Ep. 170: How to Delight in Abundant Peace

Hey, friend! It’s the third week of the year. How are you? Are you moving forward and doing your best to achieve the goals you set at the beginning of the year? Or are you feeling overwhelmed with life feeling that nothing has changed just because we are in a new year? Perhaps you feel at peace, and everything is going well for you.

I’ll admit that the last few weeks have not been very productive for me. My daughter has been home from college for the past month. And while I love it when she’s home, my schedule has been slightly thrown off. Now I’m staring at what seems to be a never-ending to-do list feeling that I’ll never get it all done. Some days, peace is elusive as I think about all I need to do.

So, I’ve spent time with the Lord and sought his peace in my life. I’m grateful that he has helped me to reframe some situations that have been causing me stress.

Today I want to share with you in episode 170 of Live It Out With The Planning Woman how you can delight in peace. And not just peace but abundant peace.

Abundant Peace

Several years ago, before I started producing Scripture Writing Plans, I used a plan created by someone else. And in that plan was a passage from Psalm 37 that caught my attention. Verse 11 says, “But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.”

Did you catch that it said the meek would delight themselves in abundant peace?

As I mentioned at the beginning of this episode, I have been under some stress lately and have sought God’s peace in my life.

Before we can figure out what it looks like to delight in abundant peace, we need to set this verse in the context of the Psalm where it is found. My Bible has the heading “He Will Not Forsake His Saints” for Psalm 37.

The Psalm opens up with David encouraging the reader not to worry about evildoers or those who do wrong. He says that they will soon fade away. Then we go into a section of verses that are probably very familiar to you. Read Psalm 37:3-5 to hear what David has to say.

Did you catch what David is telling us to do instead of worrying about the wicked succeeding or prospering? He says to trust in the Lord, do good, dwell, be faithful, delight in the Lord, and commit your way to the Lord. And in return, the Lord will give us the desires of our hearts and will act.

David points out that in verses 9-10, evildoers will not succeed, but those who wait on the Lord will inherit the land. This brings us to verse 11, which I’ve already shared.

What does it mean to be meek? According to Blueletterbible.com, the definition of meek includes poor, humble, and afflicted. Dictionary.com defines it as humbly patient or quiet in nature.

When we look at verse 7, we can see why David chose the word meek to describe those who would delight in abundant peace. It says, “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!”

The meek are those who wait for the Lord to act. They exercise their faith and place their trust in God.

Delight in Abundant Peace

So what does it look like to delight in abundant peace? It means when we trust God to act in situations that cause us stress or anxiety, we can experience the following:

Inward peace and peace of mind
Peace with God
Peace in God
Peace in the kingdom of Christ
The peace that the world cannot give

This peace is greater than anything you or I can do for ourselves. It is the direct result of a relationship with Jesus Christ.

We may long for our circumstances to be peaceful, but what we really need is a relationship with Jesus. When we have accepted Him as our Lord and Savior, He will provide the peace we crave.

Does that mean life will be smooth sailing? NO! We are not guaranteed a perfect life free from trouble. It means we will know Who holds everything together and can trust that He knows best. Peace, true abundant peace, only comes from a relationship with Jesus.

How to Have True Peace

I feel like someone is reading this today, wondering how they can get this type of peace.

It really is quite simple. As simple as ABC. First, admit to God that you are a sinner and ask him to forgive you of your sins. Then, believe that Jesus is the son of God and ask him to be your Lord and Savior. Finally, confess that Jesus is the Savior and Lord of your life. Admit, believe, and confess.

If you’d like to know more about having a relationship with Jesus, I invite you to email me at jennifer@theplanningwoman.com. I’d love to talk with you and answer any questions you may have.

I hope you’ll mark Psalm 37:11 in your Bible and ask God to show you how you can delight in abundant peace.