Writing 4 Monday...4/29/29..."Peace Surpassing Understanding"

Good Morning,

 Today we welcome Julie Tofilon as a new writer. I am confident that you will enjoy her style of writing and learn from her as well.

The theme for today's writing is peace that passes understanding. When we have that in life is good, and we can be sure that God has taught us about it. Julie wrote, "There’s only one way out of the frustration and overwhelm of our limited understanding—and that’s the peace that PASSES/TRANSCENDS/GOES BEYOND our understanding. How do we get that?  One word—TRUST.  Trust the One who has UNLIMITED understanding, power, and love, to make everything work the way it should."

This week trust God and accept His peace.

Blessings for every day, Julie Tofilon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today's Devotional "Peace That Goes Beyond Understanding"

Written by Julie Tofilon

If you're like me, you want to understand everything. That's ok. The Lord made people that way-- to investigate, to research, to seek truth and understanding, to grow in knowledge and wisdom.

But some things go beyond our understanding. Hard things. Deep things. Stuff our limited brains can't handle. People's behavior and way of thinking (some husbands and wives are nodding their heads now ). 

That's ok too. In fact, it's even better than ok, because it means there's a GOD, Who is bigger than us! Who understands everything and has everything under control in the most loving way possible!

This releases me from having to attempt to know and understand everything. I can relax and enjoy the good stuff, and benefit from stuff I don't know everything about (like turning on a light switch and getting light).

And I can put my burdens of the hard, sad, painful, stuff into the Lord's infinitely strong, loving, arms.

Here is the Scripture message...

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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." 

Phil. 4:6-7

Our understanding will always have boundaries.  Boundaries of:

~Knowledge

~Learning capacity

~Memory

~Feelings

~Subjectivity

All of these limit our understanding, so that we’re always missing something.  

There’s always going to be things we “don’t get”—

--Why the innocent suffer

--Why evil seems to triumph

--Why we have/had to go through pain that’s not our fault

--Why, why why?

None of us has all the answers.  

If we did, we’d be… God!  And then everyone would be blaming us when things happen that they don’t like or understand!

There’s only one way out of the frustration and overwhelm of our limited understanding—and that’s the peace that PASSES/TRANSCENDS/GOES BEYOND our understanding.

How do we get that?  One word—TRUST.  Trust the One who has UNLIMITED understanding, power, and love, to make everything work the way it should.

Ask any child who trusts their mom and dad enough to not worry about whether the bills are going to be paid, if they’ll have enough to eat, who will remember their birthday, etc. They’re sure their parents “got this”.  

That’s what the Lord tells us who are HIS children—“Don’t worry.  I’ve got this.”  We can trust Him and enjoy peace, or we can keep trying to figure it all out first. 

I hope you choose the Peace that PASSES understanding!

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Prayers are lifted up daily for you by the Devotional Writers 

and the Monthly Writing Staff of Women's Focus Ministries.

Blog Writers

 Sandy Billingham, Carol Steficek,   

Jody Ward,  Cathy Friberg, Julie Tofilon

Jan Andersen and  Corinne Mustafa

Occasional Contributors
Kathy Bireley,  Terri Baker

Lynda Kinnard, Beverley Napier, 

 Amie Spruiell, Linda Garrett, and Lisabeth Lipp