PEACE—Despite Come What May
This morning when I was pulled from my deep place of dreaming, PEACE was anything but what I felt. PAIN! TURMOIL! AGONY!
‘Get up. Get up. Get up NOW!’ my body screamed as the leg cramp attacked my lower, left leg (an occurrence that has become all-too-common for my peace of mind).
Can we experience PEACE—Despite What May Come to our lives?
Can we REJOICE—Despite What May Walk into Our Life?
Can we PRAISE our LORD—Despite How the devil attempts to steal our joy?
The Bible says we can!
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
(Philippians 4: 4-5 NASB)
Let your gentle spirit be known to all men.
The Lord is near.”
- Thank You, God, for Your PROMISE.
- Thank You, Lord, for Your PEACE that shouts to our being with CAPITAL letters.
- Thank You, Father, for Your exclamation point!
- Yes, Thank You, Father, for keeping all of Your children under Your protective wing.
“Be anxious for nothing, . . .”
(Philippians 4: 6a NASB)
Did we catch that?
Do we sense the PEACE of GOD found within His Word?
Do we believe it, claim it, follow it, & even walk toward it daily?
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
(Philippians 4: 6-7a NASB)
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, . . . “
Did we catch that?
- Do we see GOD’S PEACE—SO AMAZINGLY LARGE—that we cannot even wrap our heads around it?
- Do we really believe that we can have God’s Deep-Abiding PEACE inside us, holding us, securing us, protecting us, steading us—Despite Come What May? !!!
Do we, really believe God, at His Word?
Not long ago, a dear person asked a request of me. “Will you pray for my peace of mind, to help my head to be less swirling, so that I can choose what I really want and so I can really find rest.”
“YES!”
Even though she does not yet believe & has not yet placed her trust in God, still she had faith in the power of God found in prayer.
How could I refuse to pray?
I could not.
I have kept my promise & faithfully prayed over her request each morning.
Thus, today, I came face-to-face with the apostle Paul’s letter to the believers living in Philippi, noticing how he encouraged them to allow their thoughts to dwell on things of excellence & to recall the PEACE found only in Christ Jesus.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
(Philippians 4: 6-7 NASB)
And the peace of God,
which surpasses all comprehension,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
As I pondered the depth of Paul’s letter to the Philippian church, an Instagram message came, one that allowed me to read how a beautiful friend is celebrating her 3-year anniversary “of living with cancer.”
LIVING WITH CANCER !!!
Truly, the depth of her words resonated deep within me and immediately reminded of how other godly women and men had faced unfathomable adversity & remained at PEACE—ONLY BECAUSE THEY WERE UNDER GOD’S PROTECTIVE WINGS!
We read in the Old Testament of a wife (a daughter-in-law) who suddenly becomes a widow, one who does not believe as her mother-in-law believes. In the PEACE of HOLY GOD, and we see how this daughter-in-law feels compelled to go with her mother-in-law to a foreign place, to dwell in a foreign land she does not yet know, and live to place her trust in a God who she has not yet personally met.
But—she does!
Yes—this daughter-in-law does!
And—as she trusts & believes—she finds PEACE—Despite Come What May.
While living in a foreign land with her mother-in-law Naomi, the young widow Ruth goes to work in the fields of a kinsman, one who takes notice of her. As the days progress, this beautiful Ruth finds favor in Boaz’s eyes (the owner of the fields), and it is Boaz’s words that reveal WHOSE PEACE IS THE ONLY TRUE PEACE!
“May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.”
(Ruth 2: 12 NASB)
Then we read of shepherd boy David who turns to Goliath slayer David, one anointed by God to become King David struggling just as we do. David faces adversity as current King Saul commands his soldiers to chase down and kill David. Naturally, David runs for his life, and while finding temporary hiding within a cave, prays this request—
“Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me,
(Psalm 57: 1-3 NASB)
For my soul takes refuge in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge
Until destruction passes by.
I will cry to God Most High,
To God who accomplishes all things for me.
He will send from heaven and save me;
He reproaches him who tramples upon me. Selah
God will send forth His lovingkindness and His truth.”
There is a melody that speaks God’s truth. Pause to listen as Kim Walker-Smith’s lyrics in “Protector.”
REST—in the Promise of God.
Selah—Pause There.
REST RIGHT THERE.
ALMIGHTY GOD—“will send forth His lovingkindness and His truth.”
- PEACE—Despite Come What May!
- PEACE—Despite When Leg Cramps & Other Pain Plagues Our Body!
- PEACE—Despite When Death Knocks on Our Door!
- PEACE—Despite When Cancer Attacks!
- PEACE—Despite When the Enemy Chases!
- PEACE—IN ALL THINGS—BECAUSE IT’S GOD’S PROMISE TO THOSE WHO BELONG TO HIM!!!
“Who has performed and accomplished it,
(Isaiah 41: 4 & 10 NASB)
Calling forth the generations from the beginning?
‘I the LORD, am the first, and with the last.
I am He.’ “
[the LORD speaks—To each one of His children]
‘Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you,
for I am your God.’
[GOD’S PEACE—Despite Come What May!]
‘I will strengthen you,
surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you
with My righteous right hand.’ ”