Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27
At one time Bulstrode Whitelocke was England’s ambassador to Sweden. Then, as now, life was chaotic and uncertain. The night before he was to leave for Sweden, Whitelocke spent the night in a country inn near the ship that would take him on his journey when morning came.
Whitelocke, though, couldn’t sleep. He tossed and turned, wondering if he was up to the task before him, wondering if he could measure up to the expectations that people had of him. A traveling companion, a kind of valet-bodyguard and friend slept in the same room with him. Sensing that Whitelocke was troubled, he quietly asked if he might ask a question.
“Certainly,” said Whitelocke, somewhat relieved to know that he was not the only one to whom sleep wouldn’t come.
“Do you not think that God governed the world very well before you came into it?” he asked. Without hesitation, the ambassador replied, “Without any doubt.” Then said the companion, “Do you not think that God can and will still govern the world just as well when you have left it?” “Surely,” he said, somewhat taken aback by the inference.
“I hope you will not be offended,” countered the friend, “if I ask you if you cannot trust Him to run the world while you are still in it, just as well as after you are gone.” He got the point. There was nothing to add. And Whitelocke turned over and went to sleep.
Question for you: Does God work the night shift when you toss and turn, your stomach churning, your hands wringing with perspiration? If so, and He handled things quite well before you were born, and will do equally as well after you are gone, cannot you trust Him to keep things under control during your lifetime?
Now, if you can trust God to run the universe with no fear that a comet from some distant orb may sweep into the gravitation pull of our planet and wipe out a few hundred million people including yourself, can’t you also trust Him to bring together those broken, shattered pieces of your life? Can you not trust Him to mend your broken heart, and, yes, to protect you from yourself, who is often your own worst enemy?
Why are we so hesitant to trust? Is it because we don’t think God is equal to the task, or we are even unconvinced that He is interested in us and our problems? Probably you would say, “No,” to both questions.
I think the bottom-line issue is that we stubbornly hate to admit defeat and our need. We hesitate to say, “I just can’t handle this, it is beyond me.” So, our stubborn independence keeps us estranged from God and strangers to sleep and peace of mind.
OK, I have a suggestion. For just today—for the next 24 hours—can you relinquish the control of the world and your personal life to this awesome, marvelous God whose Word cannot be broken? Can you accept the assurance Jesus gave when He so candidly said, “I will never leave you or forsake you”?
That means when you come to the end of this day, you stop carrying your burden and say, “OK, God, You take the night shift. I need sleep, and I’m going to trust You as Sovereign of the Universe to take over what I can’t control or do.”
It is amazing, friend, how much peace will come to your heart when you remind yourself of what Jesus said in the Upper Room. Remember His words? “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I don’t give it to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled and don’t be afraid” (John 14:27).
There are some things only God can do. Trust Him for them.
Resource reading: Psalm 77:1-20
