A great many people are trying to make peace, but that has already been done. God has not left it for us to do; all we have to do is to enter into it.
~Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899)
~Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899)
In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
“We have a strong city;
he sets up salvation
as walls and bulwarks.
Open the gates,
that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.
You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.
~ Isaiah 26:1-4
We scream for peace in our lives. We look for any way to find it. We rage against the anxiety coursing through our veins. Oh, please make it stop god! I just want some peace! And off we go trying some new way to find what we will never find apart from Him.
And we know it. He is speaking to us. He is telling us to put whatever is in our hands and on our minds down. “Just put it down beloved.” His voice is firm… reassuring… gentle… true.
Why do we hesitate? Could it be that, for many of us, we would rather endure the horrible anxiety so that we can maintain some modicum of control in our own lives? Could it be that we intentionally put ourselves into this fix?
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
~ Philippians 4:4-7
The peace that G_d offers us does have one condition. We have to let G_d be G_d in our existence. We are to yield to the truth that He Loves us passionately, protects us ferociously, and provides for us copiously. And any position short of absolutely surrendering to these conditions is a show-stopper.
i am not always a fan of “guilt-trips.” But, perhaps, one is appropriate here. To quote one battle-tested priest i know, “Worry is a personal insult to Jesus Christ!” Jesus is offering us an ever-abundant life of righteousness, joy, and peace in Him. And we CHOOSE, rather, to worry.
May i speak boldly to those of you on “the bubble” here? The only thing you will regret on the side of surrendering your worry to Him, is that it took you so long. This peace that passes all understanding is simply true – and i cannot explain it. i just know it is real. He has given it to me and many millions of others who have chosen to take all of G_d at all of His word, and just looked to Him as the sole provider for our needs.
Even more bluntly? Chemicals, activities, diet, exercise, recovery, and even genuine spirituality will fail to bring peace. It is just that, when used as a substitute for the One who is our peace, any of these things become idolatry. And in becoming idolatry, they constitute both adultery and treason against G_d. The earthly things that seem to bring peace actually are the things that make peace impossible.
Just put it down beloved. He is so good. It’s true. Somehow, we all know it is true too. May we all, by His grace, accept peace on His terms tonight.
All men desire peace, but very few desire those things that make for peace.
~Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380-1471)
