Lay Me Down in Peace

     I love Psam 4:8 which says, "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep; for thou, Lord, only thou makest me dwell in safety." So many things in this world are promoted to bring inner peace, things such as yoga poses or deep breathing, special perfumes or lotions that help you relax, or fancy spas and massages. These things may give a brief sensation of something, but true peace isn't one of them. This is because true peace only comes from the Lord. "Peace I leave 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 tells us there are two types of peace - wordly peace, and godly peace. Godly peace is the kind that King David had when he penned that verse in Psalm 4. David was hunted down to be killed by his best friends father, yet he said that he could rest in peace. He could sleep, because God is the only one who allows us to feel truly safe.

     God wants us to strive for peace - peace with man and peace with Him. There are dozens of passages that talk about the importance of the peace that God can give us. The question is, how do we get it? We know that He gives it, but when we're going through those times of heartbreak, frustration, hurt or doubt, how do we just reach up and receive the peace that passeth all understanding?
     Well, first off we have to pursue it.

     1 Peter 3:11 says that we need to be actively seeking and pursuing peace. It's something we often need to strive to have. We can't just expect to automatically have it because we're Christians, but we need to put forth the effort to seek it.
     Isaiah 26:3 says that we will be kept in perfect peace as we keep our minds on God. A lot of times our lives feel like they're in a giant state of upheaval because we've taken our eyes off of the Creator and cast them upon the world. Our minds need to be trained to focus on God, because that's where He takes the circumstances of our lives under His wing and allows us to rest, just like King David.
     1 Corinthians 14:33 says that God isn't the author of confusion but of peace. When your mind becomes plagued by confusion, ask yourself, who's writing your story? The devil, master of confusion, or God, author of peace? When our hearts and minds are not serving or actively seeking the Lord, confusion begins to seep its way into our lives. The more confused we are about various things and circumstances, the less we are worried about our godly testimony. It's so vital in our Christian walk that we put on our Jesus-goggles and see the world that He sees.

     I love that all-encompassing, perfect peace that comes from having a heart that loves the Lord and a strong desire to know Him more. Things are guaranteed to be hard in our Christian lives, it's not an if but a when. The best part about trial and pain is that God promises that through it all, He is there. It's against God's nature to be unfaithful, despite our unfaithfulness. Pursue peace, keep your eyes and heart on God, and allow Him to authorize the details of your life. It's beautiful to know that we are able, just like David, to lay our heads down and be in peace.

Stay excelllent!