It’s a lie that we need perfect circumstances in order to have peace, practicing peace changes our circumstances.

The past week has brought about emotional turmoil, loss, and unrest. As a nation we’ve experienced the tragedy of life lost. Families ripped a part, fear escalating, our African American brothers and sisters hurting, the police community hurting, grief and division mounting.

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27 (NKJV)

Jesus knew that the enemy would try at every turn to steal our peace using all possible inroads to do it. Relationships, family, disappointments, rejection, fear, just to name a few ways the enemy tries to declare open season on our peace.

It’s within the moments of heartbreak, hurt, loss, and confusion our thoughts must build towards the times He healed, that moment He broke through, the days He carried you, sustained you. Those were the moments that truth rang the loudest. That moment our peace is challenged, our thoughts will either surrender to fear or they will override fear and gravitate towards truth, building our faith to see Him breakthrough again.

“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV)

When you can embrace peace that goes beyond what is logical, that’s when you get it. Reaching beyond the cerebral, beyond the natural realm. That’s where understanding is no longer the focus or even needed.

That word “perfect” in Hebrew is the word “shalom”

”He will keep you in perfect peace” both words “perfect” and “peace” are translated “shalom shalom” So why does He say is twice?  The double use indicates the importance, He doesn’t want us to miss this!  When you put the individual meanings together, you gain a greater understanding. Its meaning is “to destroy the authority of chaos”. The Lord is saying – I will destroy the cause of, the origination of the chaos in your life.

How? The chaos is destroyed by truth as we build from what He has done and increase our faith to see Him do it again. The prophetic ministry of Jesus was based around this very thing. When we meditate on what He has already done, the testimonies, we are opening the door wide to see Him do it again.

“…For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:10 NKJV

You can thrive in the midst of the worst situation because you choose to empower truth.

You don’t have to wait for your situation to change in order for peace to come. We don’t have to wait for the state of affairs in our country to change in order for peace to finally prevail. We are the carriers of peace, the Holy Spirit within us. As you practice leaning into Jesus, things will change, your situation IS changing. Hope is building a stronghold of truth in your life. What chaos in your life needs to be destroyed? Within you lies the power to break free and stand on new ground today.