Persuit of Peace

One thing that the world is in constant search of is peace.  Millions are spent on projects, think tanks, summits and strategy sessions all trying to come up with the key to obtaining peace.  This world is overrun with conflicts, wars and rumors of wars.  There seems to be no end of one group fighting against another, from Governments to neighbors.  How ironic is it that there is fighting over how to have peace!  How can there be peace in homes, communities and nations, if there is no peace individually?  Peace must start in your heart.

Isaiah 26:3  "Thou (God) wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee:  because he trusteth in Thee."

Here we find the key to peace!  Perfect peace comes from trust in God!  What a simple solution.  The problem is that man doesn't want to trust in God.  Man trust in himself, the bottom line is that man is too full of pride to trust in God.  Pride has been the downfall of many people, rulers and nations. 

Proverbs 13:10  "Only by pride cometh contention:"

Proverbs 16:18  "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."

Proverbs 28:25  "He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife:"

To put ones total trust in God, you are essentially saying, "I am unable to save myself, I can do nothing to help myself, I need You."  But it's only in this complete surrender of yourself to God that you obtain His perfect peace.  When you have a mind that is stayed on the Lord, you have a mind that is at peace...for the Lord is the Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6  "...and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

As Christians, it is possible not to have the peace of God ruling in our hearts.  When we walk in the flesh, doing what is right in our eyes, living for ourselves and not for God, we will be overcome with the cares of this world.  Keeping our hearts right with God and walking in the Spirit, not the flesh, will enable the peace of God to rule in our hearts.  The storms of life might be battering us on all sides, but we have peace knowing that the God who permitted the storm will also keep us in the midst of the storm.

In the book of Job we find the story of a man who was "perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil." (vs 1)  God permitted Job to lose all his wealth, family, lands, and finally his health.  Yet in chapter 13:15 Job says of God, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him:"  How could Job have this incredible peace in the midst of the horrible catastrophe's that had befallen him?  Trust;  he had complete trust in God and in turn had the peace of God even during these terrible events.

John 14:27  "Peace I leave with you,  My peace I give unto you:  not as the world giveth give I unto you.  Let not your heart to troubled, neither let it be afraid."

A few years ago I went through a terrible ordeal.  It was one of the worse things that I had ever been forced to endure.  The night it all came to a head, I prayed and asked the Lord to give me strength and to guide me in what I was to do and say.  I stepped out of the picture and let the Lord have His way in the situation.  Four hours later I went to bed and easily fell asleep.  I had never before experienced the peace of God as I did that night.  My world had fallen apart, yet I went to sleep with the knowledge that the Lord had guided in everything that I had said.  I felt the amazing peace of God in a way I had never felt it before.  When I turned the whole situation over to Him, and trusted Him for the outcome, He gave that perfect peace promised in Isaiah 26:3.

Man in his stubbornness denies himself of this peace because he wants control.  How arrogant, thinking we know better than God what is best and how to handle situations.  God wants to bless His children with peace, how foolish we are to reject it!

Psalms 29:11  "The LORD will give strength unto His people:  the LORD will bless His people with peace."

As Children of God we are to be like our Heavenly Father.  The world should be able to tell that we are Christians by what our life exudes.  Evidence that we are Christians is the fruit that our lives bring forth...it should be the fruit of the Spirit of God which rules our lives.

Galatians 5:22 & 23  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:  against such there is no law."

What are you showing forth in your life?  Are you living for self, wallowing in the turmoil that this world heaps on you;  or are you walking in the Spirit, living with the "peace of God that passeth all understanding" (Philippians 4:7) in your heart?

Far away in the depth of my spirit tonight

Rolls a melody sweeter than psalm;

In celestial like strains it unceasingly falls

O'er my soul like an infinite calm.

 

What a treasure I have in this wonderful peace,

Buried deep in the heart of my soul;

So secure that no power can mine it away,

While the years of eternity roll.

 

I am resting tonight in this wonderful peace,

Resting sweetly in Jesus' control;

For I'm kept from all danger by night and by day,

And His glory is flooding my soul.

 

O soul, are you here without comfort or rest,

Marching down the rough pathway of time?

Make Jesus your Friend ere the shadows grow dark;

O, accept this sweet peace so sublime.

 

Peace!  Peace!  Wonderful peace,

Coming down from the Father above;

Sweep over my spirit forever I pray,

In fathomless billows of love.

 

                                    W. D. Cornell