"The LORD said, 'See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.'"
Isaiah 28:16
Lately, as in the past few weeks, I have struggled with having peace when things, plans, and expectations don't go as I thought they would. And by peace I mean true peace that comes completely and totally from Christ. A peace that, even when everything around you is falling apart, you aren't. A peace that surpasses all understanding and the only explanation for it is Jesus. A peace that allows you to still trust and believe with every tiny fiber of your being, that everything WILL be okay. A peace that allows you to point to God and say, "You know why this is happening. You know what will happen after. You know what you have planned for me and Your plan is far better than mine. I trust You." Oh this peace is sweet; it is precious; it is perfect, because our Jesus is sweet, precious, and perfect.
I've learned, as many of you probably have too, that it's pretty easy to have peace when things are going well. When it's smooth sailing. When life is nothing but sunshine. But, how easy is it to be peaceful when life is hard? When the waves seems to be consuming us? When the sunshine is gone and the rain starts to fall? Be honest, it's a lot harder.
I have learned, and truly believe that peace comes from a sure, steady, never ending dependence and reliance on Christ--the true Cornerstone. In Isaiah 28, God tells us that he laid a "precious cornerstone for a SURE foundation." He then tells us that "one who DEPENDS and RELIES on it will never be stricken with panic." What's the opposite of being peaceful? Being panicky and worried. Without Jesus, your life will be continually and constantly filled with periods of panic and worry. And these moments and periods of panic and worry can quickly turn into a lifetime. of everything but peace. That is not how God wants us to live or created us to live.
Think of it this way--there's a parable in the Bible, (Matthew 7) about two people who are building a house. One man builds his house on the sand, so the foundation of his house was made of sand. The other man build his house on the rocks, so his foundation was made of rock. Both houses were shaken, rattled, and tried by the rough winds of a storm, and in the end only one remained. Can you guess which one? Yep, the one whose foundation was made of rock. Rocks are sturdy, heavy, and hard to break. Sand is weak, small, and easy to move and destroy. Rocks can withstand wind, rain, hail, fire, etc and come out just as strong as they were before. Sand blows away, falls apart, moves from place to place. It does not remain constant or stay strong during the stormy times.
Those of use who are not in a relationship with God and are not COMPLETELY dependent on Him, are like the man who built his house on the sand. We build our foundation, our faith, our lives on something that can be shaken and destroyed with one gust of wind, with one piece of bad news. A life that is not founded on or satisfied in something greater and stronger than ourselves is a life that will experience worry, panic, and fear.
However, we don't have to build our lives on sand. We have been *freely* given Jesus and the assurance and safety that comes through Him. Jesus is the rock. He is the cornerstone that holds everything together. If Our God could create the entire universe, He can hold us together through the best of times and keep us together through the worst of times. We are not in this alone. We do not have to depend on ourselves! WHAT a relief. When we are given an unexpected diagnosis, when we lose a loved one, when we can't find a job, or when we end a relationship, God is there. He is in control of every detail on your life and mine. There is not a moment of your life that God has not planned out specifically for you and not a moment that He is not here walking through it all with you. He is constant and no wind, rain, or storm can knock Him over. He is never changing and his love and mercy are new every morning. There is no one or no thing that can give us what He can, because he is the Prince of Peace.
Peace in Christ does not just happen over night. We must get to know God which allows us to trust Him. We must dedicate our lives to Him and stay close to Him. This is done by reading His words to you every day, reminding yourself of all the good He is and has done for you, and worshiping Him. Someone told me once to worship God in the midst of trials because when you're truly worshiping, you can't worry at the same time. It's true. Try it ;) Walking hand in hand with God, who also happens to be the creator of everything just by the way, is the most comforting and peaceful confidence in the world.
We are given the miraculous and gracious gift of being in the presence of God every moment of our lives because He loves us. The peace that comes with giving your all to the one who made it all, is like nothing else a person can experience. In a world that is full of sin, sadness, and loss, King Jesus has his arms stretched out wide to take you in, to hold you close, to keep you calm and safe during the rain. And in Him, the sun will always shine again.
