I’ve mentioned before that I think it could be said that all progress in the Christian life is determined by how relentlessly we apply the promises of God to every difficulty we face. In fact, the promises God has made to us are intended to keep our hearts and minds perfectly at peace at all times and in all circumstances. And it is only when we live and act out of such inner stillness that we can be effective in working with God to help others. We can’t rescue others whose boat is sinking if our own boat is sinking.
Over the next few podcasts I’d like to consider what I suggest are four major areas of our lives in which we want to live in that perfect peace of mind, followed up with Scriptures that embody the truth we need to take to heart.
The first one is that
1) we want the peace of mind of knowing that all our needs are going to be met day by day
- Psalm 23:1 — “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” That statement is so powerful that we could live the whole of our lives in perfect peace even if that’s all we knew. The Lord is such a good Shepherd, so thoughtful, so conscientious, so competent, that we can be sure that our every need — spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical — has been anticipated and the answer has been dispatched to arrive right on time. The more we take our stand on that, the more peace of mind we will experience.
- Romans 8:32 — “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
- God is, by nature, pure helpfulness. He always does the most helpful thing possible in all situations.
- No matter how great our need may be, God will always help in a way that is more than sufficient to meet it.
- Our greatest need is for a restored friendship with God. So God did what it took to bring us back to himself — he gave up his own Son to take responsibility for our sin and take our place in enduring eternal punishment for our sin — alienation from God. God gave us his greatest gift to meet our greatest need.
- Therefore, of this we can be absolutely sure: “how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
- Philippians 4:19 — “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” The context is referring to financial needs, but frankly, Jesus made it clear that food and clothing are low level needs in God’s economy on par with God clothing the flowers and feeding the birds. So if we are assured that he meets such needs, how much more so the greater needs we face in life?
