I want to enjoy the peace that surpasses all understanding,
but life’s moving so fast. Lord, help me experience Your peace, no matter the chaos around me.
Scripture: Peace
Days pass so quickly. To-do lists aren’t completed. Never enough hours! In the blink of an eye, the day is gone and there isn’t even a scratch in the surface of all needing to be accomplished. Is time speeding up? We wrestle with the frustration of this never-ending cycle, and often wonder about the promised peace that surpasses all understanding. How can we obtain and maintain this peace?
We can find some practical applications: shorten the to-do list to make it obtainable; keep a calendar; schedule every item on the to-do list; create realistic expectations; set reachable goals. All that is good advice – but what about PEACE?
We can know God, trust God, be still and rest in His presence, understand that peace is ours to enjoy as provided through Christ…but how do we obtain peace? How do we lay hold of this precious promise God has made available to us?
Here are a few morsels from scripture in regard to peace:
Luke 7:50 – “And He said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'”
Luke 8:48 – “And He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.'”
Romans 15:13 – “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 5:1 – “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
These verses speak truth and involve peace, but I struggle with the application. There has to be further instruction, revelation, and wisdom available.
This past Saturday afternoon I adjusted the top priority on my to-do list. It read: Bake cookies with my daughter. As we pulled the ingredients for our sweet treat, I wondered if there is a recipe for peace. My daughter read off the instructions. Simultaneously, I questioned if there are instructions to follow for us to obtain peace. Finally, there is the process of baking, cooling, and EATING the delicious delicacies! Is there a process for us to enjoy peace?
From the above scriptures, clearly faith is necessary for us to have peace. What we believe definitely impacts the measure of peace we enjoy. Do we believe all our need is met in and through Christ? Do we seek Christ, forsaking all else, believing He is the way, the truth and the life for us? That’s what the women in Luke 7:50 and 8:48 did. They relentlessly pushed through crowds and obstacles, determined to get to Jesus, knowing He had the answers, the peace they so desperately desired. Do we really believe Jesus is our peace? Are we willing to push through all the voices screaming at us each day to reach Him, to sit at His feet, to worship Him?
Have we allowed the God of all hope to fill us with His joy and peace? Are we preparing ourselves not just to believe Him, but to operate in His joy and peace? Do we understand and accept we are completely justified through our faith in Christ, that being the very root of our peace with God?
Still, there had to be more. As I waited for the cookies to bake, I turned to Philippians 4:4-7:
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Ah! There’s the recipe for the peace of God that passes all understanding, which guards our hearts AND our minds!
1) Rejoice in the Lord always; 2) Be gentle; 3) Know God is with you always; 4) Pray to Him; 5) Ask of the Lord in all things; 6) Be thankful at all times; and 7) Do all this with Jesus Christ as your center, your focus, your foundation. As for the instructions: Hope (preheat); Faith (bake); Joy (eat)! Keep this recipe at the top of your list each day and partake freely of His surpassing peace!
Holding Fast to Hope,
Maryann
Scripture References: Philippians 4:19; Psalm 105:4; John 14:6
