When I watch the news at night, it seems most stories are about the effects of war and the impact of fear and terror on people’s lives. There doesn’t seem to be too much peace in anybody’s world. We all want peace in the world. People sing about it, talk about it and have summits about it. However, it seems nothing is changing to bring mor peace. Just the opposite – more storms and turmoil are occurring. So what exactly is this peace we are all craving? Is it just to live in a peaceful world with no more wars or is it something more significant? If it is, can we somehow be in a place of peace even in the midst of a storm.
I heard a story a few years ago and it went something like this. A person asked a group of artists to draw what they deemed to be peace. Most drew picture of complete calm but one picture drew the eye of this person. The picture was of a little bird snuggled up in a tree while the storm was raging around. When you think about it, maybe you, like me, want to be that little bird. No matter what’s happening around us that we can’t control, we have a peace in our lives that make us in control.
Peace in the Bible is Shalom – nothing missing and nothing broken. It indicates that this peace must be on the inside of us. Jesus told us that His peace He would leave with us. Let’s think on the stories of Jesus for a while. Wasn’t He the One Who walked on the water in the midst of a storm? Wasn’t He the One Who was asleep in the boat when the storm was raging outside? Wasn’t He the One Who walked through a crowd of angry people when they were wanting to throw Him off a cliff? Jesus’ peace didn’t come from outward situations but from an inward knowing of complete trust in His Father and complete faith that He was in the right place at the right time. The peace must be on the inside but it doesn’t have to only stay there. It can emanate to the outside of us so when people look at us going through the storms (not hiding from the storm), they can wonder why and we can tell them – complete trust and faith in God.
This week as we are watching the news and see turmoil everywhere, know that the peace of God is inside you. Pray for those affected by the turmoil that they too would know peace on the inside. Have a compassionate heart for what’s going on around us -not a fearful heart. God loves you and will never leave you. The question is do you want peace so much that you are willing to let God take the controls. I pray you do as your life will never be the same. Keep living the life God intended – in peace, not fear.
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