I was reading Luke 12:22-34 this morning, and I came away with some bullet points.  

• Don’t worry about temporal things.
• Be giving; it fills your eternal money belt.
• The location of your treasure tattles on your heart. 

God has a way of using multiple sources to teach us lessons we need to learn.  One such source was a devotional I read this morning, I was impacted by this statement — “If your faith is based on your ability to fully understand your past, present and future, then your moments of confusion will become moments of weakening faith.”  One of the key verses in the devotional was, “You keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, BECAUSE HE TRUSTS YOU” (Isaiah 26:3), emphasis mine.

Understanding every “why” doesn’t give peace.  TRUST gives peace.  BAM!  

As I sat in that principle, the Spirit brought to mind a time when my daughter was in high school and went through a really stormy period in her life.  It turned out to be an unusually hard time for all three of us.  I remember after the initial blow of the storm had passed, my husband and I went away to a mountain cabin.  As I normally do in the morning, I got up, grabbed a cup of coffee, my Bible, and my journal.  That particular morning was warm so I went outside on the deck off our bedroom to spend my time with the Lord.  

I was struggling so hard to understand all that had gone on.  My thoughts went something like this.  “How in the world did this happen?”, “What did I do wrong?”, “Where do I go from here?”, “Lord, what are you doing?”. 

It was then that the Spirit led me to Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious about nothing, but in everything (even in your confusion and heartbreak), by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the PEACE of God, WHICH SURPASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING, will guard your hearts (mine was hurting) and your minds (mine was reeling in confusion) in Christ Jesus.“

I was sitting in the verse for a bit when I heard a rustle in the leaves. I looked up and there was a doe, just standing there looking at me.  

During that moment, the Spirit whispered, “Thirst after Me like this little deer thirsts after water, and you will find My peace.  It won’t be as the world gives, being dependent upon circumstances that are ever changing.  No.  MY peace will come to stay.  In response to the Spirit, my heart whispered, “But how can I be sure that is so, Lord?”  His answer – “Because I don’t change, and I have come to dwell within you.  MY PART in the peace equation is giving peace.  YOUR PART is to take My peace by learning to trust Me, keeping your eyes on Me and not on your circumstances”.  Just wow.  

As I sat there that morning, tired from being up on the phone late with my daughter, the Spirit was urging me, “Take your eyes off horizontal situations and place them on Me. I have a plan for your daughter.  I love her more than you possibly could. TRUST ME.”  I answered Him, “But Lord, my mama heart wants to make things better for her, like right now.  Can’t You do something?”  To which He lovingly and patiently responded, “I am doing something, Daughter.  You see, My “ABBA heart” wants to take what’s occurring in her life, work it all together, and make her stronger spiritually”.  

 Ka-pow! Truth hit its target.

I remember praying, “I do believe You, Lord!  Help my unbelief!  I believe that You can make all things work together for Your glory and for the good of Your children, when we are seeking Your purposes above our own.  And Lord, I do trust You; but when times come when I am drowning in my emotions, please lift me up and lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.  YOU are my solid rock, not calm circumstances. Oh Lord, cement this in my heart and mind.  Enable me, moment by moment, to choose to trust You”.

WANT PEACE?  LEARN TO TRUST.  

Trust is an action word.  It’s being willing to take every rogue thought, chain it up, and bring it into obedience to Jesus.  

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up 
against the knowledge of God, and we take captive
every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
~~2 Corinthians 10:5~~

God has done His part through His precious Son, Jesus.  Are you willing to do yours?