John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Are you like me? Sometimes circumstances determine your sense of peace more than the promises of God? Life moves along fairly smoothly and you’re at peace…until you’re not. A spiritual storm like Hurricane Ian rips through your landscape bringing heavy gusts of unanswered questions like What just happened? Why? Floodwaters of loss, grief and insecurity drown out the peace you knew.
I don’t think a lot about peace until I experience its absence. Like the other fruit of the Spirit, peace from God doesn’t fluctuate with our surroundings. But, sadly, my peace does. I sometimes meet difficulties with a deluge of anxiousness rather than trusting the One who promises to work out all things for our good (Romans 8:28). That’s when I need to get out of my head and on to my knees.
Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer.
Prayer leads us to Jesus, and Jesus leads us to peace. Unlike the kind of peace the world gives, the Jesus kind of peace doesn’t depend on understanding; it surpasses understanding. It kicks in when we take our troubled hearts to God with prayer, petition and thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6).
Before his crucifixion, and the last time Jesus gathered with his disciples, he assured them that they would face trouble in a fallen world. Events were about to unfold they couldn’t possibly comprehend at the time. He didn’t whip out a magic wand of revelation to help them figure it all out. He gave them something better. Peace. A peace that lasts no matter the circumstance, no matter the degree of understanding.
Jesus offers the same assurance to all his followers.
I believe God wants us to move from experiencing a fuzzy concept of peace to the real deal. So when you feel sad and depleted and the storms you encounter seem to have knocked out your power grid, don’t be deceived. God’s peace hasn’t gone anywhere. Run to him. Pour out your heart and recall his promises. Remember his words.
Be at peace…until…he someday returns and makes all things right.