Perfect Peace

Perfect peace! Do you know what that Is? Have you ever experienced the perfect peace of God? The first time I remember experiencing this peace was as a young girl in a dream. In my dream I was at the funeral of my great grandmother who adored me. In my dream I did not recognize who she was but my spirit knew and I was devastated. I stood before her coffin surrounded by darkness, weeping and wailing and a heaviness beyond words. As I stood there broken hearted 2 doors opened up behind her coffin and a light poured into the room and completely engulfed all the darkness, sadness and even the sound of crying. 2 hands reached out to me and the peace that came over me was perfect and unlike anything I had ever experienced before. The funeral didn't end, my great grandmother didn't rise up out of the coffin. The circumstances were the same but I saw the peace of God and it changed my perspective. God wants us to live in His perfect peace all the time no matter what our circumstances are. He knows your hurts, fears and troubles. He won't forget and the more we focus on them the further we step out of His peace. I personally know this all to well. I've experienced anxiety and I've experienced depression, even suicidal thoughts. I know that fear and darkness that literally tightens your chest and steals your very breath. That causes the room to spin and vomiting or uncontrollable tears to flow. The panic that sends you running from a store for no reason or the darkness that causes you to believe the only escape is to plunge a knife through your heart. The thoughts of, "nobody cares, nobody understands, I am on my own, where is your God now, I am unloved and unworthy, I will never be enough, my husband doesn't want me, my kids don't need me, they are all better off without me, my life insurance will be a better gift to them than I am, I can't do this, I'm going to lose it, I can't breath, I, I, I. I now see the problem that I couldn't see then. My every thought and every focus was on "I". The more I put my focus on me and MY feelings and MY circumstances the deeper my pain or anxiety got. The more destructive my choices became and the further I got from perfect peace. My health suffered, my relationships suffered and everything I set my hands to suffered. The complete opposite of what the word of God promises. Do you know what a focus of "I" Is? It is self centeredness and a form of pride. I know that is hard to hear but if you heed this it will change you. I am speaking out of experience from the other side where I can experience peace no matter what. James 4:6 says, And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” My heart breaks every time I hear a friend jokingly or even seriously call themselves anxious mom or depressed. My heart breaks because I think "you don't know who God says you are". If you are a believer you have been adopted and made joint heir with Jesus. You are now royalty (right now on this earth), why are you still walking around like a pauper? You need to learn your new position, find your new image. That ONLY comes through the word of Truth, the perfect word of God. You will not find your new identity in a counselors office or your doctors office and especially not in a man made prescription bottle or even God created herbs like cannabis. You won't even find it in my words or in your church pew. I'm not saying nothing can come of all those things. You will recieve maybe a little relief, maybe some encouragement, maybe some direction but true transformation comes from the Holy Spirit and the truth that are the words of God. 2 Cor.10: 3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. We have to learn to take captive EVERY thought and bring it into obedience of Christ. What did Jesus say and what did Jesus Do? Those are the words we are to replace every thought with. When you hear, "I can't do this" you need to say, "No, that is a lie! According to Philippians 4:13 I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!" What ever it is that you are thinking on today make sure you are taking captive EVERY thought and bringing it into obedience to Christ. The more you meditate on the word the quicker you will hear the Holy Spirit bringing his words to remembrance (John 14:26). I love this song, listen to the words because they are all true. This is exactly how God thinks when he hears your name. You are precious, one of a kind and he longs to not only have your whole heart but for you to have His as well! Isn't that an awesome thought? Our God is SO good and He desires true intimacy with you! Get your focus off of you, your feelings, your hurts, how you've been wronged or injured by someone else so you can experience His perfect peace that heals the broken hearted, sets captives free and gives life to our mortal bodies! https://youtu.be/P0FW--zidYA