Today were talking peace! The peace of God that is such a vital component to a Christians life.
You and I live in a very stressful world, a world where we end up rushing around from one thing to the next, where we are bombarded by one noise after another and have our senses battered with everything from the TV to the radio, the kids, the dog.....
Add to that the fact, that finding ten minutes to chill down or get alone seem quite imposable and you get the feeling that peace is a very rare commodity.
However the peace i'm referring to here, surpasses merely the natural peace of a quite room or an empty beach, I'm talking about what Jesus gave to us, which is the peace that comes when his Spirit is with us.
If you read in John 14:27, you see Jesus talking about this very subject.
"Peace I live with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled nether let it be afraid..."
It's amazing that Jesus was talking peace at that very moment right before the point he faced the cross!
But I digress, the point here is that Jesus gave to you and I his peace. The same peace that was evident as he crossed the lake in the boat that became swallowed up in the storm. Where he lay sleeping in the back of the boat, while the disciples were running around in terror and fear bailing water out of the bottom as fast as the waves put it in!
You can read it all in Mark 4:34-41.
When the disciples finally remembered Jesus and woke him up, they said "Don't you care that we perish?"
When we get into trouble and distress it can be tempting for you and I to feel the same way. It can be safe to say that the disciples had lost their cool and were more than a little afraid.
Jesus however, stands up in the teeth of the storm and rebukes the wind and says to the sea "Peace be still!". Immediately the wind stops and there is a great calm.
When the peace of Jesus, which is a spiritual peace, comes into our hearts, then there exists on the inside of us a great calmness.
Even if your in a turmoil about something, Jesus says to you, peace be still.
The trick Is to get alone with God and try and calm down enough to recognise the fact that he's neither left you or forsaken you. He's right here with you and when you recognise that, your fear and distress begins to calm down.
Psalm 46:10 says for us to "Be still and know that I am God"
It's only when we get quite and sit still, that we sense Gods presence and feel his strength and most importantly his peace.
Jonn 16:33 talks about the fact that whilst we are in this world, we're going to experience troubles and distresses, but because we are apart of Jesus, we would have peace, peace that would bring us joy and the knowledge that Jesus has overcome the world.
There are many things that could, if you allow them, rob your peace, but whenever that occurs, and you find yourself descending down the path of fear, stress and anxiety, take time out to get back to where you can sense God’s presence and know his peace and the certainty that he's with you.
His peace is not absent even in the worst situations, because it's not some natural form of peace that can easily depart.
You can feel his peace right inside your heart even when all hell is coming against you.
There Is tremendous strength and security in the peace of God, it acts as a shield around your heart, mind and emotions.
This is why King David could say to himself, "Return to your rest oh my soul, for the Lord has dealt well with me! "
You can know his peace with you today, just get alone and be still and realise that he's with you and will never abandon you. His peace is his gift for you! Receive it today and then you will feel so much better and will be equipped to face even the most trying circumstances.
He says to you today, "Peace be still!"
Written by Dade