Finding Peace
An interesting exercise in trust is falling into the arms of another person. Maybe you’ve played this game before. You are blindfolded, spun around a few times, and then positioned in front of someone else. When ready, and with great anticipation, you fall back into the waiting arms of the person standing behind you. It’s risky! Think about that moment before the fallback. The desire is there. You want to go thought with it; however, with a little trepidation. It’s unnerving! Questions race through your mind “Can they catch me?” “Will they catch me?” “Do I want to go through with it?” “I. Can. Do. This!” Fists clenched. Arms stretched down and glued to either side of your stiffened body. “Three. Two. One. Fall back.”
Proverbs 3:5 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.”
Trusting is not an easy notion. Some of us have been disappointed, let down or flat out abused. Others simply prefer to be in control. However, once the decision to fall back is made and acted upon, self-reliance shifts to total dependence – whole-hearted confidence and trust. This is what God asks of us. This is where He wants us to live. And, this is where we find peace.
Rick Renner, in Sparkling Gems From The Greek, talks about the peace of God mentioned in Philippians 4:7 - “And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
The word “understanding” in this passage, refers to the ability to think, reason, and comprehend. Depicting the mind as the source of all human emotions. It is a place where a person rules and controls his environment along with the world around him. Therefore, it was understood that the condition of the mind is what determined the condition of one’s life.
The word “keep” is a military term that expressed the idea of soldiers who stood faithfully at their posts, to guard and control all who went in and out of the city. They were gatekeepers. No one entered or exited the city without their approval.
Combined, both scriptures mentioned above could be understood in the following way:
“Trust God with all of your heart, and His peace — which rises far above and goes beyond anything the human mind could ever think, reason, imagine, or produce by itself — will guard, control, monitor, and screen everything that tries to access your mind, heart, and emotions.”
You see, nothing compares to the powerful and protective peace that God has freely given each one of us when we trust Him.