For testing only-Chaos or Confidence? Where Do You Place Your Trust?

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. -- Romans 5:1 (NKJV)

Today, we had a great discussion in my weekly Bible study class. We are studying the Book of Psalms, and this week we reviewed Psalms 29, 33, and 104. During our discussion, we identified several important themes portrayed by the psalmists in these Scriptures. We saw praise for God's majesty and glory, praise for His Voice, the Word, for His divine Creative Order, and for the complexity of His Creation.

Someone in class wondered how any person can stop and look at nature and not see God in the design? Another gal questioned how an unbeliever can look at the beauty of a sunset, the wonder of the ocean, the cycle of day and night, the stars, the warmth of the sun, and still not believe in our Heavenly Father?

Maybe you have the same questions. Or maybe you are even questioning whether or not God sees you? I get you. I felt the same way too.

For me now, knowing that our Heavenly Father created the universe in all its complex systems, but still keeps His eye on me and cares about me, gives me such peace. But it took me awhile to get to this point on my faith journey.

There is such comfort in His Word. For example, one of the Scriptures that got my attention early in my new life as a believer was Psalm 139:1-3 (NKJV), O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down And are acquainted with all my ways." (If you have never read Psalm 139, please take time to read the entire psalm. The words will bless you.)

The psalmist describes how our Heavenly Father knew us before He created us in our mother's womb. He is always with us, and He knows all about us. Wow! Let that sink in. The Almighty, all powerful, sovereign God of the Universe knows all about you, loves you dearly, and wants to have a personal relationship with you!

So, in a relationship with our Heavenly Father, what happens? He gives us His Perfect Peace in times of chaos or challenges, and peace in times of thanksgiving and joy! It is a beautiful exchange in your heart from trusting the "god of self" to trusting our Heavenly Father! In Psalm 29:11 (NKJV), David, the Psalmist wrote, The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.

Yes, peace is a way to live life. It does not mean that you will never have challenges, but you will have confidence knowing that our Heavenly Father is always sovereign and in control over all creation. Another classmate today, a seasoned prayer warrior, said that "Peace means being reconciled to God through Jesus Christ." And those who are reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, those are the ones who will have His perfect peace.

So how do I get on the path to a lifestyle of peace?

The peaceful lifestyle will grow when you decide to pursue your own relationship with our Heavenly Father. For me to grow in faith and a lifestyle of peace, I had to change some of my ways and really be intentional. My journey required that I give up some bad habits like watching violent or inappropriate television shows and too much TV, like staying off social media, giving up certain "friends", cleaning up my language (yes, I did), and actively working on anger management. Whew!

In my lifestyle transition, I started regular daily prayer and daily study of the Word (the Scriptures) on my own. I did Bible studies with my church family, spent prayer time with trusted people further ahead of me on their faith journey, and daily time alone with our Heavenly Father. I also attended faith conferences where I heard excellent teaching about Jesus Christ.

I found that a good daily strategy for me was reading the Word, journaling my thoughts and having quiet time with my Heavenly Father, first thing in the morning. This pattern became a habit, and it gave me peace to conquer my days, to engage in better communication with family and friends, to have restful sleep at night, and to let go of anger. One of my dear friends told me this: "Woman of God, hold your peace!" And I found her words in Scripture, Exodus 14:14 (NKJV), The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." Indeed, He does.

And do we recognize and remember that the Lord God Almighty, Make of Heaven and Earth, sees all and knows everything about us? That idea reminds me of this psalm. Psalm 4:8 that states "I will both lie down in peace and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." And now, I trust that my God, Creator of the Universe, never sleeps, but He always watches over me! And He sees you, too.