THE PEACE OF GOD
THE PEACE OF GOD
Philippians is the experience of a heavenly man. What I get in this passage is how a man is freed of care. He goes into the presence of God to state all his cares.
[p. 217] It is often quoted, but I have not seen many examples of it. A man goes in with his cares, perhaps about a sick child, or a sick cow; he comes out, but his child is as sick as ever, his cow is as sick as ever; what has happened? Is the thing altered? No, just the same as ever, but he has been to God; he is a changed man: he was perturbed, distressed because of the troubles; now he has the peace of God; I cannot explain it to you, it “surpasses every understanding”. (Philippians 4: 7) I think I have tasted a little of it, the edge of it.
Think of having the peace of God Himself! I come back, not untroubled, but unruffled. It is like the difference between a land-bird and a water-bird. A water-bird oils his feathers before he goes into the water; not a feather is disturbed. I come out unruffled. I have been with God, and the most marvellous alteration has taken place in me, not in the circumstances, but in me, thank God!
It was a simple verse that first gave me a taste of it; Exodus 15: 25. The waters of Marah were bitter. That was what I felt, that everything was bitter in this poor world. I felt it would be a positive relief if I were to die. But I was struck with that verse. I saw there was something put into the bitter waters that made them sweet. Wood was put in. That was the beginning of a great deal to me. Here is more than the waters sweetened; God does not say, I will change everything for you, but I will change you by the glory of Christ. You will see how things look then.
I know the trouble, but instead of getting the trouble altered, I get altered myself. To what extent? To an inconceivable extent. It passes all understanding. What a condition! But it is within the reach of the poorest, most suffering person in this world.