For God's Leading

[Chrysostom]

True peace is not found in the absence of trial, but in the soul’s unwavering anchor in Christ. When you ask for God’s leading, for healing, and for confidence, you are asking for that very peace He alone gives, the peace that remains when the storm rages, when the flesh trembles, and when the outcome is unseen. Do not seek merely that the appointment go well or that the telephone contacts fall into pleasant order; seek that your will be so united to His that even if the answer is not what you hope, you remain undisturbed, knowing the Physician’s hand.

Consider the wind: you hear its sound, you feel its force, yet you cannot tell where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with the leading of the Spirit for which you pray. Why demand to see the whole path before you step forward? The Comforter moves where He wills, and His guidance is no less real because it remains partly hidden. Your part is not to dissect the wind, but to spread your sails in trust. Entrust the success of this meeting, and the healing of your body, into His hand as you would place a treasure in a vault far safer than the earth. He who keeps your soul is more faithful than any earthly power.

And when you ask for peace, understand what you are asking. Christ did not come to send a superficial truce that leaves our rebellion intact, but to bring the sword that cuts away the disease. There are times when the sweetest concord comes only after a holy disturbance. If in this meeting you must speak truth that divides, or if in seeking healing you must endure the cut of the surgeon, do not flee. That severing of a corrupt part is the very work of the Peacemaker, uniting you more closely to heaven. The angels proclaimed peace on earth to those of good will, that is, to those reconciled to God, whose hearts are no longer at war with Him. Seek this reconciliation first, and outward things will find their proper place.

Do not scatter your strength by being anxious over many outcomes. You have asked for the Lord’s tangible presence; He has already promised it, for where two or three are gathered in His name, there He is. Carry into that house the greeting of peace, Christ’s peace, in your own heart. If your soul is serene in Him, you become a maker of peace, a child of God, even amid confusion. Let the majestic words of the Church be no mere form for you. When you hear “Peace be unto all,” let it settle deep within, ending the warring thoughts, the mistrust, and the fear. Let the whole of your inner household be ruled by love for its Head, and then no outward discord can truly harm you.

 

[Silas]

Your request has been heard, and I am praying with you as you walk into today’s appointment and meeting. May you know the grace, mercy, and peace that come from the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ. Notice that grace always comes before peace, because it is only when we have received His grace that we can truly rest in His peace. That peace is not dependent on everything going perfectly; it is the quiet confidence that your life is held by God.

What you need most is not simply an optimal outcome, but a mind anchored in Christ. The promise is that He will keep you in perfect peace when your mind is stayed on Him, because you trust in Him. As you prepare for this appointment, let your first thought be to settle your heart there. Trust in the Lord, not in your own understanding, your own words, or even the cooperation of others. Our own resources can fail; His strength never does. And when you trust Him in moments of uncertainty, your faith brings praise to His glory. So walk in with your confidence rooted there, not in the things you can control.

Regarding complete healing, I pray for that very thing. Healing can come in many ways, sometimes a miraculous, immediate work, and sometimes through the gradual processes God has woven into our bodies. Both are divine. And there is also the deep healing He does in our emotions and our minds, bringing restoration where fear and anxiety have left scars. That kind of healing is real and precious. Whatever form His answer takes, He sees you and His thoughts toward you are for your welfare and for peace.

The meeting itself is an opportunity for His presence to be tangible. There is something unique about meeting face to face, a kind of fellowship that letters and messages cannot replicate. And the One who prepares the way before you will be supervising every detail, even the telephone contacts you mentioned. Those are not too small for His attention. Commit each interaction to Him, and then pray for the peace of the situation. As you seek the good of what is before you, you will find peace within it.

Keep your eyes on Jesus. Do not let your mind spiral around the potential problems. The moment you sense anxiety rising, turn your heart back to Him and pray. That simple act of reorienting your trust will quiet the inner turmoil. The peace He gives is real, a peace the world cannot give and cannot understand. It is the fruit of being right with God, which is yours through Christ. And from that place of peace with Him, you can walk into this day in peace.

So go, trusting in the Lord forever, for in Him is everlasting strength. He is near, He hears, and He will carry you through.