“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”  John 14:27

Life has a way of giving us unexpected events.  Some are pleasant, some are trying and some can be terrifying.  My wife and I have had a few of them lately and we had another one of those yesterday.  Rather than the writing and the housekeeping that I intended to do, I spent the day in the Emergency Room with my older daughter who was in pain.  The most obvious possibility of appendicitis was ruled out, so more tests which all came back negative.  After roughly six hours, we left not knowing the origin of the pain.  We knew several things that it wasn’t, but had no plan of action to relieve the symptoms or better, cure the problem.  While the time spent yesterday was wearing, I can honestly say that I was not anxious.  I was concerned as any good father would be, but I was not anxious.  To some extent, I have learned not to let the “what if” scenarios rule my mind.  However, and more importantly, I have learned that God is in control and He will see me through every situation as He always has.  I have learned the truth and have matured enough in my faith to understand that I need to battle fear with trust in my Savior.  While I haven’t perfected the skill, I am gaining strength and ability in that endeavor.  John 14:27 gives a concise argument for putting our fears to rest.

“Peace I leave you.”  It’s a gift with no strings attached.  All we have to do is trust in our Savior and give our heart to Him.  It’s always available when we need it and inexhaustible.  Part of our sanctification process is learning to trust it and apply it as necessary, but it is always there for us.  We can’t earn it, we don’t get extra, we don’t store it up, we just go to the source when we need it and apply it to the need at hand.

“My peace I give to you.”  As I said, we know the source…it is God…God the Father, Christ and the Holy Spirit working on our behalf to give us peace through the Son.  1 Corinthians 8:6 and Romans 11:33-36 remind us that everything in existence is from God, sustained by God and belongs to God.  Psalm 86 adds to the picture.  Verse seven reminds that when we call on Him “in the day of trouble” He will answer.  Further verse 10 says:  “For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God.”  God cares for us, He is able, everything in heaven and earth is available to Him and He will provide the peace that He promises.  He is in complete control of every situation in our lives.

“Not as the world gives do I give to you.”  I fear that too often, this is the primary stumbling block to true peace within our souls.  Instead of looking to what our savior offers, we look to what the world offers.  God has given us many pleasant things on this earth that seem to provide a sense of tranquility.  We have beautiful scenery and beautiful weather that can calm our souls.  Most of us in the first world don’t have to be concerned with having food, clothing or shelter.  Consequently we feel secure as all of these things provide some amount of tranquility and a sense of control.  However, they can be removed in an instant.  The stories of Job and Joseph are two great examples of how trials can come out of nowhere.   Landscapes change with natural disasters, jobs end abruptly, the pleasure of food only lasts until we are hungry again, accidents as well as illness take loved ones from us and immediately our sense of peace and tranquility vanishes and we must readily admit that we are not self-sufficient as God is.  Yet our faithful God is always at hand offering peace that is inexplicable in those trying moments (Philippians 4:7).  It is peace that we not only enjoy when life is going well, but peace that stays with us in those stressful and terrifying moments of life.  In short, the world offers a temporary and conditional peace while God offers us peace that is constant and unconditionally offered.  It is peace that we can count on in every circumstance of our lives.

“Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”  This is the choice.  We can allow ourselves to look at the problem worrying, fretting and concerned with the lack of control or we can look to the peace that Christ offers knowing that our God is in control, loves us and is working for our good in all circumstances allowing His peace to provide divine calm in the midst of trials.  It is a form of self-control that grows with maturity.  At first it can be difficult, but the more we trust God and look for His hand at work in every situation, we more readily rely on Him for the peace and strength to be content in every circumstance of life.   At the end of the matter, not only are we more at rest, but we also recognize God’s greatness and turn our thankfulness into worship to glorify our God as David did in Psalm 86.

As I left the hospital yesterday I was concerned for my daughter’s wellbeing.  The scary “what ifs” kept trying to creep into my mind and take control.  Yet God was at work before the situation arose.  The previous night I had started exploring topics write about this week.  I had settled on peace and had a few scriptures in my mind.  Consequently, when fear tried to creep in, God had already set up the defenses and I was able to remain calm and peaceful remembering to choose His peace over worry.  This morning I received a call from my daughter.  She had seen her physician and the source of pain was a tear in an abdominal muscle.  It will heal in time.  There is no need for surgery and no lurking disease and certainly no need for fear as God is in control just as He always is.  He was in control just as He has been with broken ankles, major illness, the care and death of parents, and job losses, etc.  God has been in control of every event of our lives and His peace has been available as well, but it has been up to us to His consolation.

When we accept God’s gracious gift, we have the ability to patiently endure our circumstances and receive His consoling encouragement for our souls.  Whatever you are facing today, turn to Christ and accept His peace.  It is a gift, it is certain, it is lasting and it is lovingly offered.

May the lovingkindness of the Lord to lift you up and His consolations delight your soul driving out your anxious thoughts.

Will