Rock of Ages

Scotty Smith:  A Prayer about Being Kept in Perfect Peace

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. Isa. 26:3-4

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

Most loving and trustworthy Father, you haven’t promised us a storm-less, hassle-free life. You offer us no formulas for decreasing the probability of discouraging things happening around us or disillusioning things happening to us.  But you have promised something that transcends the chaos and uncertainty of life. You’ve promised to give us your peace and keep us in peace, no matter what happens. A thousand times over, we thank you.

Being kept by you… we treasure this promise more than all the gold in Fort Knox; all the chalets in Switzerland; all the oil in the Arab States, for we cannot keep ourselves. We don’t have strength to muster or enough boot straps to pull up. Thank you for being an engaged Father who will never forget or abandon your children; a sovereign Lord who names stars, feeds birds and controls our destiny; mighty Warrior, you defends and safeguards our passage home.

But your promise is even grander. You have promised to keep us in perfect peace—an unparalled a peace, a peace which cannot be found anywhere else, a peace which passes all understanding (Phil 4:7), a peace won for us by Jesus, the Prince of Peace. You are now and eternally at peace with us, Father—for you have justified us freely and fully. What more could we possibly need or want!

All we have to do is mine the riches of the gospel and keep in mind the wonders of your love. All we have to do is to set our minds on things above, for you are the LORD—the everlasting Rock that is higher than us; the Rock of refuge; the Rock of ages.

What a compassionate and generous God you are. There is no other god like you, Father. How great are your mercies; how profound your kindnesses; how more-than-sufficient is your grace. Reign in our hearts this day, to your glory and for our freedom. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ glorious name.