Perfect Peace

One of my favorite songs started playing on satellite radio on my way home today.  It was the remade version by Marvin Sapp but the words were still the same. The lyrics of the song are simple.  "I will keep you in perfect peace.  All whose mind is stayed on thee", taken from Isaiah 26:3, 'You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you'. But what is perfect peace?  My answer is simple - something most people long for but very seldom obtain.  Why?  Because we like to worry too much.  It's hard not to want to be in control of every aspect of our lives.  And when even the slightest thing gets out of sync, any peace you thought you had goes out the window.  At least that is what used to happen to me.  But now I get it.

I believe that there is one very important concept every Christian needs to know and that is 'in this life you will have trouble'. (John 16:33)  And as soon as you embrace that fact and stop trying to avoid it your life we get so much better.  Most of us spend our lives trying to avoid tests and trials.  We don't want to go through anything.  We want our lives to always be coming up roses.  Well I stopped by to tell you today, "It's not going to happen."  And furthermore, you shouldn't want it to.  I know that you may be comfortable with the person you are and may even think that you don't need any changes.  You may think that you have gone through enough and the lesson should be over.  Don't you know that it is through this process that you are made into the person God wants you to be so that He can get the glory out of your life.  Stop whining every time you go through something!  Instead 'Praise God' because He loves you so much that He doesn't want to leave you in that pitiful state.  He desires to mold you and make you into the image of His Son.

What is this 'perfect peace' thing Isaiah was talking about?  It is the confidence that we have in knowing that God has everything under control.  It is not becoming agitated through the process but instead praising your way through to the other side.  The actual definition of the word peace is a state of tranquility or freedom from disturbance.  So how do we get to a state of perfect peace?  We must keep our minds stayed on Jesus.  On His Promise, His Power and His Presence.  I've been spending time just going through the Word and meditating on God's promises to us. I realized for the first time how endless these promises are.  Oh my goodness there are so many and they are all for me (and YOU).  And then I start to think about His Power.  God is Omnipresent (He's everywhere at all times).  He's Omniscient (He knows everything). He's All Sufficient, the God who provides, my Healer, Almighty God.  All of these things pointing back to His power.  But none of these things matter more than to me than His presence.  I know now what the old folks meant when they used to say "I wouldn't want a religion that I couldn't feel sometimes." 

Have you ever just been in a funk and then all of sudden you start to think about Jesus.  Maybe you start humming a song like 'Nobody greater, nobody greater, nobody greater than You'.  Or maybe you're more old school and you start to sing 'Can't nobody do me like Jesus' or even a simple song like Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so'.  Or maybe singing is not your thing so you instead start to remind yourself of the promises of God.  'And we know that ALL THINGS work together for the good of them who love the Lord'. (Rom 8:28)  'The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want'. (Ps. 23:1)   'For I know the plans that I have for you, saith the Lord, plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'.  (Jer. 29:11) 'But my God shall supply ALL my needs according to His riches in glory'. (Phil. 4:19) And when you start to remind yourself of these promises something comes over you and you start to feel better.  And what is that feeling - Perfect Peace. You cannot keep your mind stayed on Jesus and be stressed out.  You can't worry about tomorrow thinking those thoughts that are pure, lovely, honest and of good report. Betrayal, financial distress, sickness, divorce, death...no matter what the situation you are not shaken.  There is no secret to having perfect peace.  It's available to us all. It's time out for putting your trust in your job, your spouse, or 'who you know'.  You must put your trust in God.  He will never let you down. 

Most Gracious Heavenly Father:

I praise Your Name today because You are holy, righteous, Omnipresent, Omniscient. I thank You because You're a forgiving God.   I ask that You forgive me of my sins...those commited in word, thought, or deed.  Life continues to go on around me.  So many things happening that I have no control over to me and to those I love.  But I thank You for being a God of Peace. When everything is falling apart all around me I can trust in You.  I need not worry about anything because I know You have it under control.  Help me to recognize it in all situations, no matter how big or small.  And help me to show others that they too can have perfect peace in You.  In Jesus' Name Amen. 

Life Application:

1.  Make a list of all the things that are causing you stress right now.  Say a prayer turning all those things over to Jesus.  If you are a visual person, ball the paper up and throw it in the trash, signifying your truly giving it over to God.

2.  Make a list of at least five promises in God's Word.  Make a commitment to memorize these verse this week.