Being intimately familiar with both extremes, it’s a no-brainer that I want to choose peace.  Do I always?  No.  Most days, and nights, a battle rages between the ‘being still and knowing that He is God’ moments  and the ‘I don’t want to be still – You are God, so why am I still not healed yet?’ thoughts.

Today I wait eagerly for the call that my daughter-in-law is on her way to the hospital….to give birth.  My heart is extremely excited and my flesh just wants to hold little Shyla, swoon over who she looks like and hope for the chance to lock eyes with her so the bonding can begin.  But my days and nights, lately, have been consumed with anxious thoughts concerning the time of day or night that call will come….because chronic pain and physical abilities, depending largely on the time of day, limit me way too much lately.

So I cling to God’s plan and His promises, knowing that He is in control.  Cling…such a strange sounding, yet very powerful word!  To stick to like glue, hang on tightly, strong emotional attachment, embrace, entwine! 

Wow….from Moses in the Old Testament to Paul writing to the Romans, I found several passages that contain the word cling.  Deuteronomy 28:60 is Moses’ warning to the Israelites.  If they did not obey the Lord, He would bring upon them “all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded, and they will cling to you”!  That entire chapter sounds dreadful!  I’m thinking….let’s choose obedience!

II Kings 5:27 talks about Naaman’s leprosy clinging to him and his descendants forever! Psalm 31:6 is about those who cling to worthless idols, rather than trusting in the Lord….Jonah, too, in his prayer to the Lord God from the belly of the fish, said “those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.” (Jonah 2:8 NIV)

Today I am going to embrace Paul’s words to the Romans in chapter 12 verse 9 NIV: “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”

What does this have to do with choosing peace today? Paul refers to love, hate and clinging in the above verse.  If I sincerely love God, then I hate what is evil and I will be clinging to what is good.  If you continue reading in chapter 12, you see that verse 18 says: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”  Other versions say to do your best to live at peace with everyone.  Paul knew that if we lived according to just verses 9 – 21, we could live at peace – with each other – and with God.

Please join me praying:  Lord, help my actions today to show that I’m truly at peace with You, with those around me….whether in good or bad health, knowing that you see it all. You know me better than I do….you know my needs before I ask.  Thank you for holding me in the palm of Your hand….I desire to cling to You!  Amen.