Peace
Have you ever felt guilty for something awful you said or did, to the point that you couldn’t sleep at night? Are you stressed out over an unpleasant relationship with your parents or other kids at school? Do you worry about the future? If so, you need peace, and the best place to learn about peace is in the Bible.
Where does peace come from? Read what Jesus told his disciples right before He left them. “ Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27, NKJV). Peace is a gift from God, a gift from Jesus!
Is God willing to give me peace? God is more than willing. It’s in the Bible, “The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace” (Psalm 29:11, KJV).
So how do I get that kind of peace? In his letter to the church at Galatia Paul talks about some fruit we all need: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23, NKJV). So if we have the Holy Spirit in our heart we will have peace, one of the Spirit’s fruits.
How do I get the Holy Spirit? Jesus made this very clear. He said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7: 7-8, NKJV). God isn’t talking about a casual relationship. He wants you to be completely His. He says, “Look! I have been standing at the door (the door of your heart) and I am constantly knocking. If anyone hears me calling him and opens the door, I will come in and fellowship with him and he with me” (Revelation 3:20, TLB). God will not force His way in. You must ask Him to come in.
Is there peace in obeying the law of God? “Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.” (Psalm 119:165 NKJV). Just imagine, when we allow ourselves to love God’s law it becomes a part of us and it gives us great peace!
There are “Christians” who don’t seem to have this peace. What’s the problem? Read the inspired wisdom of Eliphaz to his friend Job. “Quit quarreling with God! Agree with Him and you will have peace at last! His favor will surround you if you will only admit that you were wrong” (Job 22:21 TLB). Now Job’s friend was mistaken about Job. Job was not at fault. The devil was. However, the counsel of Eliphas was good advice for those who quarrel with God and won’t admit they are wrong. We need to admit our mistakes. God will forgive us for them if we ask.
Will peace help me sleep at night? Yes! It’s in the Bible, “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me well in safety” (Psalm 4:8 NIV). So God’s peace will help give you a good night’s sleep.
But I get so angry at times and lose my temper. How do I keep peace once I find it? The answer to that is easy if you search the scriptures. Isaiah tells us, “He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in Him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord! Trust in the Lord God always, for in the Lord Jehovah is your everlasting strength.” (Isaiah 26: 3-4, TLB) So if we want to keep in His peace then we must trust Him continually. And if we do this God will be our everlasting strength.
Is peace something that I leave up to God alone? Or is there something I might do to help bring it about? In the Beatitudes Jesus tells us, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9, NKJV) Do you wish to be considered a ‘son’ or a ‘daughter’ of God? If so then allow God’s Holy Spirit to work within you that you might receive His peace, that you might receive His ‘sonship’, his ‘daughtership’.
In this angry world we will often come face to face with anger and bitterness. In such times Satan will present the temptation for us to be bitter as well. In times like these we need to claim the Bible promises for God’s peace like the ones just mentioned. And when we do we will become stronger in our peace as we show the world that we are children of God.
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