I remember one day as a young Christian complaining to God about everything chaotic around me. Nothing was going right.  It always seemed like everything was against me. I told Him that if He would change this situation, that situation, and deal with certain people, my life would be much more comfortable. I was so mad and frustrated. I had no peace because of all these things going on, and I needed Him to do something about it. And that’s when He did! In a way, I never expected, nor did I want to hear. I heard His voice so clearly on the inside of me say, “your situations that surround you may never change, but you must.”  Not exactly what I wanted to hear, but I knew He was right. I had to find a way to grow strong within and learn to be content no matter what was going on around me. This world may only get crazier and more chaotic, but there is a peace and a strength to be had that comes from the Lord.  Jesus is our peace and our reassurance that everything is going to be ok. This is His words and His promise to us.

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

John 14:27 NLT

For I hold you by your right hand— I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.

Isaiah 41:13 NLT

I needed His peace, and I needed to be able to handle things better. I needed Him to take me by the hand and walk me through.   I was horrible at it.  It’s comical when I think about it now because my issue was control.  I wanted everything to be in my control and my favor and only the way I wanted it.  I was so selfish and such a control freak, yet my life was totally out of control. I was undone!  Every situation that challenged me in life before knowing  Jesus caused me to drink, drug, and be promiscuous with the ladies.  Anything I could do to redirect the out-of-control situation back into my control with a substance that gave me a temporary feeling of being in control, I did it. It was fake peace and false hope.  Now that I was a born-again Christian, I had to learn to control my emotions and deal with things in a healthy, logical way and trust God that everything would be alright.  I have come to realize over the years that trust equals peace.  Letting go and putting into the hands of God and making so many things His responsibility and not mine has helped me tremendously!  I have had to learn that He is God  and I am not, and I can trust Him

Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know [recognize, understand] that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth.” (AMP) 

Jesus holds the key to our peace! To be still is to relax and trust that someone mightier than us is in full control.  To be still is to relax, slacken, or let drop.  Sometimes we really do have to let go and let God.  But we have to see Him as God over all the earth who controls all things!  God tells us in His word that He brings both ruin and revival! Look at this same scripture in the Passion Translation.

Everyone look! Come and see the breathtaking wonders of our God. For he brings both ruin and revival. He’s the one who makes conflicts end throughout the earth, breaking and burning every weapon of war. Surrender your anxiety! Be silent and stop your striving, and you will see that I am God. I am the God above all the nations, and I will be exalted throughout the whole earth. Here he stands! The Commander! The mighty Lord of Angel Armies is on our side! The God of Jacob fights for us! Pause in his presence

Psalm 46:8,10-11 (TPT)

God is mighty, and He is mightier than us.  He is mighty over all of our situations.  Sometimes we just have to pause in His presence and see Him as He is. As we learn to trust Him

He will bring ruin to our enemies and our strongholds and revival to our hearts.  Both life and death are in his hands! The more we trust and let go, the stronger we become.