PREVAILING PEACE
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peaceG1515 of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
On the day I called, You answered me; You emboldened me and strengthened my soul.
Psalm 138:3
When sores began cropping up on my feet, I did not understand the depth of the problem. They began creeping up my legs despite the doctors’ best efforts to cure them and my family’s efforts with home remedies. I had only short periods of relief before they returned with a vengeance. I realized the seriousness of the problem when the doctors scraped the wounds to do a culture and nothing definitive came back. They did not have a name for what was causing these necrotic ulcers and were unable to come up with an effective treatment plan. I cried out to the Lord for healing, but physical healing did not occur in the way I had hoped. My feet looked like they were rotting or melting, and in essence, they were! One doctor said that sepsis and even dying were possibilities that could occur at any time. In fact, he described my legs with the terrifying words, “Two ticking time-bombs!” The Lord gave me the strength and peace I needed to make the decision to have both legs amputated. On one hand, it was a heart-wrenching decision; but on the other hand, it was a “no-brainer.” It was only in Jesus Christ that I could make this choice, and His peace prevailed even during the difficult time of recovery. Because I had peace with God, I was given the peace of God.
Not every time we cry out to the Lord is this drastic, but we can be assured that the Lord hears our cry. We can be certain that the Lord is with us, and as long as He is with us, we can have the peace to face any challenge. He has the power to bring us out of or through our situation when we rest in Him as our Prince of Peace. What are you crying out to the Lord about today? Thank Him in advance for the answer and the peace He will provide.
Father, we are able to obediently thank You for all things because we know You will provide peace in our lives despite our circumstances.
Worship along with Mercy Me singing “Bring the Rain”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8HgAVenbUU
and Mercy Me singing “Even If”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6fA35Ved-Y
Or memorize a paraphrase of this Scripture by listening to this lullaby: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4Af1zhUPxs