Peace on Earth — Part 1
And as You speak, a hundred billion galaxies are born…And as You speak, a hundred billion creatures catch Your breath…And as You speak, a hundred billion failures disappear…
In my priority time earlier this week, I started by listening to these words from Hillsong’s So Will I. It’s a song that I initially loved when it first came out, but I appreciate it in a much deeper way now. The song captures the magnitude of God’s power and mercy in these three lines that build throughout the song. And while I usually take the month of December off from blogging, as I listened to this song this week, I felt like I needed to invite you into my journey.Here we are, closing in on the birth of the Prince of Peace and closing in on the end of the year. As I look back at a year that has required me to both dig deep and let go, I’m reminded that peace doesn’t come from circumstances. That isn’t new news to either you or me; we’ve both heard it before. But I wonder if you might have accidentally slid back to that paradigm without even knowing it? I’m guilty. “If only I had…” “If only my child could…”“If only God would…”If the resolution to your statement above is necessary for you to find peace, then you’re absolutely in good company. But I want to encourage us both to realize that we don’t actually have to wait for the peace we’re longing for… nor does it have to be “found.” It has to be focused on. You see, if we have Christ, then we have peace. The question is this: How do we get ourselves to focus on the peace instead of the pain, the problems, or the unknowns that often keep us feeling restless?[bctt tweet="Peace doesn’t come from circumstances."]In this blog mini-series, I’ll dive into some practical ideas… but the practical is useless without the spiritual, and so although I don’t want to minimize or over simplify the seriousness of needing peace, I do want you to know that part of it comes through praise.In So Will I, the heart of the song talks about how we’ll choose to be worshippers…
If the stars were made to worship, so will I…If the mountains bow in reverence, so will I…If the oceans roar Your greatness, so will I…
I proceeded to Psalm 46 in my Priority Time and I was struck by the fact that the most powerful of all beings chose to love us. I can think of nothing more pure. God is all-powerful and can choose to treat us any way He desires. What did He choose? He chose to make a way for our failures to disappear. He chose to be:
"... our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. [Why?] Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea…"(Psalm 46:1-2)
No matter how great or how difficult you find your life, I encourage you to choose to stop and praise the One who makes a way for us to not fear, even if it feels like our earth is giving way.