Peace {Life Unafraid Day 12}

Perhaps a better word for unafraid is peace. I am learning what real peace is. Not the kind of peace that stops nations from warring, but the kind of peace that stops the inner turmoil, and lets the person inside rest secure. This is from a devotion I wrote a few weeks ago over at everydaywithGod(dot)com. It’s based on Psalm 16, and it’s the unafraid I’m sporting today.

Because God alone is all I need, I can have no worries. Because God, the One named LORD, directs all I have, all I do.

Always before me, and with me, and next to me, the Lord God is in charge. Even when the bus driver taps my shoulder and tells me to squish in more than I already have, to make room for 20 more people who need to get on. Even when the phone rings and I hear German on the other side of the line and I have no idea what to say, who it is, what to do. Even when a lady falls off her bike right in front of me and onto her face in the middle of the marketplace and I don’t think I can ever peacefully ride my bike through there again. Even when I wave goodbye to my daughter for three days away with teachers and friends I didn’t even know three months ago, to a place with which I am barely familiar. Even then, God the Lord is in charge. Even then, He is always good.

No fear of what might happen. My future is secure. The very God, sovereign and almighty, gives me all that I need for every right now, every tomorrow.

Grasped by the very hand that created me and put me where I am, I know I am upheld no matter what. Even when all around me feels crumbly and breaking. Even when all I see falls apart.

I used to pray for peace when circumstances got hard. Please Lord, give my friend peace in the hardship and the difficult. Or God, please, give me Your peace for this seemingly impossible. But the truth is, when I asked the very God of life to rule mine, He gave it to me. The truth is, I already have peace. The truth is, because of Jesus Christ, because He died in my place and gave His blood for my righteousness, He gave me His peace. The truest peace there is. The truth is, when Jesus Christ conquered death and sin on that cross those many years ago, He secured our peace, for everyone who calls Him Lord and trust Him as such. Through Jesus Christ, God gave me right-standing with Himself. He made everything right that was important — He gave me wholeness, security, true and real life without reason for worry.

And that wholeness is really all I need for standing unshaken. For life. Unafraid. The wholeness of God, the kind that He gave us through Jesus Christ, secures our standing, secures our feet, secures our hearts so that when all around us quakes and crumbles, we still stand. Whole and unbroken in Him.

So today, as wear my unafraid, I will stand secure in that wholeness. I will rest unshaken in that Refuge that is Jesus Christ. How about you? Why not wear the unafraid with me today? C’mon! Let’s be twins.

*This month, I’m joining a bunch of other bloggers in a challenge to write for 31 days on a topic about change. Having struggled with fear (sometimes paralyzing) for a lot of my life and missing much of the living that I know God wants for me, I am on a mission to live unafraid for 31 days straight. And challenging you to join me. And I’m writing about it. You can catch up here if you’ve missed any of the days. Bring a friend, too. It’ll make it more fun. Oh, and here’s a button for you to grab if you have a blog and would like to share the unafraid life (which, btw, I would love).

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