He Will Cover You in His Peace

“For everything there is a season,

a time for every activity under heaven.”

(Eccl. 3:1 NLT)

I have to confess that I’ve spent most of my life waiting for the next season of life. When I was in high school, I couldn’t wait to start college. Once at university, I started looking for Mr. Right, and when I found Mr. Right, I couldn’t wait to have children. It was as if today was nothing more than a stepping stone to what was ahead. I was always thinking that if we could just do this or have that, everything would finally be perfect.

But would it really?

Living in the present isn’t always easy, and yet the older I get, the more I realize that life will always continue shifting through changes and seasons. Some of these seasons are filled with struggles; loss, health concerns, layoffs, and financial issues. Then there are other seasons where we can finally feel as if we can catch our breath. But life is never stagnant.

I’m in an interesting season of life right now. Even though our children are grown, we’ve never quite got to the empty nest phase. In fact, we’re now living in a three-generation household, with me caring for my mother while my daughter and her husband are living with us as they wait to transition into their next season of life. It’s a good but sometimes challenging season as there are many unknowns, along with new responsibilities and demands I have to balance.

So how do we find contentment in the here and now?

Paul tells us about an unworldly peace—a peace or contentment that passes all understanding. Then he tells us in Philippians chapter four, verse four to rejoice in the Lord always. Always? Part of me wants to say that’s impossible, but it doesn’t mean we won’t struggle or hurt. It doesn’t mean we won’t have bumps in the road or long stretches of pain. It doesn’t even mean we will always understand why hard things have happened to us. But Paul continues in verse six by saying, “Let your requests be made known unto God, with thanksgiving.”

A request implies that you need something. You’re hurting and need something in your life to change. But rejoice? Even when it’s hard? Yes, and Paul doesn’t stop there. He goes on to say that the peace of God that passes all understanding—meaning peace that doesn’t make any earthly sense—will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. It will fortify you and renew your strength. Contentment in the middle of loss. Joy in the middle of heartache. This is a peace that doesn’t make sense to the world, but it’s ours through Christ Jesus.

Maybe that seems hard to wrap your mind around, but God’s personal presence always carries with it the assurance of God’s personal care.

• “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares for you.” (1 Pet. 5:7 NLT)

The promise of his powerful provision also carries with it the promise of His infinite power no matter how impossible the problem may appear to us.

• “What is impossible for people is possible with God.” (Luke 18:27 NLT)

In the middle of the struggles, our response should be that of worship and submission. We won’t always be happy about a situation, but we can be assured that we are not walking this journey alone.

• Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thess. 5:16-18 NIV)

As an author, writing novels is often a place for me to explore real-life struggles. One of the underlying themes in my latest US Marshal series is how my heroine, Madison, has to deal with loss. Her father, the man she’s adored her whole life, is now slowly forgetting words, places, and even family. Ultimately, he received an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Madison—like me—has to realize that life is full of seasons. That as hard as it is to watch your parents move into their last season of life, there can still be joy along the way.

Solomon continues his reminder in Ecclesiastes 3 that nothing in life stays the same:

A time to be born and a time to die.

A time to plant and a time to harvest.

A time to kill and a time to heal.

A time to tear down and a time to build up.

A time to cry and a time to laugh.

A time to grieve and a time to dance.

A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.

A time to embrace and a time to turn away.

A time to search and a time to quit searching.

A time to keep and a time to throw away.

A time to tear and a time to mend.

A time to be quiet and a time to speak.

A time to love and a time to hate.

A time for war and a time for peace.

What does this mean for us on a practical level? Search for ways to find joy and contentment in the season you are in, and trust your heavenly Father—the Creator of the universe—to cover you in his peace.

Lisa Harris is a USA Today bestselling author, a Christy Award finalist for Blood Ransom, Vendetta, and Port of Origin, Christy Award winner for Dangerous Passage, and the winner of the Best Inspirational Suspense Novel for 2011 (Blood Covenant) and 2015 (Vendetta) from Romantic Times. She has fifty plus novels and novellas in print. She and her husband work as missionaries in southern Africa. Lisa loves hanging out with her family, cooking different ethnic dishes, photography, and heading into the African bush on safari. Visit www.lisaharriswrites.com to learn more.

Photograph © Jeroen Bendeler, used with permission