Philippians 4:6-8, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

When there’s turmoil going on all around you peace in your heart and situation can seem a million miles away, but it really isn’t.  If you have accepted Him as your Savior, then He is with you all the time and His peace will always be your choice.  Believe me, I am not making light of anything that is going on in your life, but I would encourage you to remember that God is able and He is greater than anything you can possibly be facing.  Focus on Him and His Word.  Instead of getting consumed with the details of what is going on if you cannot do anything about it and focus on Him.

Finding God’s peace in life is something you have to be intentional about.  In order to have His peace, you must focus on Him and trust Him. You can’t focus on the problem at hand and have God’s peace.  Focus on your answer ~ your answer is God.  Spend time alone with Him in His Word and in prayer.  Ask Him to help you not allow your mind to wander back to the issues at hand, but to focus fully on Him.  Take some time to praise Him and to remind yourself of all that He has done and who He is and His character and love for you.  One of the things that God had impressed on the Jews was to constantly be telling their children about everything the Lord had done for them so it would be constantly on their minds and in their hearts.  They didn’t have Bibles like we do today so they had to memorize all that God gave them or they had to wait for the teachers and Rabbis to teach them.  They didn’t have the Holy Spirit living within them, they had to truly pursue God and His presence and provide sacrifices (lambs, doves, etc.) for their sins.  When they pursued and followed God they had peace and His presence.  

Set your mind to be intentional today to focus on Him and when your mind wants to go crazy with the storm raging around you focus on Him.  Pray, praise, and read His Word.  Don’t allow satan a moment in your thoughts, tell him ‘not today, satan, you liar!’  Take God at His Word!  Stop questioning His goodness and His love for you ~ He cannot lie!  He loves you and has a purpose for your life.  He wants to use your story, but you must give it all to Him without holding anything back.  Don’t allow your problem to become bigger than your vision of who God is and don’t sweep past mistakes under the rug and think that will take care of them.  Trust Him to do what is best and then His peace can fill your heart and mind!  Then like it says in the verses right after these (Here’s your instruction):  “In conclusion, brothers, focus your thoughts on what is true, noble, righteous, pure, lovable or admirable, on some virtue or on something praiseworthy.  Keep doing what you have learned and received from me, what you have heard and seen me doing; then the God who gives shalom (peace) will be with you.”  I really feel like I need to share the Jewish rabbi translation here too of the end of verse 8, “Then God’s shalom, passing all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with the Messiah Yeshua.

His peace is yours but you will only find it as you set your heart and mind on Him.  Ask Him to help you shut out everything else that you can do nothing about and focus on Him.  He will gladly help.  He loves you more than words can say and He’s asking you to allow Him to be active on every level of your life so that you can trust that truly His best is yet to come.  

Quote:  “Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound.” ~ James Allen, ‘As A Man Thinketh