Are you seeking peace in your life?
When the birth of the Messiah was foretold in Scripture, He was called the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), and ironically, the peace He promised would only be ushered in by His death: “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Is. 53:5).
The reason that I introduced the narrative of Jesus Christ into our conversation is that it is my belief that peace without Jesus is fleeting at best.
To put it in a more contemporary term, you need to look outside yourself to find your source for peace.
Only a perfect, all-knowing, all-powerful God, who proclaims His love for you, can promise the following, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you” (Is. 26:3). Even the night before Jesus died, He promised His disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). Finally, He also said to them, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
In this world you will have trouble.
But rejoice, Jesus has overcome this world.
You see, peace is not an emotion that is generated only by our positive thoughts, or those rare times when circumstances align in our favor. True peace can only be found in the presence of the One who died for you. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7).
Peace is a natural outflow of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives; it is even listed as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22–23. Interestingly enough, the Holy Spirit is also mentioned as a source of peace in the Old Testament (Isaiah 32:15–18). Our triune God is a God of peace and He gifts His peace to His people.
As we study His Word, we learn who God is and our trust in Him can increase. Focusing our mind on God and who He is increases our trust in Him and gives us peace. God reminds us "be transformed by the renewal of your mind" (Romans 12:2). That is what happens when we outsource our mind and heart and refocus on our Creator.
This holiday season it is my prayer that you will experience true peace that will reside with you no matter what storm you are traversing and no matter who is aligned against you. I'm reminded of the lyrics to the great hymn, Stand By Me.
When the storms of life are raging, Stand by me
When the storms of life are raging, Stand by me
When the world is tossing me
Like a ship out on the sea
Thou who rulest wind and water
Stand by me
When I'm growing old and feeble, Stand by me
When I'm growing old and feeble, Stand by me
When I do the best I can
And my friends misunderstand
Thou who never
Lost a battle
Stand by me
