Peace, Is It Possible?
I’ve been thinking about peace a lot lately. I’m not sure why. It may be because several of my family have been experiencing some serious health problems. I expect that happens as a family ages. It may be because my wife and I are going through a significant transition in our lives. Whatever it is, I pray for peace for all involved.
I was reading my Bible, as I do every day, and a verse from the letter Paul writes to the Colossians seemed to grab my attention. It is found in chapter three verse 15. It says, “Let the peace of God rule in your heart.” I began to meditate on that, and I would like to share today what came to my mind.
In my dictionary the word ‘rule’ has the following meaning: to exercise authority or dominion. These are words that really got me thinking.
We all face crisis in our lives, we go through tough times, a doctor breaks bad news to us, or we lose a spouse to death, or we get a notice that we no longer have a job. Can we, when we go through theses times, have peace?
I was reminded of the words of Jesus found in John’s gospel chapter 14, verse 27. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you, not as the world gives do I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
Jesus spoke these words to His followers. They were experiencing turmoil in their lives. Jesus had told them that He was going away and they were distraught. Did they experience the peace He gave them?
As we follow their lives through the Book of Acts, we find that indeed they did. Even though they were threatened, beaten, imprisoned and even put to death, we see peace reigning in their lives.
In the verse I mentioned in the beginning, what it really means for the one whose hope and trust is in the Lord Jesus Christ is, whatever we may experience in life, peace will override the fear, anxiety, doubt or uncertainty that may threaten us, because for the child of God, our peace is Christ who lives and reigns in us.
Is it realistic in our day? Yes, I believe it is.
Back in the 1800’s, a man by the name of Horatio Spafford, a business man in the United States, lost everything he had. So he put his wife and children on a steamship to send them home to England while he cared for the remaining details.
On the voyage home, the ship hit an iceberg and went down. Only his wife from his family survived. His children drowned in the cold Atlantic waters. Upon passing the place of the disaster, Horatio was made aware that this was the place where his children had perished. We are told he went back to his cabin and penned the words of the well-known hymn.
When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll,
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
What could have caused bitterness, rather resulted in the composition of one of the greatest hymns ever sung. How could that be, you may ask? His heart was ruled by the peace of God. And that, my friends, is God’s will for every one of us. Why not ask Him to come in today and give you that peace.
Rev. Duncan Perry,
Morrisburg
Pentecostal Tabernacle
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