“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” - Romans 15:13
God is the only one who can give us peace. When the world around us is upside down and we feel the walls are closing in, his peace becomes our barrier. Think of it as your shield against fear and anxiety. They come to rob us of our joy and peace and to shake our faith. If ever left unchecked by God’s word we will be overtaken with despair, void of God’s hope, joy and peace. But thank God for his unwavering peace that surpasses anything that life can throw at us. The peace that brings comfort to our troubled souls and calm the tumulus tempests in our lives.
Now more than ever we need to seek the peace of God and not the peace that the world has to offer. This world cannot give us real peace; It is incapable. Clinging to the world will only lead us down the path of illusion that promises safety, comfort and pleasures but never make good on its promise. The word of God tells us in John 16:33 that in this world we will have trouble but we must take heart. Understanding and recognizing what real peace looks like can save us from putting our hope and joy into the wrong things. Peace misplaced can be detrimental to our daily lives and spiritual walk.
If we take a survey of the faithfulness of God and reflect on his power and sovereignty, all of our problems no longer appear to be an unsurmountable feat. We soon realize that whatever we are dealing with is no match for God. He is in control of it all and he is God over our situation; we can rest assured that all of cares are in capable hands. Instead of worrying, ask God to reveal to your heart the bigger picture.
Sometimes we get stuck looking at our problems to the point that it steals from us. We focus on it so intently that we are unable to see anything else. To everything there is a purpose, but we will never know until we begin to ask God for the big picture. When we focus on the problem and not God who is the solution, we become restless, bothered, frustrated and defeated. But it doesn’t have to be this way. All it takes is a willingness to trust that God is bigger than our problems. How we view our problems can be seen as an opportunity for spiritual growth. We can see them as a prospect to prove God’s power, love, faithfulness, mercy and grace in our lives. It can be seen as a tool, believe it or not, to push us into prayer, fasting and reading his word. If we are willing to see from a different perspective, our problems can teach us to look to God.
Our heavenly Father has never failed us even in the times we didn't understand or appreciate what he was doing in our lives. This assurance gives us the confidence to put our trust only in Jesus, he is our good shepherd. However, we must be willing to follow and not go astray because of fear or worry.
Today, follow Christ to green pastures where he will restore your soul and give you sweet peace. May peace reign in your home, on the job, in your heart and mind. May you lay hold of God’s promises and declare that you will remain in perfect peace as you meditate on his goodness. May he fill you with joy as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with faith, love and hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen! This is a great piece. We can have spiritual growth by changing our perspective! Wow never thought of it like that, but it is so truth. Our maturity is in our ability to see through the eyes of God and allow the rest of us to trust and follow suit. 🙌🏾