Printed from: https://archive.cmf.org.uk/global/electives/?id=15&page=devotions
Psalm 29: 11
Reliant on God: Peace
It was a Tuesday morning, and as with every day of the six weeks, bright sun streamed through the bedroom window. This morning however, I felt anything but sunny. I was apprehensive and nervous, because today we were visiting the maximum-security prison in Kabwe, and more specifically the condemned men’s section. We travelled the short journey to the prison and stepped through a small wooden door in the huge reinforced wooden gates.
Despite having grown accustomed (at least to some degree) to the prisons (having visited about 12 by this stage) today was different. I was about to meet 260 men on death row, and I was scared. My heart still slightly quickens now at the thought of it, but then it was positively trying to escape my rib cage! All sorts of questions flooded my mind - Why was I here? What good could we do? I called out silently to God, ‘Father, please give me peace’ - and He did. And what’s more - I’ll never forget that day - and I’ll never forget the Christians there. Men who sang with all their hearts, ‘my home is not here on earth, but in heaven’.
That day I remember as if it were yesterday. I had to accept that I couldn’t go on without God intervening and stilling my heart, giving me the strength to go on and step over the threshold. So many times it’s easy to think we have everything under control, that we can take things in our stride - ride the waves, dodge the storms - but I’m sure God would rather we trusted Him in everything, not just in crises!
Prayer and Action
Spend a moment asking God what He’d have you trust in Him for, today. Then let Him give you His peace for whatever that need is.
