Often God doesn’t change our circumstances as much as we may want Him to. Instead God often changes our heart in the midst of the same circumstances. The Lord always knows what kind of change is most needed. He knows what will bring us deeper peace and contentment.

Our default is to believe a different set of circumstances is the answer. We forget that if our heart is not at peace with God, we won’t be any happier even if our circumstances did change for the better.

Conversely when our heart is changed, whatever is happening all around us won’t be able to shake our peace. When our hope is firmly fixed on Christ, the wind and waves of life won’t cause us to be tossed about. Our roots will run deep into the love of Christ; and we will be able to stand firm and even thrive in the hard circumstances of life.

I often find myself praying that specific circumstances in my life would change, with the assumption that they are the problem. Yet as time goes on, I begin to realize that even though my circumstances have remained the same, God has been changing my heart all along. The circumstances that caused me to look to the Lord for help were what God used to fill me with more of His peace and power.

Changed circumstances can be fleeting.

A changed heart brings the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, and that will guard our heart in Christ Jesus.  (Phillipians 4:7)