“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” {John 14:27}
More and more I am convinced that the greatest peace for me is drawing to the Lord and loving Him. Whatever answers I am looking for I will find in Him. Even as small as the answer for what should I make for dinner tonight? the Lord gives to me. It’s the greatest thing ever for me! The Lord! The God of all creation! The God of all things! Who knows and understands and sees all things! And who loves me above all! Can give me the answers to any questions I may have. Like, What am I supposed to do in this life? What is my purpose? And what I am supposed to do in preparation for that purpose? What! What! What! Help!
All these questions can send a person in deep depression if they don’t have the answers. I have found I can have my answers by coming to Him.
And the answer? This is what He gives me: Just love me. I will take care of it. I am your purpose. Love me and I will make all your dreams come true.
I read blogs, listen to inspirational podcasts, and they are all good and amazing, but after awhile I’ve found myself depressed. How do you keep up with all the lists they give you on what you’re supposed to do to prepare for your calling, for your dream? At one point I felt like a total loser – an outcast of society – a lazy bum – someone who will never amount to anything – a failure. Because I found myself totally inadequate and limited to the dream I have in my heart.
Then I remembered the Lord and talked to Him and cried to Him. How can I do all this? How can I prepare for what You have for me to do? And then He said an amazing thing to me: Just love me. I’ll take care of it for you.
God is not only the one that gives us the dream, He’s also the one that prepares us for it, brings us to it, and finally makes the dream a reality for us. When our lives are totally committed to Him, there’s nothing we need to worry about, but just loving Him and drawing to Him. He said in His word:
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing.” {John 15:4-5}
And the truth is, if the dream you have in your heart is from the Lord, you don’t attain it. He gives it to you. And the reason why He’s going to help you prepare for it (and actually sometimes you will not even be aware of it) is because it is His dream also. He wants it to come to pass as much as you do. So what do you have left to do? Just love Him. That’s it. Continue to abide in Him in His word, talk to Him, and praise and thank Him everyday. It’s that easy!
I’ve heard of people who prepared for their dreams and when they were ready the Lord brought the next step for them – whether a publisher for their book or a recording contract for their songs. Some people will say, “It’s all their hard work that had gotten them where they are. It had nothing to do with God.” Maybe so. And if God isn’t in your life, maybe it is all your handwork, for after all Proverbs states, “In all labor there is profit.” But I’ve heard of some who actually believe that they were being led to prepare for it. They didn’t think it was just their own. Some say they didn’t even know they were being prepared until the day the opportunity came. They believe it was divine leading.
Well for me, for my dreams, I know it is God. More and more, the closer I come to Him, the clearer it is to me that He is the one drawing me to where He wants me to be. He is showing me visions and dreams regarding my future that there is no way I can bring to pass. If it is left up to me I don’t think I’d even be dreaming them! But He is showing me, that He’s the one that does all things. He is placing these dreams and visions in my heart so that when they do come to pass I will give Him the glory. I will know that He is the One that does all things. For with Him all things are possible. The Lord showed Daniel:
“…The most High ruleth in the kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever He will.” {Daniel 4:32}
There is nothing too hard with the Lord. God is the one that changes the times and the seasons. He’s the One that sets leaders and kings in their place and takes them away. He’s the One that gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those that understand. {See Daniel 2:21} He does all things so that man cannot glory in himself. Whether man gives glory to Him or not, it doesn’t matter. In the end, God will get all the glory.
If my life is His and I’ve committed it to Him – what should I worry about? Since He does all things for me, there is nothing really at all to worry for. He is showing me that He wants me to live in peace today. He doesn’t want me worrying about tomorrow. He said in His word:
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” {John 14:27}
Peace yesterday, peace today, peace tomorrow…Peace always.
And how does that happen? By daily abiding in Him – in His word, talking to Him, loving Him, and bringing myself to His presence always…Bringing my thoughts to His word, to His voice, and remembering daily the wonderful works that He has done for me in time past and what He has done for His people. Believing and thanking Him in what He’s going to do for me today, as well as for my future.
Peace always. He promised to never leave me, nor forsake me. He does all things – and does it well. Amen.
“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” {Deuteronomy 31:6}
