The Peace That Passes Understanding

Today God revealed something to me. A close friend who loves the Lord and always gives me Godly wisdom when I am feeling lost, overwhelmed or broken, encouraged me to surrender my circumstances to God. She said if I want God to work in our circumstances then I have to surrender them to Him.

"Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." Colossians 3:2

I immediately started thinking, "Well I have done that. I have been praying about it for weeks, for months even." But then I thought about yesterday.

Yesterday, I spent the day in an anxiety-filled, frantic state internally. All day, my mind raced. I felt this need to figure everything out. I felt an urgency and desperately tried to figure things out.

“If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.” Daniel 3:17

I immediately recognized that those feelings of anxiety and frantic desperation were not from God. I also realized that I haven't truly surrendered my circumstances to Him if I'm still trying to control the outcome and come up with solutions.

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3

Today when the boys went down for a nap, I surrounded myself with silence. I laid on my bed and closed my eyes. I talked with God for a moment about bringing me to a place where I could pray unto Him and not at Him. I wanted to be in His presence. A sense of peace came over me and I was able to ask Him to take my circumstances from me and to relieve me of this burden of trying to figure everything out.

"Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him;" Psalm 37:7

I woke up to my 2 1/2 year old quietly whispering, "Mommy, mommy wake up." I woke up feeling lighter. I felt like I had given something away and it was no longer mine to worry about or figure out. I realized in that moment, that is the first time in my life, that I have ever truly surrendered anything to God. I have never given God anything without strings attached or me hanging on to it, even just a little.

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7

I've heard messages and read devotionals that touch on the peace that passes understanding, never realizing I had never actually experienced that peace for myself until this moment.

“God does speak — sometimes one way and sometimes another — even though people may not understand it.” Job 33:14

There are lessons in every season. This season has been no different. Today I felt a breakthrough. I felt as if I experienced something that brought me closer to God and increased my faith. Have my circumstances changed? No, they haven't. But now they aren't mine anymore. They are His and He is faithful.

"Surrender your heart to God, turn to him in prayer" Job 11:13

I thought that this journey of faith was solely about obedience and trusting God, but I learned today that it is also about surrendering to Him. Not just surrendering your circumstances, but surrendering your heart, your spirit, and your life to Him. Only then, will you experience the true peace that God intended for His children, even in the midst of a storm - the peace that passes understanding.

“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.” Job 14:27

With Love,

Stacey