Peace of GOD

I've had some very hard times in recent years. They seemed to pile one on the other. I've had some medical problems, my son spent 2 years in prison, it seemed like the whole world fell on me all at once. I had a lot of 'bad' days, but in it all I lived in peace and sureness of God's plan for me, my son, my family. Days when the grief of his absence and the days of his life being 'wasted' all I had was God, I would pray in the midst of sometimes wailing and almost immediately I'd know God's peace.
My pastor said there were people watching us, were we going to quit on God, were we going to quit church, what would we do. I think it was as much for our testimony as anything.
God certainly does give abundant life, with peace available when needed.

 

Over the years, when going through a struggle, I have invariably turned to Psalms. If needed I have read 30 or more at a time because they have so expressed the struggles. What I have learned is that abiding in Christ, resting in and believing He will never leave or forsake us, even when we feel alone, is an absolute comfort and then peace that He provides. In distress we can cry out, and in our hearts we know He hears.
Praise God He will never fail us. And with that there is also peace.

Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

2 Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

That is indeed great! Before I experienced the true biblical peace of God, I used to think I was going through hard times. It is amazing how much more I have been through in these last few years and looking back, I wonder how I could have made it through this without God. The most amazing part is that I don't feel like I have been through anything difficult or hard, but society would offer me many excuses to have become stressed, depressed, anxious...you name it. God's peace gets me through day by day and since I found that nothing seems to be so "hard!"

These verses have played an integral part in helping me realize that his peace is indeed something we can experience and we can be joyful even in what most people would call "tough" times.

When we are weak, then He is strong! Thank you Lord for your strength, peace and rest! Amen and Amen!

~Lorelei