His Peace

Peace of mind and soul is what we strive for daily. We pray for it, yet it seems the heavens are as brass. We work for it, only to find we are too tired to recognize it. What is real peace? How do we loose it? How do we find it again? Maybe a little digging in the Word will make it possible for us to regain what we "feel" we have lost.

First of all, Galatians 5:22-23 list peace as the third fruit of the Spirit. Romans 5:1 says, we can have peace with God only through Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore, the first step to real peace of mind and soul is a personal relationship with God by accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and living for him as Lord.

Secondly, in John 14:27 Jesus states he would leave us his peace. Not the kind of peace the world can give, which is based only on feelings and good experiences, but his own peace. A peace that believes in the good of an eternal outcome regardless of the circumstances. A peace that knows the love of the Father and believes he is working all things for our good and his glory. A peace that understands the eternal value of difficult times.

Read Mark 4:35-41

Picture the scene. The sea is stirring in such a way that avid seamen are terrified they are going to die, while Jesus, the Creator of the storm, is peacefully asleep in the bottom of the boat. His peace allows him to know that all is well and will continue to be well for all eternity no matter what the circumstances may be on earth. He views the eternal value of the wind, rain and thunder not the finite, earthbound, time limited nature of things.

Note what Jesus says in verse 39 of Mark chapter 4: "Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?" Herein lies the key to discovering why we have little peace during the storm. We allow our minds to race with thoughts of how to row out of our own raging seas, instead of resting in the Creator of them. Just as Jesus spoke the words, "Peace be still," to the troubled seas, he wants to speak the same words to your troubled soul. To hear him, you need only to choose to view him as the Sovereign and believe he is the Lord of all your circumstances.

Psalm 4:4 "Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still."
Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."

Now, read Psalm 46:11 "The Lord of hosts is with us: the God of Jacob is our refuge."

Of all the patriarchs, why did God allow Jacob to be mentioned here? I believe it is because Jacob was a wrestler with God. Jacob had great difficulty finding peace with God because he sought ways to maneuver around difficult circumstances, often choosing to be deceitful. Lying is the sin that causes us to believe we have the power to manipulate our way around God's plan. We loose fellowship with God, thus loosing our peace with him.

We must stop allowing ourselves to be agitated and disturbed by our circumstances. We cannot allow ourselves to be fearful, intimidated and unsettled. We must choose to walk by faith, in true obedience to God's Holy Word and allow him to fill us daily with his peace so we can walk in peace of mind and soul.