God is the Author of Peace!
“For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.”
I Corinthians 14:33 NKJV
“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.”
Isaiah 26:3 NKJV
I think we can all admit that delays are no fun and can cause our minds to wander. Delays leave room for fear and confusion to set in if we let it and also leaves time for us to think and rethink what we are doing and try to take matters in our own hands. When there are delays we can find ourselves questioning, and asking ourselves if we missed God or made a mistake, and in a state of confusion. We learn in 1 Corinthians 14:33 that when we are confused, this is not of God. He is the author of peace.
I find myself leaning on my own logic when things aren’t moving fast enough. I begin to allow confusion about our decisions and plans and the path we are on enter my mind. I start digging. in and rumination sets in and then I enter fix it mode and begin working out my own plan to. move things along. Every time I find myself in figure it out or fix it mode I can look back at each situation and admit I have pieces to pick up on the back side…..had I just waited! I caused my own added mess by allowing confusion to lead instead of peace. When I focus on removing confusion by fixing the problem myself and not waiting on God and his timing, this is definitely NOT operating in Gods peace. I have learned the hard way that we can make more mess and trouble when we don’t allow His peace to dwell in our hearts in times of waiting. Taking action too soon in search for relief will not only rob our peace, but potentially cause more trouble for ourselves!
As we personally walk through a season of a chain of decisions we believed were the right decisions, we are facing delays in our plans. We thought that as we faced becoming empty nesters that taking on building projects would be fun to do together! My husband and I both have loved the process of building in the past, and with the shortage of houses to buy, thought we would build again. As of today, we have yet to start the build and due to lack of peace, decided to pause and pray. I know that I must continue to trust Him through this season and process and believe that He works all things out for good! I have to lean in to and focus on Him in times of delay and waiting because He alone will give me peace. I can fully surrender to Him knowing that He is with us and His perfect timing and will for everything will work out. I have to trust Him through the delay and use this time to pray and stay at. peace. We are taught in Isaiah 26:3 that we need to keep our minds on Him to walk in perfect peace, and we find that peace because we. can trust Him! So, my focus in times of impatience must be directed and focused on Him, praying and believing that I can trust His timing!
God is the author of peace, Not confusion.
Focus your mind on Him.
Trust Him.
Walk in His perfect peace.
Lord I repent today for not trusting you and trying to fix things throughout my life on my own in my own timing. I fix my eyes on you and not on fixing my own problems or delays that cause discomfort, but instead find comfort in you knowing you are the author of peace and I can trust you and trust your perfect timing! Amen!
Illustrations by Haley Punjak