FaiTHought: Finding Peace with God
Hi everyone! I’ve had a lot opportunity lately to think about peace. In my view, we look and hope for many things in life–meaning, purpose, acceptance, and love–but peace, something our hearts crave, is often illusive. A life without it though seems to me very stressful and filled with anxiety. It’s worth the effort then, don’t you think, to consider how we can find peace with God and carry it with us as we journey through life.
Our family has walked through a painful trial over the past several years. Just when life seems to return to some sort of normalcy, one aspect or another of the situation rears its ugly head, and we find ourselves plunged, once again, into fear and despair.
But then we remind ourselves of the truth we have learned through our experiences: our circumstances do not change who God is. He is a good, good Father and he can be trusted. When we run to him at these low points, he is there and he offers us the peace we long for.
The prophet Isaiah tells us in Chapter 26, verse 3 that He [God] will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in you. From this verse we learn that (1) God gives peace, (2) he gives it to those with steadfast minds, and (3) a steadfast mind comes via trust in him.
Peace comes when we steadfastly trust in the living God for everything. But how do we go about developing that kind of God-trust? Gordon MacDonald in his classic, Ordering Your Private World, takes just under 200 pages to answer this question. I will attempt to answer it with three: Time. With. God.
He will keep in perfect peace him whose mind
is steadfast because he trusts in you.
One does not acquire a steadfast mind [a heart committed to God and a will won over by Christ] in just one day. This place of firm belief and trust is grown, rather like a garden, over years of faithful devotion and time spent with him. I love how MacDonald puts it:
For me the appropriate metaphor for the inner spiritual center is a garden, a place of potential peace and tranquility. This garden is a place where the Spirit of God comes to make self-disclosure, to share wisdom, to give affirmation or rebuke, to provide encouragement, and to give direction and guidance. When this garden is in proper order, it is a quiet place, and there is an absence of busyness, of defiling noise, of confusion (118).
These times spent with God in quietness, in reading scripture, and in talking with him, are essential to attaining the peace we seek.
MacDonald explains that “There must be these moments when we break our routines, from other relationships, from the demands of the outer world, to meet him in the garden (126),” because from this place “comes the energy [peace] that overcomes turbulence and is not intimidated by it” (25).
In other words, when the world around us rages like a storm or even a hurricane, we will not be moved because he has given us what we need to stand. We can remain steady in the face the turbulence because we know whose we are and that he can be trusted. We know the depth and height of his love for us and are convinced that he has things under control, even when they appear entirely out of control.
We can face the turbulence in our lives,
because we know who’s we are.
Are you going through a turbulent time? Are you anxious about the future? Are you run ragged by all of your responsibilities? There is a place we can go, a “garden” where we can quiet our souls and refresh our spirits–whether through simple conversation, crying out to him with tears, or allowing the Holy Spirit to minister in his unique and mysterious way. But we must go there. We must set aside the time, quiet our busy minds, and begin the conversation.
Engage with God and he will engage with you.
In my “garden” times, I like to start by telling him how I feel, then I might open to the psalms and begin reading its comforting words, or I might simply begin to hum a chorus or an old hymn. Writing in my journal–whatever strikes me as important, perhaps a scripture, a thought, or a quote from a book I’m reading–is always a part of my garden time.
Oh, and don’t forget to ask him, “What do you have to say to me today, Lord?” Engage with God and he will engage with you, and when you leave the garden, you will find he has left you with some peace, or as Psalm 26 calls it, perfect peace. Couldn’t we all use some of that?
For more ideas on how to spend time in the “garden” with God:
Faithought: Connecting with God
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I’d love it if you’d pin this post 🙂
Hi. The words you wrote were so inspiring. Just last week my prayer group was discussing finding a quiet time in our hectic day to talk with Our Lord. Just 15 minutes every day, and it’s amazing how peaceful and fulfilled you feel. Thanks again for the inspiring words. Peace and hugs. Kim
Hi Kim–you’re so right. 15 minutes with Him is so worth it in every way! Your prayer group sounds just wonderful 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by to chat–
Love the idea of “Garden Time” with God. I’m a gardener and can certainly relate to that.
Thank you for sharing.
You’re so welcome, Sandra–thanks for joining in the conversation. So glad the garden imagery resonated with you 🙂
Diana, I love your FaiTHought posts. It’s been awhile since you’ve posted one, and it’s very welcomed this morning. Thank you.
That blesses me to know, Rita!! Thanks so much for leaving such a sweet comment 🙂
Beautiful post Diana. This is so true. During the good and the ugly times if we can find a sanctuary of peace in the day then I think we can survive just about anything. I have learned a lot over the past two years during our struggle that instead of trying to pull through the struggle if you can find peace during the struggle it will help you sustain just about anything. Very inspiring.
Hugs,
Kris
Thanks so much Kris–yes, I agree, we can survive almost anything with God’s peace. So glad you dropped in for a chat 🙂
Thank you!!! Just simply thank you!
You’re so welcome, Susan!!
I just need to go to the garden myself. You’re so right, God is always standing by.
Such a blessing to know, right? Thanks for dropping by Florence 🙂
Thanks for the great post. It was very timely for me and sometimes that speaks volumes, doesn’t it?
You’re welcome, Kim–glad the timing was right 🙂 That blesses me to know–
This was very nice, Diana. The Garden is where I always feel closest to God. I am going to have to look up Gordon MacDonald’s work.
Thanks, Cynthia! The book is wonderful–you’ll love it 🙂
Beautiful post, Diana…I pray your family finds peace. Our family has had great trials the last two years, too. Seeking God and his peace is foremost in life. I don’t know how one gets through times like this without it. Love to you, sweet friend…xo
Thanks so much Linda–your prayers mean the world. I was not aware of your troubles and will pray for you and your family as well. I agree with you so strongly–without the Lord, all would be lost. You are a sweet blessing, Linda–thank you.
So perfect, especially with all the mess that’s going on in our nation. We are exposing ourselves to the wrong messages if we look at circumstances — news (not always real but with untrue spins), social networking (not really al that social in many casses), negative people. In the name of Jesus, this message you shared will get to the hearts of those who are hurting today.
Yes, there’s a lot of anxiety in the world right now–He surely is the answer, as I know you agree, Mary Ann. Thank you friend for your always faithful support 🙂 And a hearty amen to your prayer!
Your words are so true. My family has also been through multiple trials in the last few years. I often said I don’t know how people who don’t know the LORD get through this. May He bless you and keep you, give you strength and courage.
Thank you so much for that sweet prayer, Barbara–it means so much. I pray the same for you and your family, that you will know him and the power of his great love. He is the only way…
because he trusts in you. To me that part means that because He gave us free will, he is trusting in us to do the right things; to care for this world, treasure it and be thankful for it; to treat each other with kindness and love and be non-judgmental; to remember Him in prayer each day; to stand up for those in need and being suppressed; to make our voices heard when there is injustice being done. Now in our times I believe God wants to see how we use that free will he gave us to do the right things. Jesus would be speaking up. Jesus would be urging people to stand against those doing evil, those hurting others. Jesus would tell us not to turn our backs on the oppressed.
You’re so right, Rose, loving God leads us to love his ways, doesn’t it? When we show kindness to a stranger or reach out to someone who is oppressed, we’re loving as Jesus loved. In fact, he said whatever we do for the least of these, we’re really doing for to him, right? Some great spiritual truths to remember 🙂
Your words were just what I needed today to remind me of our Lord’s grace.
That blesses me so much to hear, Sharon; thank you for letting me now 🙂 Hope the rest of your week is filled with blessings!
Your post brings to mind how hard it is to remember that we come from Pure Love and the essence of Love permeating all we do and say is what brings Peace to our lives and to our world. We can’t really conceive of what God is, I think, but we are told as little children that “God is Love”. So Love of our Creator and the creation as it is displayed in our beautiful Earth and it’s myriad inhabitants, Love of ourselves as precious souls and Love of all other persons as precious souls, is really the solution for all our ills. That may sound simplistic but I believe that it is what Jesus came to teach. As we observe all the violence and hatred in our world and feel the sadness and fear that is so rampant, and are aware of the tragedies that abound, it is essential–at least for me–to meditate on the healing power of Love given and Love received and to re-orient my focus to the source of that Love. It’s not always so easy to look at all we see through the lens of Love, but I believe it is necessary to do so to the best of our ability if we personally as well as our planet and all it’s inhabitants are to find healing and even survive.
Thank you, Diana, for your heartfelt post. We all need reminders to re-orient our minds and hearts to the path of Love.
Thanks Diana for this inspiring post. I really like the garden metaphor. I was reminded of a rough spot my family went through a few years ago and how I got through it by turning to God and asking for His help. I don’t know how I would have managed without Him. I’m going to go spend more time in my garden each day. Have a great day.
Love this, Diana! He is a refuge in the time of storm. And I love the visual of Him being the calm of a beautiful garden. Your graphics are gorgeous, once again. Did I ever learn what you choose to achieve them? Maybe you answered in a previous post…my goal for 2017 is good graphics and being Pinterest saavy. Love your photos!
This is beautiful Diana! I do feel very close to God when I am in a garden. If we turn to him, he will calm us and carry us through those troubled waters. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann