A Gracefull Place

I just got my new issue of TEACH Magazine (which I highly recommend, btw!), and the theme is Serenity.   How appropriate!  If you read my Saturday Psalm and Praise for September 20, you already know that seems to be where the Lord has me!

 

I have felt, for most of the time during our quarantine, a profound sense of peacefulness.  I was a bit concerned for the young lady whose wedding we were to play for, but deep down, I knew it would all work out (she was able to find someone else, thankfully!).   Other than about 4 times, when different children were at their "peak itchy" point and nothing would help, I felt a calm that almost seemed unreal!   It reminded me of the calm when we lost our first little boy, as well as the calm when Dallas had his serious accident.  Now, chicken pox has not been NEARLY as serious as those times were!  Yet the peace that settled on me seemed to be like being in a "bubble", where the cares of life didn’t seem to touch me like they usually do. 

 

According to the Random House College Dictionary (1988), Serenity means:

 

The state or quality of being serene, calm, or tranquil;   synonyms:  composure, calm, peacefulness

 

serene:

 

calm, peaceful, tranquil; unruffled

 

Ah!  What beautiful qualities to have, yes?

 

The Webster’s 1828 has some of the same ideas, but a few more that really help round it out:

 

serenity:  Calmness; quietness; stillness; peace; calmness of mind; evenness of temper; undisturbed state; coolness

 

serene:  calm, unruffled, undisturbed

 

Here is a quote from Dr. A. T. Pierson that, for me, really portrays this meaning:

 

"The peace of God is that eternal calm which, like the cushion of the sea, lies far too deep down to be reached by any external trouble or disturbance;  and he who enters into the presence of God, becomes partaker of that undisturbed and undisturbable calm."

 

Yes, as I stated before…..the Prince of Peace can come into our troubled seas of  life and calm the storm, but He extends His peace another way, too.   He might, instead of calming the storm, take you deeper–deeper into Him and His presence, away from the turbulent seas.   The hurricane boiling on the surface doesn’t affect the ocean floor.   Near to the heart of God, we can weather the storm because He is letting us partake of His peace, His serenity.   All it takes (all!) is a heart surrendered and at rest in Him.

 

If I’m not resting in Him, then I am saying, in effect, "You can’t take care of me!  You don’t know what’s best for me!  I just can’t trust you!"  Listen to to that!   WHAT am I saying?!  The God of the universe, Who sacrificed His life for me….I can’t trust Him?!    When you put it like that, well!   It’s so easy to see it for the lie it is, and to run to Abba-Father’s arms.   No matter the storm, close to Him is the safest place to be!

 

One of the thoughts in TEACH this issue was that serenity is not something we seek after.  It’s "not something we go looking for, because where we will find it is in our response to and in the middle of the fires of life." 

 

It all goes back to:  What is my choice?   Philippians 1:18 says, "What then?  notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice."  Paul was responding about those who were preaching Christ out of their own vanity.   He could have been hurt, displeased, angry–but he chose  to rejoice!  "… and will  rejoice"!   Do I choose to rejoice, even when circumstances collaborate to anger, displease or hurt me? 

 

Being in "quarantine" means we haven’t been to church for a few weeks.  Dallas had a cd he borrowed with a message by Dr. John MacArthur on….contentment!  (Hmmm….I see a theme developing here!  )

 

He was mainly in Philippians 4, and it was rich!   The actual title is "An Encouraging Call to a Contented Life"  based on Philippians 4:1-9

 

I won’t write out ALL my notes (that started on my infamous sticky notes and went to a bigger scrap piece of paper….), but here are some highlights–think of this and how it applies to "serenity"!

 

"It’s not about what I have, but about Who has me!"

 

"Discontent is sin because it denies the right of God to do with us as He will, and it ignores the fact/promise that God will not give us more than we can handle.  It fails to believe that this is God’s best for us."

 

"It saps our joy and peace."  

 

"Contentment rides over our circumstances."

 

Here are his points–but trust me!  You will get a LOT MORE from the cd if you can listen to it!  He also pointed out how many of these went along with the fruits of the Spirit–I found all the fruits could be incorporated.   His are in italics, mine in parentheses.

 

1. Cultivate Love for Others (in the fellowship) 

Love

 No circumstance of life could strike a blow at Paul’s contentment because his contentment had nothing to do with his circumstances!

Contentment grows in the soil of selfLESSness.

 

2. Cultivate a(n) Attitude/Spirit of Rejoicing 

Joy

v. 4  Rejoice in the Lord, not circumstances!  Our primary source of joy is obedience–training the heart to rejoice in the glorious truth that the Lord is my Shepherd and I shall not want!

 

3. Learning to Accept Less than You’re Due

Longsuffering  (Meekness; Gentleness)

Facing life with a patient, humble, reasonableness that demands little. 

v. 5 "Let your ‘forbearing’ (KJV-moderation) be known to all."  The word for forbearing actually means:

a sweet reasonableness, generosity, magnanimity;  meekness and gentleness in the face of hostility

 

It gives the picture of one who demands nothing!  No "I got my rights" attitudes!  This reminds me of a quote from Stormie Omartian’s book on praying for our husbands–about longing to do right more than be right–to give life rather than to get even.

 

4. Confident Faith in the Lord

Faith

 

v. 5 The Lord is nearby–close–His personal presence!  He is your true security!

 

 

5. Reacting to Your Problems with Thankful Prayer

(Peace)

v. 6  Ask with thanksgiving…"I thank You that You will do what is best".  Just leave it there with Him–you can trust Him with ALL of it!

The answer is not the issue–taking the burden to Him and leaving it with Him is.  Peace is resting in the wisdom, power and purpose of God.  Peace protects the heart and mind thought patterns from discontent

 

6. Think on Godly Things

(Self-Control)

 

v.8  To keep your heart focused on Him.   If you rehearse all that’s wrong, you’re feeding your discontentment!  What’s there to worry about?  Don’t carry God’s burden, especially the burden of the future.  You can sleep in peace because God doesn’t sleep….ever!

 

7.  Follow a Good Example

(Goodness)

v. 9  Paul is as good as any!  The same Shepherd that guided Paul will guide us as well!    May our contentment be a testimony to Him!

 

 

And finally, some absolutely beautiful words from Andrew Murray’s Holy in Christ:

 

"….where God enters to rest, there He sanctifies."  p. 23

 

"God rests only in what is restful, wholly at His disposal.  It is in the restfulness of faith that we must look to God the Sanctifier; He will come in and keep His holy Sabbath in the restful soul. We rest in God’s rest; God rests in our rest."  pp. 25-26

 

"Rest.  What a simple word!  The rest of God!  What an inconceivable fulness of life and love in that word.  Let us meditate on it and worship before Him, until it overshadow us and we enter into it–the rest of God." p.26

 

"And teach me, Lord, to understand better how this blessing comes.  It is where Thou enterest to rest and refresh and reveal Thyself that Thou makest holy.  O my God, may my heart be Thy resting-place!  I would, in the stillness and confidence of a restful faith, rest in Thee, believing that Thou doest all in me.  Let such fellowship with Thee, and Thy love, and Thy will be to me the secret of a life of holiness.  I ask it in the name of our Lord Jesus, in Whom Thou hast sanctified us. Amen."

 

AMEN!

 

 

 

 

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 21st, 2008 at 2:35 pm and is filed under In His Presence. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.