Karen 'Girl' FridayEncore: Peace With Super Powers

Encore: Peace With Super Powers

Peace, courtesy of Adobe Spark Reposting this article from last year. With present world events and the disarray in America, my soul aches for peace.

By Karen Friday

“I’m praying for you to have peace which surpasses all understanding.”

My heart meant well. I’d talked and prayed about this kind of peace umpteen times for friends and loved ones.

But it became my go-to thing to say. What a good pastor’s wife should say. For me it turned trite. Yet, I soon discovered it goes deeper and it’s more substantial than I’d imagined.

I stated the peace-words to Cory, a friend who faced surgery the next day.

The Best Available

As I sat in the surgical waiting room, I typed these thoughts on my phone. My husband, Cory’s pastor, was there beside me. While we waited, her family carried a hint of the anxious unknown.

I’ve read about this peace in the Bible. Honestly, I’ve never totally got it. I just knew that if it surpasses all understanding, it must be good. The best peace available.

The night before surgery I sent Cory a text. “You still up? You okay? Sure you are a little anxious. I’ve been praying for you. I will call you now to pray if you want. The Lord will be watching over you in the morning.”

Cory initially responded that she was okay. Then, “I’m just afraid I guess. My mind is thinking Peace, courtesy of Adobe Spark of all the stuff that can go wrong!”

I was on it—texting away—my thing to say, “The peace that surpasses understanding is supernatural. Our peace is only human or natural. God’s peace goes beyond us and our minds. That’s how I’m praying for you.”

Cory replied, “Thank you and you can call.”

My friend needed comforting peace and words to hang on to with all her might. We talked and prayed to a glorious Lord who hears and cares.

The Cause for Unrest

As soon as the call ended, I picked up my Bible to find Philippians 4:7. My mind thinking, there’s something to this. I read verse 7 and the verse before it:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests by made known to God” Philippians 4:6 ESV.

There in black and white on the pages of God’s Word, we find the preliminary cause for unrest. “Do not be anxious.” Then, there’s a “but.” Instead of being anxious, pray with thanksgiving to God.

Verse 7 brings us to the desired outcome, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Here’s the wow factor. Feast your eyes on these synonyms of surpass by Google: excel, exceed, transcend; outdo, outshine, outstrip, outclass, overshadow, eclipse; improve on, top, trump, cap, beat, better, outperform.

God’s Peace Outshines it All

Folks, there you have it. God’s peace is better and beats anything I muster up in my own power. It trumps anything the world offers us. God’s peace outshines it all.

Peace, courtesy of Adobe Spark And when you thought it couldn’t possibly get any better. It does.

“For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed. But my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you” Isaiah 54:10 ESV.

What a promise! A guaranteed pledge God’s peace can never be eliminated from our lives. It exceeds what the world has to offer. I’m here to tell you God doesn’t break promises or pledges. He doesn’t.

God’s supernatural and so is His peace. It transcends all natural forms. It outdoes. It overshadows. It outperforms. Every. Single. Time.

In Christ Jesus

A covenant between us and God. And it’s at our disposal by:

Taking anxious thoughts to Him.
Making requests known to Him.
Praying with thanksgiving to Him.
Expecting peace from Him.
Knowing the best peace comes from Him.

We go to God because peace comes from God.

Philippians reminds us it’s “in Christ Jesus.” Christ made peace between us and God on the Peace, Courtesy of Adobe Spark cross and He’s still in the peacemaking business.

Cory’s surgery and her road to recovery went well.

I pray for Cory…for me…for you that we find the road to peace when we have troubled hearts. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” John 14:27 ESV.

It’s peace with super powers!

*Images courtesy of Adobe Spark.