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Grace takes you from where you are, in your walk with God, to where He wants you to be – as you pursue peace to abide in it. And, may it become your experience in life. Seek peace and pursue it, God says in His word in the words of the apostle Peter – He who would love life and see good days let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.Let him turn away from evil and do good ; let him seek peace and pursue it. [1 Peter 3:10,11] It is the perfect peace, the wholeness that comes in you in the person of Jesus Christ. And, pursuing it is not about crossing seven oceans to find it, for the God of peace is with you. [Romans 15:33] And, in times of trouble, that makes you disturbed and anxious, your responsibility is to shift your focus to be upon God, instead of your ‘self’, which is what worrying about it makes you do. Christ needs to be the center of all that is happening in your life, having pre–eminence in it.
Do not fret or worry about things, the apostle Paul says, and also guides you to what needs to be done – Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests unto God. [Philippians 4:6] Talking to your own self about your problem, it is worry, but talking to God about it becomes prayer, that goes on to bring about a wondrous change within you, – And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 4:7]
It happens as you put your trust in Him, in the word that He speaks to you through the scriptures, line upon line, precept upon precept, a word here, and a word from there, in another portion of the word of God, not because He does not have enough things to say, but because he wants you to understand rightly and with complete clarity. You will keep in perfect peace, all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed in you. [Isaiah 26:3] [New Living Translation]
Peace of God becomes your experience as you put your trust in Him to depend on Him completely, and not lean on your own understanding, or the pattern of the world. To just hold your peace, may be the counsel of the world when you find yourself disturbed or troubled; or count to ten backwards when you feel your temper rising, the world may advocate, but sometimes, you can count backwards much longer than that, without calmness and peace returning ! Or, just leave the troubling place for a while, and then return, could be the seemingly practical advice that comes from the world; but when your relationship at home is not peaceful, you can go away for a while maybe, but when you come back, as you ultimately have to, there will inevitably be a sense of ‘déjà vu’ in you, as you start reliving the painful memories once again, to lose your peace !.
The ways of the world may not be effective, but God’s word declares in this context, to the one who trusts in Him, that He will do the guarding, to keep him in perfect peace. And His word can never fail; it will always come to pass. It is also true that anyone and everyone, even a devoted child of God, can fall in their walk with God; it is why there is always the need to trust and depend upon God. In your own strength you may fail, and it is always He who keeps you from falling or drifting away. To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence, without fault and with great joy … [Jude VS 24]
It is the promise of God. Your hand in His is like a child’s hand being held by the parent. And it is when the child is about to fall that the parent’s grip becomes tighter, to not let it go. His grip on you is stronger than yours; and He will guard and keep you. God’s word speaks to you in this context to encourage and affirm His protection – Who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. [1 Peter 1:5]
And the familiar words of Paul, establishes the truth with great power and confidence. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. [2 Timothy 1:12] God is indeed able to guard you, provide for you and keep you in perfect peace.
It is to trust in the Lord, even as your thoughts are fixed on Him. [Isaiah 26:3] But that is where the difficulty lies; for, doing it in your own strength can be something very difficult, impossible even, resulting in you giving up on it altogether. It has been said that the scientist loses God in his science, while the Christian loses God in His prayer !. A humorous comment it may be, but it also exposes the truth, of how difficult it is to keep one’s thoughts focused upon God even while praying, which is ostensibly a time when you are talking and listening to Him !. Yes, you begin praying with your thoughts fixed on God, but then, soon the mind starts wandering in its’ own path, in various directions, and finally you manage to gather your thoughts together, to come back to God, to blanket it all with an Amen !. But, you need not condemn yourself and give up on it altogether, for it is something that happens to every child of God, at some point or the other !.
A servant of God, used mightily by Him, has described his experience to be this. When he made it a point, as he sat down to study a chapter in God’s word, to go back to the first verse of that chapter, every time his mind strayed from its’ focus, it took him ten minutes just to get to the second verse !. It is the honest admission of a blessed man of God; and it goes to show how difficult it is to keep your focus fixed upon God, and what He is saying to you through His word.
Therefore, the word of God establishes very clearly that He Himself will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus, that you may experience His peace. And, He does it in and through your mind and your will, in such a manner, that He may ultimately be glorified. It is possible therefore, for all your focus to be fixed upon the peace giving God, and for your mind to be renewed by thoughts that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.
Salvation is a gift that you receive from God, by grace and through faith. It is at that point that your spirit is cleansed by the Blood of Christ, who by one sacrifice has perfected forever those who come to God through Him. And then the renewing of your mind begins to take place. And, the ultimate fulfillment of your salvation would be when Christ comes in glory, that your physical body which was sown in the dust, in death, may be resurrected in greater glory, to be with Him in heaven forever and ever !. It is the glorious day that is yet to come; and now, you are in the phase where with your spirit saved, your soul is being renewed, by the word and the Spirit, as your will comes under subjection to God, and your emotions become godly affections.
This is the manner in which God is working in you, to guard you with His peace. The pattern of the world will lead you to think that your external circumstances have to change for the better, in order to experience peace in you. ‘If only this happened’, or, ‘when this happens, I will then have peace’, would be your inner attitude and mindset in such a scenario.
With God it is very different though, for He changes you on the inside. Your soul is renewed in line with His word, to bring about a change in your external circumstance. And, it all comes together to result in peace in you, and in your situation. Your prayer therefore needs to be one that requests God to bring about a change within you, in order to see your circumstances change. For, peace is something internal.
It is why even the world uses the expression, ‘getting up on the wrong side of the bed’!. When you wake up to face a new day, with no peace within you, everything that follows, even the mundane and the regular chores that you perform effortlessly, will seem irritating and painful !. And, if it happens to be the Lord’s Day, though you sincerely desire to worship and adore Him, even on coming to the house of God, every little thing, though harmless in itself, would trouble you !.
Peace is not just the absence of danger or strife on the outside. It is not about just having all your external wants and needs met. For then, you will not find so much of stress related illnesses prevalent in countries where people live in affluence and material comfort, where even the basic needs of the not so affluent, is met by the social security provision of the government. The peace that is truly peace, addresses your inner being first, where God does a wonderful work of grace within you, in your heart, and then proceeds through you to bring a change in your circumstance, the change that you have been waiting for to happen. It is how He keeps you in perfect peace. It all begins with God.
It is the difference between theology and philosophy !. In the beginning was God; and in the beginning was the Word. And therefore, whatever may be the situation that you are struggling to cope with, in order to find a solution to it, you need to begin with God. What begins with man will ultimately end in confusion and disorder. But, when you begin with God, there will be order and peace, and you will grow from strength to strength, to reign in your life’s happenings, however problematic they may seem to be, initially.
It could be a financial lack and insufficiency that is staring at you in the face right now. But, instead of succumbing in fear to lose your peace and well being, you need to begin with God; with what He has already done for you. It will certainly go against the grain, for the natural tendency within you would be to start with the problem, and go on to God. But the truth that brings peace in you is otherwise. You need to begin with God, and work towards your problem. Begin with His word that declares that all the silver and gold on earth is His; that those who seek Him will lack no good thing; that as you seek His kingdom and His righteousness, all other things will be added unto you, and that you have a God who will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. And then, when you arrive at your problem, you will be able to see through eyes enlightened by faith, that it is not a problem, but an opportunity for the demonstration of God’s power, and it will bring within you a peace that guards you.
At times, it could be a challenge that arises in your relationships, may be very personal ones, within your own home, your family. And then, instead of trying to deal with it in your own strength, or regretting your own past decisions that could be as basic, and as deep as, ‘Why did I marry this person ?!’, just begin with God in your thoughts, and in your prayer. It will bring a transformation within you, a wholeness and peace in Christ. It comes as you begin, by turning and fixing your focus on the Heavenly Father, from whom every earthly family draws its’ name, and bows its’ knees to. It comes as you start with the God who has ordained and blessed the marriage relationship, and has given the Holy Spirit to be your Helper and Counselor, and His Only Begotten Son, Christ Jesus, to be your older Brother and Friend Forever. When you begin with this, glorious nature of God, your Father, tackling and overcoming the challenges in your relationships will no longer seem to be an impossible task.
The question that you need to ask yourself is, where do you begin?
Starting with God, and proceeding to do what is in line with His word, with what He has already accomplished for you through the redemptive Cross of Calvary, is the key to fruitfulness in Christian living. And, the words of the apostle Paul, serves to illustrate this with simple clarity.
As you begin with God, there is a responsibility that comes into play, on your part too. For, to sit with folded hands, expecting God to do everything to solve your problem, and bring peace within you, is error, even as taking up full responsibility upon yourself, and leaving God out of the picture is.The biblical path lies in doing it all in the light of what God has already done, and is going to do in the future, in your life.
‘I planted the seed, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase’ [2 Corinthians 3:6]
They are the very familiar words of Paul that defines your responsibility in the process. It is as you sow the seed and water it, that God brings about the increase. But also, there is no bifurcation that separates your role and His, for it is God who gives seed to the one who sows and bread to the eater; He also gives you the increase. And, because He gives you the increase, you can boldly and confidently sow and water. Ultimately it is all about God, and what He does in you and through you !. Since He answers your prayer, you pray; ask and you shall receive. God’s part and yours’ is intertwined. It is God who does the guarding. But, He does it by doing something wonderful in your mind and heart.
‘Yes Lord, walking in the way of your laws we wait for you; Your Name and renown are the desire of our hearts. My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people learn righteousness. [Isaiah 26:8,9] This is the wonderful work of grace that God works in you. Your mind and your thoughts, day and night are consumed with the desires that lift up God’s glorious Name. They are desires that God Himself births in you, that you may diligently follow Him, as you wait for your circumstances to change. It is what the prophet describes in the above verses.
In your home, your child’s ambitions and desires may change like shifting sands, reflecting what he or she has watched or read about recently; but the desires that God births in you will not be fleeting, but lasting and powerful. You will indeed then, as the prophet describes, be consumed by a passionate desire for Him, to walk in His ways. What a beautiful experience it would be !. Ask God therefore, to birth in you such a desire and you will surely receive from Him. It cannot be manufactured or hyped up by self effort. And, the good work that God Himself begins in you, He will certainly carry on to completion.
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence—how much more in my absence continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. [Philippians 2:12] The traffic signal down the road you will notice, very often needs a policeman to stand and see that it is followed. But, God’s word exhorts you to be sincere in your walk with God at all times, not just when you are worshipping in the house of God. The fruit and joy of your salvation needs to be manifested through you, as you work out your salvation through your thoughts and deeds continually, everyday, day after day.
For, it is God who works in you, both to will and to do according to His good pleasure. [Philippians 2:13] It becomes possible to work out your salvation, because God is at work in you. The verse above gives the key, the revelation truth of how it all needs to work out. For, when you leave God out of the equation, it would become self help, a reliance on your own self effort, and that will only lead to frustration, not fulfillment and peace.
But the truth is that, the all powerful God, who framed and formed the universe, who created the sun and moon and hung the stars in the sky, calling each one of them by their name, is working in you. ‘What is man that you are mindful of him ?’, asks the psalmist, in wondrous awe of the magnificent splendor of the Lord God Almighty.
And, this awesome God is now working in you. He is working in your family and your work place all because you are there !. He is working in your nation, and in your city, all because you are living there !. And, because He is at work in you, you do not have to stand on your head, or depend on self effort of any kind, in order to keep your thoughts fixed, focused upon Him. It becomes possible because God is at work in you, and your working out becomes therefore, so much easier and fruitful. God works in you, even when you are sleeping. It is what the Lord describes in one of His kingdom parables, where even as the man is asleep, the seed is at work, to germinate and sprout, putting forth shoots to ultimately bring forth a fruitful yield.
And, it would all be pleasurable to you, not just pleasurable to God, for otherwise it will dwindle to become a painful and laborious work, something that you are forced into doing. Therefore, God is at work in you, to give you the desires that are in accordance with His will, and also the power to work out the desires in your daily living.
A person could have committed to getting up early in the morning to pray every day very sincerely, at a meeting where his heart was nobly stirred. But, trying to do it in his own strength, will see him unable to sustain it and it will cease to be pleasurable very quickly. What could then happen in him is that, he may be enveloped by a sense of guilt and condemnation, leading him to think that he is a failure, to ultimately give up on his prayer altogether !. It is not what the Lord desires to happen in you.
The psalmist David, on the other hand, with a desire birthed by God in him, was consumed by passion and desire for the house of God, and the word of God. It is why he was able to proclaim that he was glad when they said to him, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord’ [Psalm 122:1], and also say with confidence that he will dwell in the house of God forever. [Psalm 23:6] ‘One thing I ask of the Lord, and that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of God all the days of my life’, he says, [Psalm 27:4], and they are all not mere hyped up words, but come from his heart, illustrating the truth that, you work because God is working in you.
God Himself brings about a divine determination in you to carry out His will with pleasure, with desires birthed in you by Him. For, desires otherwise, can be shaped by the media, and the fallen world around you. The Lord has clearly said that without Him you can do nothing. Ask the Lord Himself therefore, to give you the desires, what needs to be the desires of your heart. For, He is working in you and through you, to give you divine desires in order to do His pleasurable will and thereby experience the peace that comes from Him that is beyond all understanding.
The peace that God gives you is very much to do with what is happening internally within you. It is very beautifully displayed in the life of the psalmist David himself, who turned in repentance to focus on God, having lost the inner peace that he once enjoyed. Psalm fifty one is his broken hearted plea unto the Lord. And, even as you study it, you will be able to clearly see that David’s focus is centered on his internal condition, where his sinful act had destroyed his peace within.
The majestic Cross of Calvary, where the Savior bled and died for you and I, not just dissects history, but also the power of sin within a person. Before salvation that comes in you through the finished work of the Cross, you had no option but to sin. But now, in the aftermath of the Cross, you are not bound by the law of sin and death, for on the Cross, sin became a defeated foe. Therefore, though you are still living in a fallen world, and you still do commit a sin now and then, there is also a powerful difference.
David, the psalmist and king had experienced many victories, standing on the Name of the Lord, but now he was a broken man, broken down by his sinful act of adultery that led to murder. And more importantly, he was living in the dispensation of the old covenant, when the Cross was still a prophecy, to be fulfilled in the future. But today, living in the freedom of the new covenant, when you and I commit a sin, it is because we want to, and not because we have to. It is a willful sin; and therefore, God does something wonderful in your will, to give you a new desire, that is in line with His will.
Every temptation that you face in life needs an opportunity, and a desire, and the devil will give you both in order to make you commit a sin !. But if you have the opportunity, and not the desire for it, you will refrain from sinning. And that is the marvelous work of grace that God works in you. You may have plenty of opportunities, but you will not have the desire to yield to sin, because God is working in you, to give you new desires that are in line with His will.
It is why Christian life needs to be a constant dependence on God, in order to overcome temptation, for on your own, you can never manage the devil. You need to depend on God, who has crushed the head of the evil one on the Cross, and today when you are His child, He wants to display His victory and glorious power in you. David, in genuine repentance, as he asks of the Lord, sets forth what needs to be your prayer too, and also the changes that need to happen in you, in order to see the peace of Christ guarding you. It is all about internal changes, and nothing external, is the truth that you will see very clearly, as you proceed to study it.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. [Psalm 51:10]
The heart of man is deceitful and twisted, beyond all cure, is how the prophet Jeremiah puts it, and you and I can readily agree with it. A new heart is what every person in the world needs; and it can come only from God and through Christ when a person becomes a new creation in Him.
Renew a steadfast or loyal spirit within me, is how a translation puts it across. And it is a challenge that every child of God faces. It is easier to be a Christian, relatively speaking, on a Sunday in church, than on other days when you encounter the challenges of life that threaten to lead you astray. As the humorous comment goes, ‘a person can be an angel in church, only to be a fallen angel at home’!. But, it need not be your story. For, God changes not just your thoughts, He does something much deeper; He changes the way that you think, to be – Renewed in the spirit of your mind. [Ephesians 4:23]
And under the old covenant, the Holy Spirit did not dwell within a person continually; it was the reason for David’s plea, ‘Take not your Holy Spirit from me’. [Psalm 51:11] But now, under the new covenant, the Holy Spirit does not leave you when you commit a sin. If the One who brings you out of sin leaves you, who can then bring you back out of sin into righteousness ? He convicts you of your sin, to lead you to repentance, and gives you the power to say No’, when that temptation crops up again. You can now say ‘No thank you’, to lay aside the sin which can so easily entangle you.
And finally, David prays
Only God can accomplish it all and bring to completion every good work that He begins in you, the changes that need to happen within you. It is how it all builds up to Him keeping you in perfect peace. He works in your heart and mind to do something wonderful, as He births in you new divine desires, and fills you with empowerment in your will, so that when a troubling temptation comes, you will have the power to say ‘No’ to it. And, it is by doing so that God guards and protects your mind in perfect peace, even as you live in constant dependence on Him.
Self effort will be stressful, but divine desires will be delightful. Studying the word of God with your mind fixed upon it will be a delightful experience. You will not just want to read His word, rather you will love to read and meditate upon God’s word !. It is all because God works in your heart, that you may work it out in your life !. It is how He ordains peace in your life.
The Lord who keeps you in perfect peace, the Lord who brings to completion all that He begins, ultimately will establish peace in your life. It is with confidence that you can proclaim, Lord, you will establish peace for us, for you have also done all our works in us’ [Isaiah 26:12] He works in your heart to give you divine desires, the will, and the power to do it all. By doing so He guards your heart in perfect peace and harmony. He indeed has done it all in you and through you to ordain peace in your life.
Therefore, if you are stressed today, just surrender to Him saying, ‘Lord, I want you to birth in me your desires’. And thank Him, for He is working in you, and therefore, working it out in your life becomes easy, and not stressful. No commandment of God is burdensome. He does not want you to be stressed in any way. ‘Come unto Me, take my yoke, learn from Me, and find rest ‘, the Lord lovingly invites you. The One who made the sun and the moon, the heavens and the earth, who hung the stars in the sky is at work within you, and He will make difficult things easy.
Thank Him for He is working in you, and as you depend upon Him, He will birth His desires in your heart, that your will may be empowered by the Holy Spirit. Pray unto Him, that He may create in you a clean heart, renew a steadfast spirit within you, and sustain you with a willing spirit. And all that you have asked of Him in prayer, believe in faith that you have received from Him that peace belongs to you !.
In the Name of Christ Jesus Amen.
