Real Peace

        Although I am not the greatest historian in the world, it would seem that global conflicts are fairly new in our culture. We began to call them “World Wars” and then gave them numbers like I, II, and perhaps III. World War 1 was supposed to be the “War to end all wars.” It was a time when we learned the effects of chemical warfare and just how cruel people could be to one another. We tried to come up with a plan to not use it in any conflict, but people still do and probably many nations have stockpiles of both chemical and biological warfare agents. It took a long time to get to World War I but only about another twenty years to get to the next world war. Many nations got involved and everyone knew about the conflicts going on in Europe and in the Pacific. There was no peace in the land. Mankind still searches for peace and tries to come up with all kinds of ways to get your own little world of peace but none are effective. Public schools in England are incorporating Yoga classes in order to help calm the students and hopefully raise their “peacefulness” and productivity in the school. The Bible helps us to understand that there are two types of peace in the world. One is peace with God and the other is the peace of God. Basically, we have peace with God when we become “saved” or born again believers or born from above, whatever you want to call it. Having peace with God is a different matter. Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

       This represents the peace that a person has when the world around them is falling apart and they remain calm and the affairs of this world seem to just roll off their back like water off a duck. It all stems back to the fact that we know Who holds the future and Who is in control of the seemingly wild things that are going on in the world today. You can be diagnosed with a terminal illness and still possess the peace of God at the same time. You can be lying on your death bed and still have the peace of God. You can lose all of your worldly possessions and still possess the peace of God. You can have the peace of God and at the same time say, “What else can go wrong?” Peace is not a matter luck with a rabbit's foot, or in a mantra to say when you are fearful, or the power of positive thinking but peace is only available through the God of the universe. Peace can be found in the Savior Who once stood in a boat and rebuked the storm and it stopped in obedience. Peace is found in the One Who walked out of a tomb and was seen for the next forty days before ascending bodily into heaven. Peace is found in the One Who will soon come again when believers will be “caught up” together with the dead in Christ to meet Him in the air. Peace is found in the One Who parted the Red Sea and the Jordan River. Peace is found in the One Who fed 5,000 men plus women and children with a boys lunch. Peace is found in the One Who died on the cross and paid the price for my sin. It was a debt that I could not pay but He could and He did. If you are looking for peace today, look no further than the One and Only God of the universe. Only He can bring you peace. In Him you can have peace with God and He can give you the peace of God. What more do you need? Praise God today for His peace in the midst of a troubled world.