When our children were little, my brother brought our parents and his family on vacation in their camper to Amish country in Pennsylvania where I lived. The campground was next door to a cheese factory where the children could stand at the huge plate glass window and watch them make cheese – a daily excursion for us all.
There was also a tiny baked goods store, just up the road, where my mom walked every day to buy fresh Amish bread for us all to share. The campground was nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains, and the lush trees and vegetation in the woods was inspiring and ministered to our soul.
My brother and parents lived in Pensacola, FL, and my immediate family lived in the middle of the city of Harrisburg, PA in a block with about 20 brick row houses on each side of the street. So, this wooded respite brought peace and comfort to our weary souls.
My sister-in-law and I discovered that we were both hungry for a more intimate walk with the Lord. Our daily practice was to read our Bible, serve in our personal local churches, disciple our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and focus on God’s will for our life.
However, we both knew that we were missing some key element that did not allow us to know when our thoughts were from God or inspired by our own human reasoning. We did not recognize the voice of our Shepherd as He led us through our day.
It was not until years later that I discovered the key to differentiate between our Shepherd’s voice from our own feelings (John 14:27). God’s Word instructs us that the peace of God, which has nothing to do with our human reasoning, and it actually does not always make much human sense, is the fundamental practice here (Colossians 3:15; Romans 8:6; Isaiah 26:3)
Keeping in step with the Spirit makes such a huge difference in the peace, joy, and fulfillment we enjoy on this earth. I only desire that I had learned to follow His peace in my spirit while making decisions, even if it is contrary to my human reasoning, earlier in my relationship with God (Galatians 5:25). There is no substitute for living this lifestyle of peace.
Prayer:
Father God, teach us to live our life by keeping in step with Your Holy Spirit every moment of every day. First, help us to humble our self and to put aside our rebellion, the fables of the world, and the lies of satanic forces in order to walk away from our self-centered lifestyle and to accept Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary’s cross as our own. We want more than anything else in our life to abide in Your peace that surpasses all human reasoning (Philippians 4:7).
Even when Your will does not make human sense, help us to understand that it is the unseen heavenly aspects of life that are firmer and more trustworthy than human concepts or the philosophy taught on the wide road to destruction (2 Corinthians 4:18). We want to serve You with our whole life and strength, trust You with our whole soul, and love You with our whole heart both now and throughout eternity.
Thoughts for the Day:
When we repent of our iniquity, our next step for intimacy with God is to seek and pursue His peace (1 Peter 3:11). We are not anxious about anything because in every choice we make, through prayer with thanksgiving to God, we consult the Lord about our choices. Then, His peace which transcends all human considerations, will guard our heart, and lead our mind in the will of God at all times (Philippians 4:6-7; 2 Thessalonians 3:16).
