace that cannot be shaken no matter what comes.
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