This is a verse that gets inside your soul and pings around like a pinball in a machine. Can you see it? Bouncing off every surface. Lights flashing. Bells ding, ding, dinging.
This truth offers powerful imagery of being completely surrounded by God’s peace. A holy forcefield. And what is inside this divine dome of supernatural care? Our imaginations.
Our ability to dream, to create, to envision, to consider, to complete.
Our minds are wondrous things and they are ALWAYS focused on SOMETHING. Sometimes our thoughts are pulled into deep pits of fear and despair by spiritual forces. But here, God is offering us an altogether better way to think and live.
The Holy Spirit is described as God’s wrap-around presence in the Passion Translation. God is promising PERFECT absolute peace for people who allow the roaming, moving, searching flow of their minds to be focused on Him.
We have been taught it is a battle or struggle to believe. But I beg to differ.
In this holy dome, a sacred space of existence inside His wrap-around presence, He and I can think, discuss, debate, dream and decide from a place of His peace. Absolute peace. All it takes is for me to be consumed with Him and His ways more than my own selfish strength.
Why would I do that? Because I trust Him. I am confident of His protection and provision, but more importantly, I am confident of His affection and presence. In fact, His love surrounds me. (Psalm 139)
What if resting in His favor is not as hard as we have been told? What if the best news ever is to hear, “put your hands up, you’re surrounded?”
I can surrender with my hands in praise because I am surrounded by His love. My mind is tucked safe in His peace.
Whew. Just let this ping around until you get it.