"My feet stand on level ground;
in the great assembly I will praise the LORD."
- Psalm 26:12
"Praise be to the LORD,
for He has heard my cry for mercy.
The LORD is my strength and my shield,
my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy
and I will give thanks to Him in song."
- Psalm 28: 6-7
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7
Maybe it's because I read the chapter about active waiting in Steven Furtick's Sun Stand Still this morning (about doing what you know to do in the natural while trusting God to manage the supernatural end of things when you're praying for something to happen) - but those words from Psalm 26 leapt off the page at me this morning: "My feet stand on level ground..."
Do they? Are you standing on level ground today? Are you putting yourself around people who will encourage you? Are you seeking counsel and wisdom for decisions you need to make? Are you cultivating an atmosphere within your life where peace could actually gain a foothold and not go slipping and sliding off into oblivion?
It seems to me, especially re-reading those verses from Philippians, that peace - being a fruit of the Spirit and not something we can just stir up ourselves, but something He grows in us - needs someplace to grow. It doesn't just happen. What does Paul say?
1. Don't be anxious. Okay, so that's what we need to quit doing. No worrying. None. It isn't going to solve anything anyway.
2. In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. This is what we need to start doing, if we haven't been already. Pray. Ask. Tell God what you need/want.
And how do we do that?
With thanksgiving. "Thank You, God, for.... _____________."
And as we thank God for the good things He's already done for us, we cultivate an atmosphere in which peace can grow. The ground on which we stand becomes level - faith, confidence, and trust become our foundation, and peace transcends.
I think I could probably stand to do a little more "ground leveling" today as I pray. How about you? What are you thankful for?
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