Pathway to PeaceSample

 

Sea of Galilee

A Giant Shift

I placed many things above God – my career, a business startup, seeking “enough”, and even activities that could be perceived as good.  A storm festered that threatened each of these and deep fear crept in, so I charged on daily to slay whatever beast appeared to threaten their existence.  I worried anytime I wasn’t on pace, and even when I was.  I was not walking beside still waters.

Jesus taught the importance of not allowing even the most critical needs to cause us worry.  He assured us our Heavenly Father already knows our needs, and to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” and our needs will be met.  God first, me second.  Wired to survive and make our own way, embracing this 180-degree shift is instinctively difficult, a major shift but life-changing.  

Jesus asked big but then provided, healed, gave direction, and even subdued a storm with His words.  This is the same God who dwells among us today.  He asks for our hearts and minds before all else, and compassionately and lovingly meets our needs.    

It may not feel like God is meeting our needs when our immediate desires don’t materialize.  But while we gravitate toward the material, God points to the eternal, and so our desires differ.  

Therefore trusting God isn’t natural.  He may provide differently than we currently desire, which alone can cause fear.  We need to stretch our faith to accept that our desires will ultimately align with His as we persistently seek Him and transform to become more like Him.  So the likelihood of achieving our desires grows as we more closely reflect Him.  This divine alignment is foundational to peace and requires faith and time to see God work.  A good starting point is looking back on how God has delivered in the past, and know the same God is walking beside you and going before you right now. 

Romans 8:28 tells us that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  This is not a lottery winning promise.  God informs us He works all things for His good, which ultimately means our good.  His best for us, we just don’t grasp that goodness yet.  Ephesians 3:20 tells us it could be immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.  Try picturing that – it’s ours for the taking.  We find ourselves liking it a lot in the end.     

God is clear.  Seek Him first, and our needs will be met.  He is bigger than all stressors.  Embracing this is supernatural and requires transformation.  We go deeper on this tomorrow.  

Which of your desires would you be willing to turn over to God to discover whether they are His desires?