There is no excuse for a child of God, a follower of Jesus Christ, to be without uninterrupted peace of mind and contentment of heart each and every day of their life. The apostle Paul wrote of how God was “the Father of mercies, and THE GOD OF ALL COMFORT.” (2 Corinthians 1:3). The prophet Isaiah wrote, “You (God) will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed (or, fixed) on you, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3). Jesus Christ promised, “Come unto me, ALL ye that labor and are heavy laden (with troubles, frustrations, anxieties), and I WILL give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Jesus cannot lie or break a promise. Those believers who have no peace of mind, who are continuously mentally depressed and frustrated bring reproach upon their Lord and give the ungodly and demons opportunity to mock and scorn Jesus Christ as a Savior who cannot save, a Comforter who cannot comfort, and a Promise-Maker who cannot deliver on His promises!
The Psalmist wrote, “I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy hill” (Psalm 3:4). God says, “I will hear you when you hear me !” It is tit-for-tat with God. “Therefore it has come to pass that as He cried, and they would not hear, so they cried, and I would not hear them, says the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 7:13). God changes not! He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
The New Testament alone is filled with things the Lord commands us to do and things He commands us not to do. When we ignore His commands, He ignores us when we pray. Our prayers become nothing more than religious exercises never reaching the ear or mind of God. We pray for peace and tranquility and find only frustration, bitterness and exasperation in our daily lives. And that is utterly ridiculous. It is as if we had a million dollars in the bank and yet go hungry and naked, forgetting completely that we are quite wealthy indeed.
The ball is in our court. Are we going to take advantage of our tremendous blessings, or are we going to allow the thief and robber Satan to continue to steal from us what is rightfully ours if we will only be obedient and trust in our faithful Lord??? God help us all to understand is my prayer.
Christ’s Faithful Servant (Galatians 1:10-12),
Donald Wiley