Oceans in the Desert

            
Kathi Pelton

This morning I was reading an article by Garris Elkins about peace. As I read it I was reminded of the reason that I wrote my book, “30 Days to Breakthrough: Peace”. It was written out of a season that God was teaching me how to walk in His peace and how to take every thought captive (replacing anxious thoughts with the peace that surpasses understanding). 

My journey of seeing the peace of God made manifest in my life began in a season that was quite turbulent. During that time the Lord asked me a question. 

“Kathi, what is the main source of warfare in your life?” 

Honestly, I could not answer His question because so many different circumstances filled my mind as our family had spent years walking by faith and yet facing warfare. After many hours of pondering this question I finally realized that I was suppose to answer Him with a question. 

“Lord, I do not know. What is the main source of warfare in my life?”

He immediately responded with words that were going to change my life.

“Daughter, it is not circumstances that cause you such great warfare, it is lack of peace. I will now take you on a journey that will teach you to live in My peace in all circumstances.”

And He did…and still does! 

For years He taught me, moment by moment, day by day, how to obtain peace by trusting in His goodness and faithfulness. He brought me back to situations that caused me the most anxiety and fear. As He did He revealed how the warfare came mainly from fear that robbed my faith. In each scenario the outcome was the provision and help that we needed but the warfare was my lack of peace within the storm. 

It is like the story of Jesus calming the storm in Matthew 8, 

…Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Matthew 8:23-27

How did Jesus sleep in the midst of the storm? He knew with complete certainty that His Father was with Him and that the storm had no authority over His life. We can have peace in the storms of life as we rest in the certainty of the Father’s love and care for us.

Does this mean that bad things won’t happen? No. It means that we can rest assured in the promise of provision and help in every storm that touches our lives. We can have peace as we press into the assurance of our faith and lay hold of that assurance.

I have faced great losses at times in my life but in those times the “loss of peace”was what caused trauma to set in. There will be times of grieving in our lives but the presence of peace becomes the anchor of hope. Fear brings trauma that lasts beyond the time of grieving but peace carries us through the grieving with the comfort that heals. Our anxious thoughts toss us like a boat on a raging sea but the peace of God calms the vessel and calms the sea. 

If peace is lacking in your life, ask the Lord to take you on the journey that will secure your life in the presence of His peace. He is our peace and yet so many of His sons and daughters are still living in fear. This world has taught us to fear the waves but the Lord has peace that lifts us above the waves. 

We have the help of a loving Father, a Savior and a Spirit that comforts and guides us. We have the help of angel armies and heavenly hosts! We are not without help or hope. The enemies greatest strategy is fear. He rejoices when one of God’s children believes that they have been abandoned, left without help or loses their faith. It creates a mocking and accusation against God to go forth. 

When the children of God chose to walk in the assurance of His goodness, His help, His promises and His faithfulness then there is peace. Life rarely looks like we think it should look and even the journey to many promises fulfilled can give the appearance of the opposite happening, but we can rest in the peace that comes from knowing that even the winds and waves obey His voice. He will establish His plans for our lives. 

He has the provision for all that you need! His timing to fulfill the promises He has given to you are fixed and sure as you trust in Him. He has the steps ordered for you and the counsel (wisdom) for every one of those steps. Don’t rely on your thoughts or on trying to rescue your life through the ways of the world or man’s wisdom…His ways are higher and they will take you into the peace that you need to hear His voice. 

He says, “Come up here!” The roar of the waves will drown out the whisper of peace. Go up higher so that you are held in His peace. He will roar at the waves and they will be stilled.

Today, I declare over you, “Peace be still.” 

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 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Luke 6:38