Peace Be Still

"as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 103:12 NIV

There is something about standing at the ocean shore, looking out towards the horizon, which is healing to me. Long before I knew the words to that verse in Psalms, I would go to the ocean to find peace. I like to think it was because God placed those words in my heart, knowing that someday they would take on a greater meaning in my life. Who else but God could wipe away an entire life of sin and cast the memory of it into the depths of the sea? Where else can you go to see the very literal translation of “as far as the east is from the west” than the ocean? It is physically impossible, standing on the shore, to see the beginning or the end of the sea.

Did you know that if you are going north and south, you will always be going north or south. When you head north and get to the top of the earth, you will immediately start heading south as you continue on. And when you reach the south pole you will immediately start heading north again. But if you are heading east or west, you will always be heading east or west. You never reach “east” or “west”. That just fascinated me. How cool is that? (I suppose that’s why there is no east pole or west pole. No. I didn’t pay attention in that class. Isn’t that obvious by now? I took science and geography because they made me. My school had this ridiculous rule that one should get a well-rounded education.)

Why do I share this little tidbit of scholarly information you might ask? Let’s think about it for a moment. If there never is a beginning to the east or an ending to the west, then how far away has God put the memory of our sins? If He can’t see them, why should we? “Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back.” Isaiah 38:17 ESV

How often I recall my sins. Sometimes my entire day is warped by the thoughts of things I have done in the past. Once, a day or so ago, we were passing a particular place in a city where I had made some less than intelligent choices. The memory of my sin was so overwhelming that I almost began crying. I felt myself sliding down into that dark abyss one goes to when you can’t reconcile your past with your present. But then God whispered.

“And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” Mark 4:39 KJV

And so, as I stood on the shore tonight looking out towards the horizon as the sea lapped gently into the shore in front of me, I thanked Him for reminding me that He doesn’t remember my sins and neither should I. He has promised me peace. Peace in every area of my life if I just trust Him in the middle of my circumstance. He loved me so much He sent His Son, Christ Jesus, to take on the burden of my sins. The words of my life verse (John 14:27) which Christ spoke while here on earth come flooding back to me “"I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid.”NLT

He is the author of peace. He is the giver of peace. He is Elohei Hashalom, the God of Peace.

Will you trust Him to be the God of Peace in your life?

Sweetheart and I are currently in Fort Desoto Park outside Tampa, Florida. Wow is it beautiful down here. Just by randomness, or not if you believe in God’s providence like we do, we met some people in Lynchburg VA who told us about this county park here. It is not even listed when you google search (what? You don’t google search everything you need?) RV parks near Tampa. In a city where RV spaces run upwards of $100 a night, it is refreshing to stay in a place that is both affordable ($30-35) and stunning in its beauty. Also the sites are absolutely huge by today’s standards. They are roughly 40-60 ft deep. They have mangroves and cypress between each site, providing a great buffer for privacy. This is wonderful considering in most parks you have about 10 ft between trailers. While this can be wonderful if you desire new friends, it can be a bit disconcerting if you are seeking privacy. I was watching THE football game the other Saturday (Roll Tide…what other football games are there?) and as the game came to a close I was screaming quite loudly (what? Don’t you scream at the tv during football games?). Suddenly I heard the neighbors commenting on my speaking skills and let’s just say they were quite baffled by my lack of decorum. (of course they spent their days watching cars go left continuously but who am I to judge!)

Anyway I digress. We are in Tampa for this week and then, finally, we are headed back to Texas to see old friends and spend the thanksgiving holiday with family. Tomorrow I have a couple of great recipes to share with you for the holiday weekend. Until then, thanks for coming along for the journey. 

Blessings,
 


©2014MichelleWelch, team member of Breath Of Life Women's Ministries and Single Matters Magazine
photography by Michelle Welch, all rights reserved
scriptures from KJV and THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. and Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All Rights Reserved. and The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.