That may have caught you off guard. But hear me out.

Peace requires us to let go and trust God. Let go of our worries, doubts, and fears. Trust Him completely. That is the only way to receive the true peace that only God can give.

For a whole week, I had been full of anxiety, worry, and fear about a desire I had. I was scared to let myself hope because of all the disappointments I have experienced in my life. There was a struggle within me because I wanted to believe something good could happen, but at the same time, I was trying to protect myself from pain. It left me feeling weighed down and mentally burdened.

During prayer, I got honest with God. I told Him that I was afraid to hope for something and then find out it was not His will. I was afraid to let myself believe it could happen, only to be disappointed.

And that is when this scripture leapt out of my heart:

“You will keep in perfect peace
those whose minds are steadfast…”

Then I looked up the rest of the verse and saw that there was more:

“…because they trust in you.”

For peace to reign in our lives, even in the most uncertain and frightening situations, we must trust that God is with us, cares for us, and knows what is best for us.

I developed the mentality that whenever I desired something, I needed to go to God and ask Him if it was His will before I let myself hope. I thought that if I could know the answer ahead of time, I could avoid getting my hopes up and protect myself from disappointment.

And on the surface, that sounds great and even biblical. But I realized that, for me, it was coming from fear—fear of failure, rejection, and disappointment.

I was trying to get ahead of the pain. If I could know the outcome before I allowed myself to believe in the possibility, then I could protect myself from being hurt.

But I realized something: the fact that I have hope means that part of me is healing.

I can see past my unworthiness and scars and begin to accept that good things can come into my life. That is not something to be ashamed of. It is something to rejoice about.

I have hope for a future in the Lord—something I did not have two years ago. I can see a bright light.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

He is giving me hope and a future.

And now I understand that I have to trust the plans HE HAS FOR ME.

Regardless of what happens, I have hope and a future in the Lord.

That is where I can find rest. I can keep my mind on Him, His Word, and His promises.

“For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” 2 Corinthians 1:20

The WORD is full of promises to US.

We can stand on the Rock, who is firm and unchanging.

He is God and God alone.

In Him, I put my hope and trust.