Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [62] Promised Peace

One of those Moments

Last night I sat down with two of my sons to watch a movie. No popcorn, just the movie. Free on BBC iPlayer, it was called Twelve Monkeys, a SciFi thriller, a dad and lads evening together.

The only problem was that dad did not understand the film. Scarcely one scene made any sense to me! I found it totally confusing.

One major reason for this incomprehension is that, born to missionary parents, we grew up without a TV in our household. And so I did not start watching TV until I was 20 years old living in a Liverpudlian student's flat.

By the age of 20 it is simply too late to "get" the way films work naturally and instinctively. You may be able to learn the skill, but it does not come naturally.

Have you ever had a moment of blind disorientation when you sincerly did not know who you were, where you were going, and perhaps even where you had come from? Everything in life seemed like one gigantic unsolved puzzle, leaving you anxious, dislocated, afraid and bewildered?

And in that moment, you found yourself spiritually as as "weak as a kitten", hopeless and even despairing?

When I read the Apostle Paul I am convinced he had those muddled moments. Two of his letters, 1st and 2nd Corinthians - his longest correspondence to any church - reveal his profound humanness and at time helplessness.

(Those two letters are in the New Testament, by the way, to teach us that God works through weakness and weak people; not through "strong people" and human might. Feeling muddled, Gospel workers, is no hindrance to great usefulness in God's service.)

"We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life." (2 Corinthians 1:8), "Pressed on every side... perplexed... struck down..." (4:8)

Paul knew what it was to be perplexed. The word "perplex" can stretch as far as doubt. From the book of Acts we can imagine there were many moments when Paul was just flat out confused.

The Way Out

If the apostle Paul had merely stewed in his perplexed states he would have remained in those states, he would have phased out of life, and that's about all we would have heard of the good man.

But over the years he had learned what to do - and to act is what we too must do - when dislocated. Here it is, and since it comes with a beautiful promise, it's our meditation for the day:

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by in eveything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, presenty your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)

I trust that no reader will struggle with a consistent theme in these blogs - that God calls upon his people to act. In whatever the circumstance, don't be inactive, but do something.

Three "Dos"

The "do's" here are, in the first place a don't. Stop worrying, "do not be anxious." Paul takes this straight from his Master who says to us, again and again, "Do not worrry." Worrying doesn't help.

I heard an Ad on the radio this week using financial anxiety in this pandemic era to sell banking services. It got me mad - righteously I think. A banking gain is  about the only thing anxiety may accomplish; we'll see.

The second do is "give thanks." Pray "with thanksgiving..." The reason is clear. Thanksgiving requires thoughtfulness. You must count and recount, all the reasons you have to give thanks - each one of them a gift from God.

So in giving thanks you recall the blessings and goodness of God.

The third do is pray. Pray with prayers and petitions and requests. Talk to God, bring all your confusion and perplexity to him. Prayer is faith in God flexing its muscles.

The Promised Peace

And then the promise: divine peace. God promises - look, a conditional promise, again - supernatural peace to those who will stop fretting, start praying and pour out their hearts in thankfulness.

"..and the peace of God, which transends all understandong, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

This peace of God is not a natural peace. It's the peace Jesus promised, "not as the world gives." (John 14:27).

The peace of God is an "irrational peace." It defies reason, it transcends "sense." There is no human way to explain it. Humanly, it should not be there!

Many people discover, when they are born again, this new inner peace, this divine peace they have never known before.

Summing it All Up

You may feel there is no-one in the world you can share your "moment of perplexity" with. There are times when that is not only true but right, for the saying is not always true: "A burden shared is a burden halved." On occasion, "a burden shared is a burden doubled."

But God calls us to share our muddled moments with him, for he is our loving Father in heaven. If he feeds the birds in lockdown he for sure will care for you, his nobler creation.

Do something. Don't fret. Draw up your thank you list and pray it (if it is accurate, boy will it be long!). Then talk to God about the problem. Then stand back and wait for Guardian Peace.

A SONG FOR THE DAY

I've chosen a "Maranatha Music" chorus. These folks were pioneers in the movement of the 60s and 70s to "sing to the Lord a new song." It's simple for sometimes we need simple.

My Peace I Give Unto You;
It's A Peace That The World
Cannot Give;
Its A Peace That The World
Cannot Understand,
Peace to Know, Peace To Live,
My Peace I Give Unto You.

My Love I Give Unto You,
It's Love That The World
Cannot Give;
It's A Love That The World
Cannot Understand.
Love To Know, Love To Live,
My Love I Give Unto You.
It's A Love That The World
Cannot Understand.
My Love I Give Unto You.

Songwriter: Keith Routledge

You can hear it HERE.

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Our loving and gracious Father in heaven,

We acknowledge that we are children of the dust, finite, fallible, weak and foolish.

We are weak but you are strong.

We thank you for peace with you that has come through the death of your precious Son. We thank you that once enemies, now we are friends.

And we thank you for the experiential and supernatural peace you promise to give us in our hearts.

Teach us not to fret, help us to be a people of thanksgiving, and remind us to bring everything to you in prayer.

In our moments of muddle, give us the peace that passeth all understanding.

We ask this in the Name of Jesus,

Amen.

Photo by Finn on Unsplash