The phrase “rest in peace” is commonly used when someone dies, but what does it look like to live every day in God’s peace? His Word says that God offers us His peace even now, while we are very much alive.
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27). For me, it is often fear that gets in the way of feeling peace. But as we have talked about in this blog before, feelings can be deceiving. In believing and following Jesus, we are given peace, whether we feel it or not. What a comforting truth! I am still learning how, but the key to living in peace is keeping our minds and hearts on the Truth.
It’s when we allow our thoughts to focus on whatever is scary to us that we can become afraid. Fear can (but not always) imply that we’re not trusting God to take care of it, that we’re not believing that God is bigger than our fear and whatever we’re afraid of. Isaiah wrote, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock” (Isaiah 26:3-4). It is our trust in God that anchors us in God’s peace. God promises that when we keep our minds on Him, we are kept in His peace.
So, now that we know that, everything should be just fine to live with a sense of God’s peace all the time, right? Well, I certainly hope that for you, friends, but it hasn’t been quite so easy for me. Life can bring things that are scary to the forefront of my mind. It can be hard to keep my mind “stayed on” God when life gets difficult. But His Word provides Truth and hope in every season, even and perhaps especially in times of lament. When I struggle to keep focused on God, reading Scripture, especially Psalms of lament, can often help to bring my heart to a place of greater peace—reading His Words help me to look at God instead of my fears. When I struggle to focus on God as He tells us to, I try to also remember to simply ask Him to help me. He is faithful to help us obey Him. He is always listening, always for us, and always gracious to give us what we need. That’s who He is (check out the Characteristics of God series for more on that).
God has done everything that we need—Jesus did all the work that was ever and will ever be needed to save us from our sin and death. That includes all the times we don’t obey His will, when we fear instead of trust, when we doubt instead of believe. He has more grace for us. He has provided peace; it is set up for us to have in our lives and our hearts now and always. “O Lord, you will ordain peace for us, for you have indeed done for us all our works” (Isaiah 26:12). This is True, despite whatever life circumstances may come.
May we hold onto the Truth of God-ordained peace, which is divinely appointed for us, forever. Halleluiah!
“He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken” (Isaiah 25:8).
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