Perfect Peace

 October 22, 2022

O God, my heart is fixed.

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. - He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies.

What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. - In the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy: I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

The God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.

Ps. 108:1. Ps. 27:1. Isa. 26:3. -Ps. 112:7,8. Ps. 56:3. Ps. 27:5,6. I Pet. 5:10,11.

This morning’s reading from Daily Light is instructive for the days in which we live. I often hear Christians speak in fearful tones, worrying about the direction our country is headed, what is in store for our children and grandchildren, or even planning for apocalyptic scenarios by stockpiling food, water, and even guns and ammunition. The media is all-too-happy to stoke the fires of fear, and we are all-too-ready to listen. 

Notice where our peace is found: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, who’s mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee.” In any of life’s endeavors, we tend to hit what we aim at. The exception to this rule may be made in the matter of my hunting prowess, but other than that, if we focus on something, our attention is directed towards it, blocking out everything else. We lack peace because we are giving our attention to those matters that are anxiety-provoking. 

When driving, things get dangerous when there is an accident on a superhighway. People can’t seem to avoid rubber-necking. They slow down and don’t pay attention to where they are going. We often live our lives that way, giving attention to the sensational and ignoring the mundane which comprises most of life. Worse yet, we ignore God himself. 

Peter said it best: “The God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.” Jesus had told him he would suffer for the Gospel’s sake. Peter wrote extensively about the suffering and trials that he knew were commonplace for Christians. But it didn’t change his trust in his Lord. He knew Jesus would strengthen him through it, and accomplish his purposes in it. And he knew God would be glorified as he kept the faith through it all.

No one enjoys problems, but they don’t have to derail our lives. Perfect peace is possible as we settle our hearts in Christ.