In Touch - Feb. 9, 2011

February 9

A Life of Peace

Isaiah 26:2-4

Your home offers protection from the elements. So when a storm rolls in, you seek shelter within the safety of those four walls. The same principle applies to life's storms. If we've built a solid house on a foundation of faith, then we've got a haven to run to when dark clouds gather and anxiety threatens to overwhelm us.

Let's suppose I've got a problem that has me fretting. My stomach is in knots. Friends and family try to be understanding, but they're growing weary of me taking my heartache out on them. I'm so focused on this issue that it feels as if I'm carrying a load on my shoulders. God offers a liberating alternative: "Cast your burden upon [Me] and [I] will sustain you" (Ps. 55:22). He does not erase the ills that invade this life. Instead, He shields us from the weight of worry by taking situations into His own hands.

However, the call to a free and peaceful life goes unheeded unless a person has confidence in the Lord. Trust is built through relationship—praying during daily trials and triumphs, seeking biblical guidance for decisions, and testing God's Word to see that it is true and practical for this life. That's how a house of faith is constructed brick by brick on the solid rock of Jesus Christ.

A believer who trusts in God receives the peace that Philippians 4:7 promises. But unshakeable peace isn't instantaneous; it is cultivated through a consistent relationship with the Lord. A lifestyle of dependence upon Him is the key to weathering storms with supernatural calm. 

For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit www.intouch.org.

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Used with permission from In Touch Ministries, Inc. © 2009 All Rights Reserved.