In the climate of this world in which we are living, it is hard to find peace. All we need do is listen to the evening news and we see and hear of all the turmoil around us. There is only one source of the peace we all seek, and that is the peace that comes from God, Himself. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 says, “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” (ESV) The Apostle Paul knew from where his source of peace came, and he prayed that God’s peace would cover the Thessalonian church in everything and at all times.
The more we seek God and the peace He gives, the more we will find Him and His peace. Prayer and daily Bible study are ways we can find peace when life is turned upside down. God speaks to us through His Word, and as we pour out our hearts to Him in prayer, He lovingly grants us His peace. Philippians 4:17 tells us the result of God’s peace in our lives, “And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].” (AMP) God’s peace brings reassurance to our hearts when we don’t know who to trust, where to go, or what to do. When we go to God, trust Him, and rely upon Him to take care of us, we find peace in our hearts. His peace is more than our human minds can comprehend. It guards our hearts and minds and assures us that God loves us more than we can ever know.
I’ve felt that kind of peace at least twice in my life. Once, when my first husband, Allen, passed away after a long illness. In the middle of my grief, God gave me His peace. I knew that my husband was living with Him in Heaven and that I would see him again someday. The second time was when my current husband, Kraig, and I were on our honeymoon, and we received a phone call from his doctor. Before we went on our honeymoon, Kraig went in for a physical. The doctor was calling to tell us that his PSA was elevated and that Kraig had prostate cancer. My first thought was, “No, not again!”
Why did I think that? When my first husband, Allen, and I came home from our honeymoon, he was in a car accident. He was getting ready to go to work and had decided to take his motorcycle, but it had a flat tire, then he decided to take our VW Bug, but didn’t want to transfer his tools from the truck, so he took our truck. It’s a good thing he did because he got hit head-on by some kids drag racing down a curvy country road. If he would have taken the motorcycle or the VW Bug, I would have been a widow after two weeks of marriage. Now, here I was on my honeymoon with Kraig, and we receive news that he has cancer. After I was able to get over the initial shock, God sent me His peace and I was able to put Kraig in His hands. The result was that God healed Kraig of prostate cancer and he has been cancer-free for almost five years! I felt God’s peace through the sorrow of losing Allen and through the devastating news of Kraig’s illness. Both situations could have put me in a tailspin that never would have ended, but God was in control, and He let me know that He was taking care of everything.
Only God can grant us the kind of peace that gives us a calmness of spirit even during trials. We only need to go to Him and let Him do what He needs to do and just trust Him. He will give us peace in every situation.
donnasmusings 