The plea that goes up from a trusting heart to the throne of grace can never fail, for the ear of the Lord is ever open to the cry of His children. When you ask for divine protection, you ask for that which He delights to give, for He is indeed your refuge and fortress, a very present help in trouble. Yet mark this: the shield of God does not promise an absence of storms, but a sheltering Presence in their midst. His mighty hand may permit the blast to beat upon the house, but it will not allow the house to fall when it is founded upon the Rock. Even those things which appear harrowing and hostile, sickness, loss, or peril, are not beyond the pale of His sovereign sway. He formeth the light and createth the darkness; He maketh peace and createth evil; His providence is as much in the hurricane as in the calm. If He permits the enemy to approach, it is only that He may show Himself strong on your behalf, and make your deliverance more memorable.
That peace for which you long, a spirit grounded and kept from anxious care, is not a thing of outward circumstances. The world’s peace is a painted counterfeit, a slumber that leads to a rude awakening. But the peace of God which passeth all understanding is an inward repose, built upon the finished work of Christ. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The treaty is sealed in heaven, and the conscience publishes the glad tidings. It is a peace that thrives even when thronging duties press hard, for its secret lies in this: “To do the will of Jesus, this is rest.” When you cannot untangle the skein of your cares, commit them into His hands. What you cannot do, leave to Him; your business is but to take the next step in obedience, and trust all else to the wise Disposer of events. Let not your heart be troubled, for all the water outside the ship cannot sink it; only that which gets within can do harm. Wear heart’s-ease in your bosom, and you may go merrily through a desolation of woes.
Remember, too, that the soul’s stronghold is prayer. Before the trial fell upon Daniel, he had been constant at his window open toward Jerusalem. His habitual devotion laid up stores of strength for the hour of the lions’ den. So with you: let your private prayer be unceasing, for it is the very breath of the life of God in the soul. In that secret place, lay down your anxieties one by one at His feet. He taketh away; who can hinder Him? And if He delay to remove the burden, He will multiply the strength to bear it.
Flee ever to that blessed City of Refuge, which is Christ Jesus. Not for the innocent merely, but for the willful and guilty who cast themselves upon His mercy, the gate stands open. He is a shelter where the avenger of blood can never strike. There, beneath the crimson canopy of His atoning sacrifice, you are secure from all condemnation and from the ultimate sting of every foe. There your heart shall learn to sing in the darkest night, “The blood of Jesus whispers peace within.”
Walk, then, in courage, not because you see the path clear, but because the unseen God goes before you. He shall command His angels concerning you, and though you move through a wilderness, His presence shall make it a sanctuary. Commit your household, your going out and your coming in, to Him who never slumbers. Let your constant motto be, “What would Jesus do?” and in the doing of that will, you shall find a garrison of peace. The Lord himself is your shield; trust in him, and you shall not be put to shame.
