This morning as I sat “still” before the Lord I was in a place of fear and restlessness with much of me refusing to be advised or comforted. The deepest desire of my heart was for peace…His perfect peace…the kind that comes only from Jesus. The kind that can never be taken away. The kind that if you truly have it you will want for nothing.
Now the Lord knew what I was going to be struggling with this morning so His word to me today through my “read through the Bible in a year plan” was…wait for it…Psalm 23. How good is our God. How kind! How gracious!
1 The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD
Forever.
As I read, I saw that the biggest obstacle to this peace is “unsurrendered” untrusting me. Holding on to my fear gives me nothing good. In fact, it gives me jaw pain, back pain, head pain and emotional pain that I definitely don’t want or need.
Oh, that I would truly surrender my heart to His lovingkindness…that I could rest in today’s provided pasture and not fret about tomorrow’s. Oh, that I would obey Him by giving my entire attention to what He in His grace is doing right now in my life and not get worked up about all the never ending “what if’s” that attempt to find a foothold in my thinking.
My God will help me deal with whatever comes my way. Big, small, hard or easy His grace is sufficient. He is always working and there is always much to be thankful for. He prepares a table before me even and especially in the presence of my enemies. His goodness and mercy daily hunt me down and always overtake me. This world is not my home. He is. In Him, I am bullet proof.
Today, then, I will open my arms wide in surrender and receive what He wills for me. By His Spirit, I will commit each specific fear into His loving and capable hands and make His footsteps my pathway. I will live as He lived here on earth…wholly trusting His Father in heaven in everything and for everything. My times are in Your hands, Father. Today I ask for more of You.
More thankfulness,
more peace in my heart,
more trust,
more joy,
More hope
More faith
More of Your perfect love that casts out fear and unites my heart to Yours.
Help us Father to continually find our peace and our happiness in You.
You are my hiding place;
You shall preserve me from trouble;
You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.
Selah
Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;
But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him.—Psalm 32
"Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation."—Psalm 91
In the day when I cried out, You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my soul…
Though the LORD is on high,
Yet He regards the lowly;
But the proud He knows from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
The LORD will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.—Psalm 138
You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.
Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me,"
Even the night shall be light about me;—Psalm 139
