Peace That Passes All Understanding

Perhaps you are going through a season in your life where you really need to experience some of God's peace...

Have you ever found yourself in a situation that you couldn't stop worrying about? I have found myself there more times that I'd care to admit. It's amazing how you can distract yourself from what's going on - only to find yourself right back where you started a few hours or days later. The problem is that we live in this world. We're not of it, but we live here for now. Why is this a problem? Because the way the world handles challenging situations is by trying to fix everything on their own. Too often, we find ourselves trying to do the same thing. Even though we know there's a better way to solve any problem that we have, we try to fix it ourselves. Maybe we do it because we see others doing it, too. Maybe because it seems like the easier approach. Maybe we forget where our help comes from in the moment. Whatever the reasoning is, we suddenly find ourselves resorting to our own solutions rather than God's. No matter the outcome of what we do, God has better plans in store for us.

Let me be honest with you guys for a minute... I'm currently in a season of my life where I'm recognizing I need God's peace. Sparing the details, I was told of a really amazing opportunity that I could partake in at the beginning of the week. I passed along my information and have been waiting to hear more about it. For five days now. I know five days isn't that long of a time, and I really don't mind waiting. However, I have not been able to stop thinking about this opportunity ALL week. I just can't seem to think about anything else. I've been praying about it and thinking about how amazing this opportunity really is. The problem is that I start wondering if this is really the path God wants me to take. I start to wonder if I'd be making the right choice if I decide to take the chance. This is where the need for God's peace comes in. Can you relate to my current season? It's so easy for me to continue thinking about this opportunity and try to figure it all out on my own, but I realized that I need to stop and give it to God. I decided that I need more time in prayer, worship, and the Bible. I know that if I can just stop worrying I'll be able to hear what God is trying to tell me.

"The Lord answered, 'My presence will go with you, and I will give you peace.'" Exodus 33:14

This is a promise that God made to Moses when He was instructing Moses to lead the Iraelites to the Promised Land. Could you imagine how Moses must have felt in that moment? Being told to free his people from the slavery in Egypt and that he would lead them to a new land that had been promised to many from the generations before him. That's a big job. Definitely not for the faint of heart. God must have detected that Moses was feeling a little worried or anxious about this whole thing because He reassured Moses in one of the best ways possible. This promise that God's presence would go with him and that He would give Moses peace. What more could he need? There have been so many others throughout the Bible that had big tasks set before them. Nehemiah had to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego decided to stand firm in their faith. Hannah dedicated Samuel to the Lord and left him to serve at a temple. The disciples spread God's Word around the globe. Jesus did His Father's work. These are just a few of the many amazing people we read about in the Bible. They did what they needed to, and trusted God the entire way through.

That's how they experienced God's peace in challenging times. As I've mentioned before, one of my favorite Bible verses is Philippians 4:6-7. This passage encourages us not to worry about anything and, instead, pray about everything. That's how we will experience God's perfect peace. But what if we can’t stop worrying? That’s a sign that you need to press in further. Pray more. Read the Bible often. Really listen for God’s directions. It may be hard to do at times, but trust me it's absolutely worth it. Another challenge you may experience might be waiting for God's answer to your prayer. If you've grown up in church or have been a believer for any amount of time, you'll know that God does answer your prayers. Sometimes it's a yes, other times it's a no - but He does always answer. A common belief is that God will answer your prayers immediately. While He does answer our prayers, He doesn't answer them all right away. His answers will come in God's perfect timing. This timing may not seem perfect to us, but trust me it's perfect when you look back and see how it all came together. We can't always have our prayers answered as quick as we can have a package shipped to us from Amazon. It's important for us to be patient sometimes. As the saying goes, "Good things come to those who wait."

"Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide. It is still said today, 'On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.'" Genesis 22:14

This verse comes from the very end of the story about Abraham and Isaac. You know... When God instructed Abraham to sacrifice his son. This is what Abraham named the mountain they were on after God had provided a ram for the sacrifice in place of Isaac. Talk about having a lot of trust. We can find God's peace when we have the faith that God will provide us what we are believing for in prayer. This story actually is a really good example of that idea. Abraham is instructed to go sacrifice his only son on a mountain. The son that God miraculously gave to him and Sarah in their old age. Abraham, probably confused, trusts God's plan and obeys what He says to do. He gets as far as tying Isaac up and mid-sacrifice, God stops Abraham and shows that there's a ram caught in a bush instead. I want to know how Abraham stayed so calm through this whole process. He definitely was filled with God's peace. The Bible tell us that God's peace passes all understanding. Have you ever gone through a challenging situation but somehow managed to stay perfectly calm? Let me tell you that I made it through the Covid outbreak without even second guessing what was happening. I tend to worry about things - I knew the peace I experienced through that time was not my own. I would have never been able to keep my cool if I were to do it on my own. God's peace is one of those things that we will never be able to understand but always have access to, as long as we are trusting God and what He's doing.

If you are going through a difficult season in life, or just a challenging season like me, I pray that you will be able to experience God's peace. Remember to pray and spend more time with God when life gets to be too much to handle. God's ways are better than ours - and what's a better way to see what He's up to than spending time with Him? As long as you trust His process, you'll be able to find His peace. I know sometimes it's easier said than done, but if you continue spending more time with God it'll be easier to trust Him. Whatever your situation is or what season you're experiencing, I hope you remember that it's better to give it to God than to try to fix the problem on your own. God loves us and wants the very best for us. Sometimes, it's just better to wait and see what He's working out for us. I'm going to end this post a little differently. Read this blessing from Numbers, and know that I am praying it for you - no matter what season you're in right now.

"May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace." Numbers 6:24-26