My mother used to love to tell the story of how I came home from Sunday school when I was five talking about “the peas is pass is.” She was quite puzzled and was unable to decipher what I was trying to say. The next Sunday she asked the teacher, who explained that I was trying to say, “the peace that passes.” We had sung the song “I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy” in class.
One of the lines of the song goes link this: “I’ve got the peace that passes understanding, Down in my heart, Down in my heart to stay.”
As a five-year old, I had no clue what “the peace that passes understanding” was. It is a fun catchy song that has stuck with me through the years. Over a lifetime, I have experienced many instances of this amazing peace.
The song comes from Philippians 4: 6, 7, “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (King James Version)
The New King James Version begins “Be anxious for nothing.” This exhortation was needed in the days of the early church as followers of Christ faced intense persecution. They had much to fear, yet Paul admonished them to not live in fear, but to come to the throne of God with their needs and to trust God to meet those needs.
This directive is still pertinent today. We face threats and stress from many sides. Some threats are applicable to every person who lives: financial stress, health challenges, political unrest, and economic pressures. Other threats are directed specifically at the Church. As Christians, we are under intense pressure to compromise our beliefs and our values in the name of being politically correct. Christianity has not been outlawed as it was in Paul’s day, but Christians are under attack daily.
And God is still the answer. When we bring our trials, challenges, and tribulations to the throne of God, the Holy Spirit fills us with God’s peace. A peace that does not make any sense—that surpasses our understanding. In those moments, we know that our lives are in God’s hands. He is walking beside us through each and every trial.
Whatever you are walking through today, do not be filled with anxiety. Rather, bring your needs to God, with thanksgiving. God will hear you, and He will walk this path with you. Then you will experience the peace that the world cannot offer.
Bring your problems, your worries, and your cares to God. “Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your cares upon Him, because He cares for you.” I Peter 5: 6, 7
Susan's Reflections 