Laughing At The Days To Come
Peaceful and laughing, huh? Now that is funny! We are mothers, with heaps to worry about, right? A fret here and freak there! Yep, even my friends who range from winebibbers to Bible-bangers would both agree on that. Laughing at the days to come? Who do they think we are? I asked a friend from the bibber group, “What is it you want?” With fumes of fire and a gallon of wine in hand she responded, “I just want peace!” The same response echoes from some bangers, “Just pray for my peace, Vange.” No matter what group you live in, the universal cry is for everyday peace!
Right Here! Right Now!
It’s your fair dinkum right! Did I say it was your right? Yes Sireee! Jesus said it. Here’s a Vange paraphrase of John 16.33, “I told you some things, so you can have peace in Me. In this world, bad stuff does happen, but cheer up ladies, I’m bigger than this ol’ world!” This is most astonishing when you think that He had just told them about his crucifixion and the harrowing times to come, but He ends with a “Come on, chins up girls – I’m huge! Don’t worry – Be Happy”.
From this I have derived two facts to which I’ve dedicated my mind and heart:
- Stuff happens!
- God’s huge!
This is where Peace begins. How big is your God? My God created the world. He knows all my thoughts - great and anxious ones. He knows when I get up for the tenth time in the night for the children. He is with me everywhere and in all situations. Oh yes, did I tell you He fashioned me? He knows all my days. He thinks great things about me. In fact, that there aren’t enough sands of the sea to count them! Most cool! (1) I’ve decided I’ll trust this God! Believe me, its better than the following…
The World of ‘What If’
The beautiful words in Philippians 4:6-8 sing to me. “Don’t be anxious about anything! Instead pray and thank God and His peace will pervade every atom of your being (even your mind and heart!) Think about beautiful things - truth, nobleness, justness, purity, great reports, virtuous things, anything worth a great applause - let your brain rest here!” What bliss! What a contrast to this world where every minute we are told to worry about this or that. So much for tranquility and peace of mind! What if those scissors had dropped an inch closer? My son would have been blind! What if, what if? We all look rather silly when we live out of fears that do not happen. It reminds me of a passage in the Bible when the Lord said. “They have not known me, therefore they are silly children.” (2)
Listen to these words from God. “Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in Me.” (3) “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts to which also you were called in one body.” (4) Is your future bright and cheery or bleak with fear? Are you living your life out of what might be instead of what is? It’s the little ‘what if’ foxes that spoil the vine! The woman in Proverbs 31 laughs at the days to come! Who is she? The woman, the mother! In Isaiah it says, “I will extend peace to her like a river.” (5) “Her” – a symbolic representation of a mother! He likens the mother to a river of peace.
Show Me This River!
Let me take you to Psalm 46. First, we just have to skip through a few earthquakes, a couple of mountains falling into the ocean and some hurricane waters. No need to fear, of course, there is that good ol’ river in verse four that comes to save the day!
It is now we realize that the River flows and comes out of the heart (throne) of God! We cannot know the River of Peace until we know its source, the heart of God. Women the world over need to know God’s heart for them! If you know His love deeply, you can trust Him. When you trust Him, you will experience His peace and security with no anxieties. When He looks into your eyes and says, “Peace”, you will be filled. God also says “In returning and rest you shall be saved, in quietness and confidence shall be your strength – but you would not!” (6) What d’ya mean? You know us. Simply put, we women like to take matters into our own hands – “I’ll solve it!” Here’s the breakdown of the…
Temporary Solvers
The “Do Dos”, The “Ra Ras”, The “Aaaah Aaaahs”, and the “La Las”
The Do Dos think doing it will bring peace. “What I need is to get stuck in there and make it happen!” But the Lord says, “Martha, Martha, you are hassled and overworked about many things. Only one thing is needed and Mary has chosen that!” (7) That’s sitting at His feet where we will be refreshed by the dew of heaven.
The Ra Ras think raving on and talking it out, calling countless friends, or throwing it all on a counselor will bring peace. “What I need is a good counseling session!” But the Lord says, “Cast all your cares (and ravings) on Him, for He cares for you.” (8)
The Aaaah Aaaahs are the escapists. “Aaaah, that’s better, now there’s peace.” “Aaaaah to escape to the great outdoors.” “ Aaah to be alone with my husband.” “What I need is a good holiday.” But the Lord says, “I am your rest.” (9)
The La Las are ‘out there somewhere’ - the druggies, the pillpoppers, the vitamin and juicing gurus. “What I need is just to take this new…” But the Lord says, “Take my yoke upon you, learn of me and you will find rest for your soul.” (10) Most of the above are not bad, but the ultimate high, the freedom to laugh and the release of stress comes from sitting at His feet.
Protect your Borders
A few nights ago I woke up in the middle of the night with the words “He grants you peace in your borders” (11) playing over and over in my mind. Many of us have prayed this for our countries, not realizing the borders of our mind have been broken into. In Isaiah we read, “Neither wasting nor destruction shall be within your borders!” (12) Let’s not spend our thoughts on things that destruct and cause us to waste away. In Revelation 6 the Angel takes peace from the earth. (13) Women, I call the alert. Not one second before the allotted time shall we allow peace to go! No Way! Its time to take back our land! It times to take back our minds, our hearts and our homes to the source of the river! So we can look forward to…
A Different Future
Many a woman has got all out of whack because the future turned out different than her plan. You can’t trust Him now? Fear and anxiety grab your throat and are about to win the day. But wait, when they win, you lose! You lose the excitement of life. You become drab as dishwater and useless as a wet noodle - spectatoring, not loving too deeply or expecting too much, always playing it safe just in case. Most of all, it makes you miss the full enjoyment of the intimate moments with God and man… that beautiful sunset, the awakening of spring, the whisper and kiss from your little child.
Peace is not accomplishing our future, but resting our future in God’s hands. It is resting in the still small voice of the all-encompassing “I Am”. When you take hold of His hand, you will find it is the hand of the Almighty God. He speaks to your soul and says, “I am your peace. I am your everything. I am the one who loves you like no other and I hold your life. You can hope and you can laugh at the days to come!” (14)
Your friend Vangi.
EVANGELINE JOHNSON
Primm Springs, Tennessee, USA
Scripture References:
- Psalm 139:13-18;
- Jeremiah 4:22
- John 14:1,27b
- Colossians 3:15
- Isaiah 66:12
- Isaiah 30:15
- Mark 10:41-42
- 1 Peter 5:7
- Matthew 11:28
- Matthew 11:29-30
- Psalm 147:14
- Isaiah 60:18
- Revelation 6:4
- Ephesians 2:14