Peace from God
Today is my eighth day in quarantine because of contact with a loved one diagnosed with Covid. It’s surreal. It’s peaceful. It’s stressful. It’s boring. Most importantly, it’s all in God’s hands. What am I doing to stay safe? Praying, cleaning up germs, excessively washing my hands, and praying some more. When everything was shut down in March because of this pandemic, it seemed like it was a big deal for nothing. Only essential employees were allowed to continue working. Healthcare workers, grocery store workers, mail, certain government agencies, factory workers.... And now it’s eight months after the shut down and it’s hit my household.
Now that I have some free time, I was going through my e-mail and found one from crosswalk from last week. The story helps me trust God is in control. The following are just some excerpts from the article from www.ibelieve.com, Five Ways God Alone Can Make Peace in Your Soul.
1: Through our past mistakes. “You see, our mistakes, our sins, are not what God has intended for our lives. Because there is free will, and we are faulty humans, there are going to be moments in life where what we do was not what He intended for us. When we come to Jesus with repentant hearts, and he graces us with His unending forgiveness, we can have the peace that surpasses all understanding. To be freed from guilt and shame and then watch how God uses our past to give us a means to relate to others, and radiate His better plan and way, is a gift. Will you use your past mistakes to help make peace not only with your own soul but with others too?”
2. When dreams are delayed. “Give your dreams to the loving and protective arms of our God. It’s there, where we are about to give up, that God loves to bring us, and our hopes and dreams, into His loving arms, if we will only surrender. When we give our dreams to God, He will give us peace to move forward throughout the next day...and the day after that. And whether or not a particular dream comes true on this side of heaven, we can have a peace knowing that our God knows what is best for us, for our story, and His glory. May we all, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12).”
3. In sickness and strife. “When you lose your ground and the unknown diagnosis or test results are in the balance, reach out to the Father and He will give you a peace that surpasses any test results. As John states so clearly here in 3 John 1:2, I wish this for you and your loved ones: “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” “
4: When we face our fears. “In Jeremiah 17:7-8, we are reminded how to work through those fears with trust in our Lord’s provision, “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” When our roots are grounded in the Lord’s word, in prayer, and in truth, then we will find a peace that surpasses any peace to be found in a human’s attention or acceptance.”
5: When our world is crumbling. “This verse in 1 Peter 5:6-9 has felt like an anthem for us believers as we navigate through the rough waters of 2020: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” “
Whatever you are facing friend, give it God. Really give it God and trust Him. It’s hard to do but it’s even harder holding onto that pain. It is crushing your spirit more than you know. The author of the story above, Mandy Smith, said it best in the last paragraph. “ I don’t claim to know how each person is handling our current state of affairs, or even how deeply the pain affects their everyday lives, but I do know from my own experiences through this year that my only source of peace has been from my Savior’s loving arms.” “When the world around us is crumbling, Jesus is the only constant.”
Have a blessed Sunday friends. Jesus IS the only constant.
