Do you find peace in God?

When was the last time that you were totally at peace? Or the last time that you were far removed from stress? Sometimes life graces us with blissful moments that make us feel privileged to be alive, blessed and humbled by God’s grace. What about the other times, though? The times when we experience the antithesis of peace, great disturbances that leave us questioning if we'll ever experience that peace in God for which we so humbly pray; what do we do then?

Sometimes, without any warning, life can blindside us with an experience that leaves us feeling totally lost - unable to acquaint ourselves with our overwhelming present. When we're caught in such confusion, it's hard for us to remember God’s sovereignty and the peace that comes with it.

How do we rediscover peace in God? 

I have recently found myself in this situation. From a place of complete peace, a blissful moment, my situation changed within hours to quite the opposite. I know I'm not alone in experiencing such heartache. So where did that peace go and how do we get it back? Elisabeth Elliot puts it this way:

‘God never withholds from His child that which His love and wisdom call good. God's refusals are always merciful - "severe mercies" at times but mercies all the same. God never denies us our heart's desire except to give us something better.’

Naomi loses her peace

There's a character in the bible called Naomi. She loses everything. She'd not only been through a famine but she lost her sons and her husband. After the famine she returns to her hometown. The people call out her name but her response is, ‘Don't call me Naomi, call me Mara,’ which is to say ‘Don't call me pleasant, call me bitter’ (Ruth 1:1-22). Situations can define us and leave us feeling uneasy; they can even define us to the point where we're unrecognisable to people.

Pursuing peace in God 

A phrase we're all familiar with is ‘like father, like daughter’ or ‘like father, like son.’ It's a phrase used to highlight how family members can reflect each other through characteristics. As I went through my ‘valley,’ my experience of the antithesis of peace, I made a decision to learn about God and His characteristics. Even though I didn't feel at peace, even though my situation was telling me otherwise, I refused to let it define me. God is a loving God, He can waste nothing. The book of Joel says:

‘Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love and He relents from sending calamity’ (Joel 2:13). God's story never ends with anxiety or heartache.

The peace that surpasses understanding

Go to God, where your heart and mind can be restored; it's where peace is found because God is peace. It's His characteristic. When life doesn't make sense, find yourself resting in God's faithfulness. Although His refusals may seem like severe mercies, they're only to bring you something better. Turn from your turmoil and turn to Jesus; He is the peace that surpasses all understanding. As Elisabeth Elliot says, ‘leave it in the hands that were wounded for you.’ Rest easy.

‘Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall see God’ (Matthew 5:9). You are a child of God. When you spend time with God, when you practise and learn His characteristics, you too will find yourself making peace out of a confusing place. Like Father, like son. As Philippians says ‘Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 4:7).

When you make peace, when you accept that God is sovereign, then you will see God in your situation. You will be blessed by His love and humbled by how He brings you peace once again.