Perfect Peace

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” -Isaiah 26:3

I’m always in awe of God. His love, mercy, and protection.

The other night (5/22), I made a decision that was absolutely not of God. I made that decision truthfully now because I was upset at something that took place the day before. My decision was to get off social media and go fast again for an answer God had already given me. To make myself more serious I told God, “I want to know more about my future!” Sounds godly right? The problem was God knew the intent of my heart. It had nothing to do with my future. It had to do with finding a loophole to get out of what God told me to do already two weeks ago.

Let me tell you it wasn’t a good experience. I should have gotten a clue when I spoke about going on another social fast the Friday before and my kids and Executive Director didn’t agree with my decision, but I wanted to “Hear from God!” Nothing wrong with wanting more of God for sure. However, it is very wrong when the intention of the heart is to really change what God already told me in my last fast less then two weeks ago.

I went to sleep, after I sent a private message to several of those I knew that I wasn’t on social media, and business needed to be done by phone, not messenger.

My fast didn’t go very far. At 3:33 a.m., God woke me up. God began to speak to me immediately. This is what He said, “I’m not accepting your social media fast. Get off it. I already told you what to do. Do it. I have clearly spoken to you, and gave you specific instructions. Do you think I will be changing my mind? Be courageous and kind. I am with you.” This wasn’t all. But He went straight to the heart of the matter.

You know when you just want to crawl underneath your blanket? That was me. What struck me was the time. I wrote awhile ago about God waking me up at 3:33 a.m. I couldn’t believe I woke up from a sound sleep same time. God was clearly telling me, “I am for sure talking to you!” Seriously, what is the likelihood I woke up at the same exact time? When I’m sleeping nothing can wake me up. I’m dead to the world. I never wake up in middle of night. Never.

What I wasn’t counting on so early in the morning was God’s rebuke to me. It was such a hard way to start my day. First I was ashamed before God for going back to handle the same situation. God wasn’t trying to slam dunk me. Rather, He wanted me to know my motives were wrong and sinful because I wanted to run away from the situation. God clearly showed me I can’t run away. I can’t be like Gideon. God allowed Gideon to hear the plan of the enemy so that He would know God was with him.

As I was leaving for my hair appointment, I grabbed the Devotional Bible I got for my wonderful hairstylist. There was a sash in the Bible. I opened to it, and there was this Bible verse above. God told me to not be afraid. He was with me. He told me to be at peace because He is watching over me. He is opening the doors for me, and I needed to learn not to run away, backing up what He told me at 3:33 AM!

God uses the unpleasant things in our lives to make us into the vessels that will bring Him honor and praise. It’s not about you and me. It’s all about Him. Here He reminds us He will keep us at perfect peace. There’s something we must do, “Keep our minds steadfast, unchanging, unswervingly, strong, unbendingly, and unmovable in Him and what He has said. Sometimes God doesn’t tell us all fuzzy and warm things. He tells us to do things that are uncomfortable and out of our comfort zone. Things that will hurt and things that cause us discomfort. Your spiritual level is all about being at this level. God can’t use me or you if we are bent on having our own way.

I know God spoke to me for sure because if He hadn’t, my social fast would have been total hell because I received another message that needed to be answered immediately. If God hadn’t rebuked me ahead of time, I would have caused someone I respect and admire to think the worse. You see, that’s the mercy of God. In our mistakes, He bails is out. Not to mention I will have to tell my children why I’m no longer fasting social media. It wasn’t pleasant when I told Linda, my Executive Director, and had to hear her say, “Didn’t I tell you to do what God told you to do for almost two weeks now?”

Obedience is better then sacrifice. My social media fast wasn’t what God wanted. In fact, He totally rejected it. My motive was wrong. I wanted God to change His mind, and tell me to do something differently. God showed me He isn’t a man to lie, or speak and then not bring to pass. Does He bring to birth and then close the baby in the Mother’s womb? No! He does not. My disobedience caused me problems, and I deserved exactly what I got. I didn’t accept what God told me at my last fast. I was doing it but with half the heart. God rejected it, and He told me so.

He speaks, and we then choose to obey. This requires courage at times, and it will mean we might not get accepted. However, we must obey exactly what God says. Trying to get out of it, like I was trying to do wasn’t God’s way. God can’t use cowards. And God doesn’t do things on my or your timetable. Really, the waiting time is all about God training us before He launches us and He can trust us to do what He called us do.

I’m so very embarrassed to write this post, but I know God is talking to others too. My experience today was embarrassing before a great God. He didn’t condemn me. He lovingly told me to get off the fast before it even started and to do what He told me two weeks ago to do. In His mercy, He told me He was keeping me in perfect peace, as long as my mind was steadfast unmovable in all He told me to do already.

REFLECTION: "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act," (Psalm 37:5). "For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed," (Malachi 3:6)."Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end," (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Today, determine in your mind you will do it God’s way no matter how difficult it might be. Trust in His wisdom and trust in His timing. Keep your mind on Him. He leads His people always.

Dr. Teresa Allissa Citro

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for being the God who still speaks to Your children today and for Your guidance. Father, I commit myself to obeying Your instructions and give me the strength I need to follow through. Help me to remember all Your instructions as I do all You have commanded me to do. I will keep my eyes fixed on You, trusting You, knowing You will keep me in perfect peace. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Linda A. Knowles

#TopicArticle #GodsWill #obedience #faithfulness #trusting