The Promise

When I was a teenager a close friend of mine promised to draw a house for me. Not just any house, but a two-story modern house with a spacious kitchen (no marble, please), a living room that is big enough to contain its own house, a three-car garage, lots of bedrooms and bathrooms, including a huge master suite, and a special room for all of my books. Not only was it going to be a house, it was going to be my house. I was going to have my own set of blueprints to the house of my dreams. It was promised to me.

Now, considering the fact that I neither had a job nor enough money to buy a nice mailbox, let alone pay for the construction of a new house is neither here nor there. What mattered was that I was going to be able to see my house on paper and then, when I grew up and actually made some money, I could have it built because, after all, I would already have the plans drawn up.

It’s funny that I have no recollection of whether or not I ever received that promised blueprint of my one-of-a-kind chateau. And over time my excitement about the house faded. I grew up, experienced life, and forgot all about my little blueprint that used to hold so much promise for me.

Sometimes we view God’s peace the same way. Initially we are over the moon about it, so much so that we can hardly contain ourselves. We read in His Word that most beautiful and often-repeated promise of His peace, a gift that He gives to us, His chosen ones, His children. We are told by a psalmist that “I will listen to what God the Lord says; He promises peace to His people, His faithful servants— but let them not turn to folly” Psalm 85:8 NIV. We know that it’s a good promise of a good gift, because after all, didn’t we read all about God’s goodness and how every good thing comes from Him and that nothing bad could ever come from Him?

Yet, when we begin attempting to obtain and maintain that peace in our lives we begin to realize that the sinful nature of our humanity is battling us, trying everything that it can to prevent us from grabbing ahold of and maintaining God’s peace. After a little while, life hits and that excitement that we once possessed no longer compels us to press on toward peace. And if we are not careful, enough time (and challenges) will pass that will cause us to give up on peace all together.

But God, the Creator of all, the One Who knows every challenge that we will face and every struggle that will seek to derail us, wants us to know that His peace, the one that passes all understanding, yes, that peace, is still His gift to us, a promise that never fades. He is holding His hands out to you with His peace nestled in the middle. Ready. Waiting for you. Will you receive it today? Be blessed. #sanguinemango