“Peace I leave with you; My Peace I give unto you—not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled; neither let it be afraid.”
John 14:27
You won’t find it in a textbook or department store; it’s only found in His loving arms.
Christ’s indescribably-delicious, one-of-a-kind Peace.
That’s what the world’s looking for today: Peace-of-mind. A cessation of problems and pressures. Serenity of soul. A lifting of burdens.
But, the problem is they’re looking in all the wrong places.
Vacations to exotic places won’t give it, although the change-of-pace and location may grant some temporary reprieve. Neither will tons of possessions. . .lots of money. . .popularity, prestige or power give “peace that passes all understanding” (Phil. 4:7).
Only Jesus, God’s “Prince of Peace” (Is. 9:6) can do that.
Now, again, we must remember that true Peace is not the absence of problems; it’s inward assurance and confident Hope in the midst of them.
And, that is only found in the strong and loving arms of the Shepherd-Savior and Risen Lord. Truly, only “in Him” do we experience the solitude of soul that’s found in God’s “Refuge, a very Present Help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1).
Therefore, the next time when the pressure’s on and the heat from your “fiery furnace” experience is rapidly rising, “Be still and know that He is God” (Ps. 46:10) and feel His Presence with you even as the three Hebrew teenagers did that day (Dan. 3:24-25). That way you’ll feel “upright,” not “uptight”—for you’ll know you’re not facing your problems alone.
The Greek word “tarasso” is used here for “troubled” and basically means “to stir up, be agitated like rolling water, etc.” It’s the picture of a raging river or troubled sea, where the white-capping waves are crashing violently against the rocks and the winds are howling overhead.
Yet, not too far away in the rocks on the seashore is a tiny crevice or crack. And, nestled back in this “cleft in the rock” is a nest. And, on that flimsy, straw-strewn nest sits a mama bird with her newborn babies underneath. She’s not worried about the thundering surf or roaring winds. She sits quietly and at peace, sheltered from the storm by the rock.
And, so it is (or should be) with us, dear Pilgrim, when Jesus is our Rock-of-Ages.
We know there’s nothing we’re going to face today that’s unknown to His all-seeing Eye. Why then do we fret or fume? Likewise, we know there’s never going to be a situation where we feel like some homeless, abandoned orphan on the street, having to fend for ourselves—for Jesus promised He’d never leave us in that condition (Jn. 14:18).
That’s why the true life of faith is a daily “trusting” and “entrusting” our lives into His loving care (I Pet. 5:7; Jer. 18:1-6). It’s resting in Who He is and what He has promised (Heb. 11:6). May the Holy Spirit help us today to experience His Peace, which comes as we abide in His Presence (Jn. 15:1-7).
By Tom Smith Morning Manna Dated October 4, 2010
