Peace in the darkness

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; the God of my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the strength of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my Savior, You save me from violence. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.” (2 Samuel 22:2, NKJV)

There are no changes in the family member who has severe spiritual and mental problems. As far as we know, she still thinks there is nothing wrong with her. She is employed in a school, so her job soon ends. How she holds on to it we don’t know. She says she has a place to live, but we are not sure. She is convinced her entire family hates her so does not call, has no telephone, gives no address. This morning I prayed for her again, and kept hearing, “Trust Me, I’m in control.”

I’ve a peace in my heart about her, but peace seems unnatural. Shouldn’t I be upset? Does peace mean that I don’t care? Of course not. I look at her photo on my desk and weep, but the peace persists.

The New Testament talks about peace with God (being reconciled to Him through faith in Christ) and the peace of God. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “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.”

The peace of God is partly me knowing and relying on the sovereign power of God, but it is more than that. It is a peace God sometimes dumps on me when He thinks I need it, apart from what I am thinking or doing. I remember another family crisis years ago when one of our children was reported missing. When we got the call, my heart was flooded with instant peace, that same weird peace that “surpasses all understanding” and does not make any sense. Later, the missing child turned up okay, but throughout the search, that peace guarded my heart. It was amazing.

Today, I’ve the same peace. No solutions yet. The situation is very dark. But God is truly our fortress, stronghold, and refuge. He gives peace in the darkness, and even though we weep right now, He promises “joy in the morning.”