Looking for Peace in All the Wrong Places

Do you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by changing circumstances?  Whether it be health, job status, housing status or family status, just to name a few...  If  we hope to find peace in those areas of life, than we will be disappointed because we are looking for peace in all the wrong places...

What circumstances are you relying on for feeling at peace?

I am currently reading Guarded by Christ written by Heather Holleman.  I am going through the book as a daily Bible study.  I am about half way through and can already tell this book is going to be a life changer.  In fact, beside the Bible, I believe this is the book I've been waiting for my entire life.  I will share a more in-depth post about Guarded by Christ in the future, but for now, I wanted to share a hard truth I discovered about myself when answering one of the bible study questions in a chapter entitled The Moat:  From Harassed to Harmonized.   The author asked the following question...

"What are (or what have been) some of your 'false resting places' that you believe will bring you lasting peace?"

As I searched my heart, the ugly truth came out, through my pen, onto the crisp page.  A truth that became uglier knowing that I had just written a post a couple of weeks ago, which you can read here, where I shared about the rest we can find in allowing Christ to dwell within us.  I had closed that post with the hymn, Jesus I am resting, resting... in the joy of what Thou art...   

But as I began to list my false resting places, resting places that I believed would bring me lasting peace, like my marriage, my children, friendships, good health for myself and my loved ones, and a content life in general, I realized that indeed I am not resting in the Joy of the Lord, but looking for peace in all the wrong places.

Are you depending on that which changes for peace?

As I pondered my answer, I thought to myself, "Karen, none of your false resting places are ever going to stay the same."  And indeed, they never do.  I was placing my hopes for lasting peace on that which changes.  We are not guaranteed good health at all times.  We are not guaranteed relationships that are always sunshine and roses.   And we certainly are not guaranteed a life free from trials.

 ...Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:34b

This revelation about my false resting places did not bring about feelings of hopelessness within me, but feelings of great hope and relief!  I realized that changeable circumstances are not unique to me, but are true for every human being.  Life is ever changing and as such, none of us can depend on people, situations or things to bring us lasting peace.  Oh there is such freedom in this revelation!

{In my blog post Mindfulness Meditation in the Christian's Life, I shared about the power of meditation to free us from anxiety in this ever changing life which you can read HERE.}   

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. 

In the world you will have tribulation. 

But take heart; I have overcome the world.

John 16:33

We can have peace in a God who NEVER changes!  He is our constant!  No matter what turmoil we may find ourselves in, we have the Holy Spirit within us, the Great Stabilizer of our souls, bringing us the peace that surpasses all understanding, guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  He is our ONLY resting place.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Hebrews 13:8

“For I the Lord do not change; 

therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.

Malachi 3:6

God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. 

Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

Numbers 23:19

The grass withers, the flower fades, 

but the word of our God will stand forever.

Isaiah 40:8

We have these great promises to find our rest in - our true resting places through one God.

As we think back over our lives thus far, we can see so many personal evidences of our unchanging and faithful Heavenly Father.  

Then I said, “I will appeal to this,

    to the years of the right hand of the Most High.”

 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;

    yes, I will remember your wonders of old.

I will ponder all your work,

    and meditate on your mighty deeds.

Psalm 77:10-12

The Benson Commentary explains that the "right hand of the Most High are the years in which God hath done great and glorious works, which are often ascribed to God’s right hand in the Scriptures."

I love this!  "I will appeal to the years that You have done great and Glorious Works for me."  An appeal is an urgent request to a higher court.  We are not appealing to a higher court, but to the Most High God, remembering and reminding Him of the wonders He has wrought in our lives.

How has the God of Peace shown Himself Faithful?

This verse was my meditation verse yesterday, just a day after I had an unsettling experience during my routine thyroid ultrasound...

Just to give a quick background, many years ago I discovered a large lump in my neck.  Testing revealed that I had a large thyroid nodule. I underwent two biopsies because the first one did not yield enough specimen to rule out cancer; through the prayers of Believers in Christ, the second biopsy yielded an adequate specimen and cancer was ruled out.  I was then diagnosed with a multinodular goiter and was followed with annual thyroid ultrasounds.  I can honestly say that I didn't worry about my thyroid after that.  I also LOVE my endocrinologist.  She is such a nice person whose manner just puts anyone at ease, especially this white coat syndrome gal.

My annual routine endocrinology appointment was last Friday.  Oddly enough, just a few days before that appointment, I discovered tenderness in my neck over the site of the original thyroid nodule, a nodule that had ultimately shrunk and calcified many years before.  I didn't mention anything at the time of the appointment because I knew I was having a thyroid ultrasound on Monday, and really didn't think much of it.

My thyroid ultrasound was probably one of the quickest I have ever had which is always a good sign, but when she had the ultrasound wand over the tender area, I noticed she flagged it and then said, "When do you see your doctor?"  Um, in my head I'm thinking, "well, this sounds ominous".  So I told her I already saw the doctor to which she responded, "Perfect, that way she can tell you if there are any major changes."  I don't know about you, but I tend to like it when the technicians don't say anything related to your test - like they are supposed to.  lol.

That evening I was experiencing sporadic deep pains in that area, the kind I felt years ago when the initial nodule was growing.  I didn't have any pains yesterday, but now today I am having them again.  I haven't heard from my doctor yet and typically, if there is nothing remarkable found on the ultrasound, I don't hear from her, but the doctor may not have seen my ultrasound results yet...

Soo, yesterday, at the top of every hour when the Psalm verses I shared above would pop up on my phone's lock screen, I would remember the great and mighty works the Lord performed with my initial thyroid  nodule and impending thyroidectomy, but God... through the prayers of the Faithful, brought about healing without any need for surgery.

It brought me great comfort and peace to remember what the Lord had already done, and to appeal to Him once again concerning my thyroid, trusting and believing in His unchanging grace and mercy.

As I exercised my faith hourly concerning my thyroid, I remembered a sermon Charles Stanley shared a couple of months ago where he suggested writing personal Psalms to the Lord for recording our fears, our honest feelings, the Lord's responses and the subsequent joy in the Lord experienced. 

I was indeed doing that throughout the day yesterday and indeed, felt joy and peace in the midst of uncertainty.

Personal Psalms are truly a wonderful way to journal the years of the right hand of the Most High.  Because inevitably, no matter what we go through, God NEVER changes and ALWAYS brings about  joy and peace.

To read more about how to experience God's peace please click on the following:

Trials Usher in Peace

Can't Find Peace? It's Closer than you Think!

Peace that Surpasses All Understanding: Lessons from Corrie Ten Boom

Peace in the Christian Life Hinges on One Thing

May we continually look to the Prince of Peace as our ONLY resting place to find lasting peace.

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