“PEACE OF GOD!”

Philippians 4:4-7                     (ESV)

“4 REJOICE in the LORD always; again I will say, REJOICE.

5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The LORD is at hand;

6 do not be anxious about anything, but IN EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving LET YOUR REQUESTS be made known to GOD.

7 And the “PEACE OF GOD”, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in CHRIST JESUS.”

So many times it can become real easy to be fixated on one part of a verse of the Bible and never SEE a message from GOD written right before our eyes.  One “for instance” could be in the passage of scripture above.  It can be difficult to encourage people to “REJOICE in the LORD always; again I will say, REJOICE” when they have just experienced the physical death of a loved one, or when we get a bad report from the doctor, or when your house has just burned to the ground!  

When my younger sister was diagnosed with stomach cancer at the age of 33, my REQUEST to GOD was that she would be healed because I love her and didn’t want to see her suffer.  I became so focused on what I wanted that I couldn’t SEE that GOD had a different Plan.  After all, there are plenty of Scriptures where JESUS HIMSELF “healed” people from their physical ailments and restored their health.  Why wouldn’t GOD heal my sister?  

Then July 09, 2007 comes around and my Brain Hemorrhaged!  One of the greatest “miracles” GOD ever worked in my life was to put me into a drug-induced coma until July 29, 2007.  This removed any possibility of my taking credit or glory for HIS Work!  Since I have regained my physical functions completely, I was left wondering WHY GOD chose to heal me and not my little sister?  Isaiah 55:8-9 tells me that HIS ways are not my ways, and HIS thoughts are not my thoughts!  How can I question the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSES when HE acts in a way that I don’t understand? 

It’s not as if GOD has ever, or will ever have, a momentary lapse of judgment.  The Bible is FULL of instances where GOD demonstrates HIS Sovereignty.  Just in my life alone HE has displayed that HE IS IN CONTROL.  The fall of man caused sickness and disease to enter “this world”.  However, knowing that GOD IS IN CONTROL brings the “PEACE OF GOD” that is unmistakable!  FATHER IN HEAVEN, please forgive me for my unbelief, or that YOU need to explain to me why YOU do the things YOU are doing, and to TRUST that the “PEACE OF GOD” is sufficient for me!!!