‘Perfect peace’

The secret to ‘perfect peace’ lies in this Scripture: ‘You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!’ (Isaiah 26:3 NLT.) It’s not your circumstances, but how you think about them that robs you of peace. Focusing on your circumstances just causes more anxiety, because circumstances constantly change and often spin out of your control. However, God never changes, and nothing ever spins out of His control. Peace and worry are mutually exclusive. Worry throttles your confidence, chokes your perspective, and suffocates your spirit. It robs you of the peace that comes from knowing the God who can handle anything, and through whom all things are possible. The reason we worry so much is because we engage in exactly the opposite behaviour to that which brings peace. Worry is like a ‘no-confidence’ vote in God. You may not intend it that way, but every time you give in to worry, in essence, you’re saying: ‘I don’t believe God can or will handle this for me. I’m not sure I can trust Him in this matter, so I’ll just have to carry this burden and take care of the problem myself.’ God is either the object of your trust or just a part-time helper you call on when you can’t handle things on your own. It’s reminiscent of the elephant and the mouse that walked over a bridge. When they got to the other side, the mouse said, ‘Man, we really shook that bridge!’ When you begin to see God as playing the major role and you the minor one, you’ll begin to find the peace which has eluded you for so long.

Prayer Point

Father, I need Your perfect peace today. You know what’s best, and You can see the way through for me. In every problem I encounter, You go before me. Help me to simply follow in Your footsteps and focus on You. I refuse to be overwhelmed by worries, so instead I choose to trust in You completely. Thank You, Father, for Your love and care, which is beyond anything I could imagine!

Merritt, James, How to Impact and Influence Others (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2002), 58.