Perfect Peace

Do you ever have those times when it's so abundantly clear that the Lord is reminding you of a very specific truth, something your heart and mind need reminding of? That's where I've been these past few weeks. I have daily (at times hourly) asked that He would give me a very real sense of His nearness and peace that surpasses my own understanding as my husband and I continue in this holding pattern of a season. My attention has frequently come back to the promise given in one of my favorite books in Scripture:

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

Yesterday morning during our church's worship service, our worship leader invited us to a time of open prayer and praise. My heart is encouraged by hearing the prayers and words from Scripture that have been placed on people's hearts. I kept hearing that same theme of praising Him for His goodness, trusting in Him as we wait patiently for Him, and was then compelled to proclaim the Isaiah passage aloud. Along with the passages others read, my husband was compelled to read this one:

Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts Himself to show mercy to you.

For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him. ~Isaiah 30:18

The theme has been frequent, profoundly evident, and I have been grateful for the ways (big and small) the Lord has reminded me of such wonderful and comforting promise. His peace is perfect, promised, and He is faithful to bless those who wait patiently for Him. To continue the theme even more, I came across this prayer on one of the blogs I read fairly often:

Most kind and trustworthy Father, you haven't promised me a storm-less, hassle-free disappointment-empty life. You offer me no formulas for decreasing the probability of sad things happening around me or disillusioning things happening to me. But you have promised me something that transcends the chaos and fear of uncertainty.

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Father, you've promised to keep me in perfect peace, in the midst of whatever happens. O, how I treasure the promise of being kept by you. For there are times I simply cannot keep myself... I have no boot straps to pull up... no magic happy pill to take... no fix-it button to push. Thank you for being a Father who will never forget or abandon your children... who will never forget or abandon me.

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And how I praise you for the promise of being kept, not just in peace... but in perfect peace... as I mind and mine your trustworthy-ness. For you are the LORD--the eternal Rock that is higher than me... the Rock of refuge... the Rock of ages! This leads me to cry out for greater steadfastness of mind... for more gospel-sanity... for more power to bring my wandering, distractible, unbelieving thoughts into captivity to you.

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Yet I will not despair when I am weak in concentration and focus. Indeed, Father, you're not calling me to trust in my ability to trust, but to trust in you... in your trustworthy-ness, not in my trust-ability. For you've even promised your children a peace that passes... surpasses... even by-passes all understanding. Hallelujah!

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What a God you are! There is none like you, Father, no not one! How great are your mercies... how profound your kindnesses... how more-than-sufficient your grace! So very Amen, I pray, in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace... the basis and bounty of all my peace.

(S. Smith, Quoted at challies.com)

Little did I know prior to graduation and this post-seminary season how much the Lord would be teaching me! On the most difficult days, I need those reminders of His goodness and promises to those who wait for Him. I look forward to the day when I look back at this season and see the evidence of His sustaining grace and peace~