“You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever,
For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.” (Isaiah 26:3-4)
Have you ever observed intently the flight of an eagle? If you have, you would have noticed that eagles glide most of the time and they enjoy their flight.While all creatures are afraid of storms, eagles enjoy the resistance of storms and in fact, storms make their flight more effective and smooth!
We all face storms or adverse circumstances in our lives.No one can claim to have a trouble-free life.We need to learn how to remain unaffected by these stumbling blocks and, like eagles, turn them for our benefit. If we seek our Heavenly Father’s help, every ‘resistance’ of our lives will become an ‘assistance‘ for our upliftment.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”(Romans 8:28)
Every person in this world is in pursuit of inner peace. Lord Jesus is the Prince of Peace and promised this gift to everyone who trusts Him and follows Him,
“ Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.“ (John 14:27)
Now, to have that internal peace, we need to transform our inner selvesby becoming spiritually strong so that the gravity of circumstances does not weigh us down.e.g. a boat or a ship can conveniently float on water as long as the water does not get inside. Similarly, the boat of our lives will safely float if we do not allow the water i.e., the circumstances to affect us adversely or, in other words, to get inside us.Lord Jesus Himself said,
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world youwill have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
I belong to a Hindu, non-believing family. Prior to my marriage, I exercised faith in all religions including Christianity. Lord Jesus was ‘one of the Gods’ I knew about but I was drawn very close to Him while studying in my school which was a Missionary school. After my marriage, I became a victim of rejection, hatred, conspiracy and alienation. But instead of seeking human help, I turned to the Word of God.
“My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your word.” (Psalms 119:28)
Through the storms of my life, the Prince of Peace revealed to me that He is not ‘one of the ways’ but the ONLY WAY to approach our Heavenly Father.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”(John 14:6)
The Holy Spirit taught me how to remain at peace despite the state of our circumstances.No doubt, it could not be achieved overnight.We need to allow the Holy Spirit to transform our inner beings to achieve this, become resistant to the storms and eventually to turn them to our benefit!
The wilderness of my life revealed many spiritual tactics for accomplishing ‘peace in the midst of storms’.
Firstly, I learnt to ABIDE IN THEWORD OF GOD.When we read the Bible, God’s presence permeates our entire being. It is not just a book. The Word is active and alive !
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
We need to allow the Word of God to maneuver our lives.
Secondly, we should CARRY OUR SPIRITUAL BATTLES TO THE SUPERNATURALREALM. Eagles have an awesome quality of the way they fight their enemy.They do not fight their prey,like snake, on the ground because that is the snake’s zone where it is very powerful! An eagle simply picks up the snake and lifts it in the sky, out of it’s ‘power zone’. That very moment, the snake becomes powerless in the sky and the eagle gets it’s prey without any struggle. Similarly, we should not fight with our enemy on the ground i.e. engaging in vocal arguments, becoming anxious etc.
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”(Philippians 4:6-7)
We should fight our battles on our knees i.e. through prayers and supplications.That will automatically transfer our battles to the supernatural realm and divine intervention will give us the victory. I have myself taken many years to train myself in carrying my battles to the spiritual arena.The Word of God equips us to fight our battles spiritually.
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”(Isaiah 40:31)
We should ask God to direct us, by placing our requests before Him in prayers and supplications. So, why not give the steering wheel of your life in His hands and just sit back and relax while you enjoy the journey called ‘life’!
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, You are the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls and we entrust all our cares and burdens in Your keeping. Lord mould us and shape us to become sanctified vessels of Your Glory. Lord, teach us to always stay calm despite the weight of our circumstances. Amen.
Sol. Neelam Sharma ,AOJ