The peace that passes understanding

I have read this phrase hundreds of times and quoted it even more but this last week something stood out that really blessed me.

The Lord is leading me to step out of the boat and trust Him in a certain area of my life. It took me a little while to work through the inevitable anxiety that welled up in me but, because I have walked this particular road a good couple of times, I could make the move and keep my eyes and heart focused. That is, until I spoke to a loved one who verbalised his concerns. The result was a knot in my stomach as big as a football. Was I being irresponsible? The idea díd sound rather far fetched to my ears when I heard his uncertainty. Maybe I should rethink this whole venture…

And then the familiar words rang in my heart, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

The phrase, “which passes all understanding” sprang out at me. I realised that when I receive the peace of God in a situation, it doesn’t mean the people around me will necessarily do so too. They will most likely only see the craziness of stepping out of a boat into the sea. Unless they are looking carefully at Jesus, they will be fearful for my safety. They won’t understand and I shouldn’t expect them to. The call to step out in faith was not directed to them but to me. My task is to focus on the voice of my Saviour not on the voices of the fearful.

Jesus blesses us with peace beyond reason as long as we can focus on Him. And in focussing we experience miracle on miracle and we defy the natural order of our world and taste the heavenly order of God. And when that happens, it sends a fragrant testimony of the glory of our God to our rational minds and it sets us free!

xxx