The Scripture describes the challenging path to perfect peace
By Dean Collins
Perfect peace. It’s a realization that everything may not be in the right place, yet you have a quiet confidence that you are where you are supposed to be. When David wrote Psalm 131, I think he was in that state of mind and soul.
Peace . . . or frustration?
Perfect peace comes in those moments where we are not overconfident in our own abilities but trust that God is perfectly capable to take care of us and the other things we stress about as well. Too much pride or confidence in one’s own abilities will outrank perfect peace. Shear determination in what you can accomplish will one day lead to a high and thick wall of frustration and limitation.
I suspect that when we are younger we aren’t particularly looking for peace. Young people are often looking for success or sometimes fame. I suspect I’m not the only former Little Leaguer who dreamed or hoped to play in the bigs. And if your talent is in music or theater, maybe yours was a dream of writing or recording Billboard’s number one song or possibly winning the lead role in a Broadway play or movie. There’s nothing wrong with dreams and aspirations, but according to David they alone won’t bring perfect peace.
Forbes publishes a list of the world’s wealthiest people each year, and I suspect these rich and famous may have many interesting experiences, even thrills. But we rarely read that their money gives them perfect peace. It buys a lot of stuff, brings them certain power and status, but perfect peace isn’t for sale anywhere.
Peace . . . or pride?
Isaiah’s perfect peace is akin to David’s psalm. It comes when one realizes that humility is far better than pride and arrogance. David said some things were basically above his pay grade. There certainly were problems that being king couldn’t and didn’t solve.
David described a perfect moment when he wasn’t striving for more and was as content as a child who is well cared for by his mother. “But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother.” This contentment isn’t immediate. It will require some effort. David said he had calmed and quieted his soul. This, I think, is the second of three steps.
As mentioned earlier, David’s first step was humility. Humility comes when we understand that we are not God; we have figured out we may have intelligence and talent, but whatever amount we possess is minimal compared to the God of creation.
Second, we must choose to stop trying to do it all by ourselves. David’s second step was just that. His soul was calmed because his reliance on God was much like a weaned child’s dependence on its mother: No longer fussy and uncertain and needing to be at his mother’s breast for nourishment, but knowing that food will be provided and every need met because a caring parent is there at all times. This is how our Heavenly Father will always provide for us.
Finally, David declared that his hope from now and forevermore would rest in the Lord. And King David called all of God’s children to place their ultimate hope there as well. No human king or leader is worthy of that kind of trust. David knew what Isaiah would declare and Paul would later confirm in Romans. The God of hope can and will fill us with his peace. He will even throw in joy. The power of the Holy Spirit is with us and in us, and because of Jesus, we can have hope now and forevermore.
May God lead you to this place of peace and contentment even today.
Your time with God’s Word
Psalm 131:1-3; Proverbs 16:5; Isaiah 26:3-4; Romans 15:13 ESV
Photo by Guillaume de Germain on Unsplash
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