Peace

          The world in which we live is not a world of peace and tranquility by any means. It would seem that anyone with any kind of authority wants to be the person who could broker a peace treaty between to warring groups such as Israel and the Palestinians or the Kurds and the Turks or even Russia and the U. S. A. Peace is not only affected by warring nations, but is also affected by what else is going around that would cause hysteria and misery and indeed fear. The famous Corona virus has almost caused panic as the world dons masks to keep from being infected. Then there is the flu that has become far worse than the Corona virus in the number of fatalities. These are just a few of the world conditions that infect us more with fear and misery than we might expect. After my heart attack, I would spend nights alone in the hospital after visiting hours and often wonder if my next breath was going to be my last. I read and and reread the book of Philippians over and over during the next 15 days. Comfort, as always, comes from the eternal Word of God. John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

         There are two types of peace. One is having peace with God and the other is having the peace of God. Peace with God comes the moment you accept His plan for salvation instead of your own idea. You suddenly realize that the Lord Jesus Christ died for your sin. In other words, it become personal. We often think of the sins of everyone else and how the death of the Savior took care of their sins but at the same time, fail to make it personal to us. You may not be able to recall every sin, but you can certainly recall some of the big ones that you did. We can all do that. Peace with God comes when you believe in Him for your personal salvation and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is applied to you. You can sing about it with songs like “Victory in Jesus,” or “Jesus Paid it all,” or even “There is Power in the Blood.” That moment you believe, it becomes personal. It is Peace With God. There is however, the other type of peace which is the peace of God. This means that in the midst of the wars, fights, trouble, dismay, disease, Corona Virus, heart attacks, cancer plus the devastation of floods, tornadoes and hurricanes, you can still have peace. This is the peace that come from knowing God in the first place. The Lord Jesus Christ mentions it in the above passage from the Bible. It is the peace that only He can give to each and every believer. This peace comes, not to a political party, or to a specific country, or to a specific race or to a special social status. It comes to believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ even mentions that it is a peace that the world cannot even come close to giving. This peace treaty was signed in the blood of the Savior. You may be discouraged or depressed today, but always remember what He has done for us and the sun rays will break through the clouds of doom and dismay. Praise God for the finished work of His Son on the cross at Calvary.