Follow the Strands

I was privileged to meet many of my great-grandparents. Some seemed vibrant, almost as young as their children-- my grandparents. Others seemed more like the stereotypical crotchety old people. And while I didn't particularly enjoy visiting the "crotchety" ones, there were things about their houses that I did enjoy. One of my great-grandmas made exquisite quilts. She pieced some, and bought printed tops that she then hand quilted for others. Her garage had a MASSIVE hanging quilting rack, always with a new work in progress. I guess in my mind she was the quilt lady. My favorite thing about visiting her was tracing the patterns and shapes and colors in the many quilts at her house. I loved counting shapes delicately stitched again and again. I loved following the "paths" around the corners and curves. And I loved watching the interplay of colors and patterns as they raced over the edge of the bed.

Yesterday I was thinking about a verse that I've recently taped on my mirror. And I began to follow the strands through Scripture.

This God-- his way is perfect, the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him... You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great
Psalm 18:30, 35

The words shield and salvation jumped out at me. And I was reminded of the passage in Ephesians about the armor of God.

In all circumstances take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
Ephesians 6:16-17

I thought about how both a helmet and a shield protect, or guard, your body. My mind then skipped to Philippians.

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

I slowed down to chew on verse seven. I wondered how the peace of God would guard my heart and mind. I thought of Romans where it says that we have peace WITH God.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:1 

And I thought perhaps that is the driving force behind the peace that surpasses understanding. Perhaps we have peace in the difficulties of life precisely because we know that we already have peace WITH God.

At that point I'd exhausted my memory, so I pulled out my Bible app and searched "peace of God". I was surprised when my search showed that that phrase doesn't occur in the Old Testament. And it only occurs once in the New Testament. At least in the English translation. What does occur frequently in the New Testament is the phrase "God of peace". So perhaps another reason we have peace in the midst of difficulty is because we worship the God of peace, and little by little we are becoming more like Him.

Friend, much like the repeated patterns and threads in my grandmother's quilts, the Bible has strands of similarity woven throughout. God has revealed Himself to us so that we may know and worship Him. We just have to believe, and follow the strands.

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:23