Anxiety leads to an absence of inner peace. You have no inner peace instead you are agitated. You can feel your heart beating fast, and you can’t calm down. Thoughts are racing, and sleep is flying. What is missing is resting in God. Peace is missing!
How wonderful that one of God’s characteristics is peace. Seven times in the Bible, we encounter the euphonious title “God of peace” (Rom 15:33; 16:20; 1 Cor 14:33; 2 Cor 13:11; Phil 4:9; 1 Thes 5:23; Heb 13:20.21); once the NT speaks of the “Lord of peace” (2 Thes 3:16).
Paul wishes the Romans that the God of peace would be with them (Rom 15:33). Were they not yet saved and at peace with God? Yes, they certainly were! This verse expresses that God’s efforts for peace do not end when the destroyed relationship between man and Him has been restored. No, rather, He wants us to have peace and tranquillity in our hearts in everyday life (Mt 11:28) – this time called the “peace of God” (Phil 4:7) or the “peace of Christ” (Col 3:15). Paul wished the Romans that their lives would be characterized by inner peace.
The author Christian Briem writes: “He takes our troubles upon himself (1 Pet 5:7), but without in any way becoming troubled himself. That is precisely the great thing. He is the God of peace, who is always peace in himself. And the more we lean on Him, the God of peace, in faith and trust, the more His peace will be transferred to us, it will characterize and rule us.” In this way, we can “benefit” from this characteristic of God.
“Worry is a long-stay parker on the street of fear.” (Corrie ten Boom)
A beautiful example of inner peace is Hannah, who suffers terribly from her childlessness and the hostility of her husband’s second wife and, therefore, pours out her heartache to God (1 Sam 1:10.15). When she rises from prayer, we read: ”Her face was no longer sad“ (V. 18). Has her childlessness changed? Has she suddenly become pregnant? No, but peace has entered her heart! Peace does not mean that there is no more suffering but that God carries us in our suffering. Now, you could see from her face that her heart had become calm. This illustrates beautifully what Isaiah writes: “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You” (Is 26:3)
The Lord can enable us to remain calm when the tire of the car blows out, when the airplane hits turbulence, when the strange spot on the neck gets bigger, when the job rejection comes, when inflation rises, when another pandemic is on the horizon, when war breaks out, when… William MacDonald describes this peace as “the serenity and calm that come from knowing that our lives and all circumstances are in God’s hands and that only what God allows can happen to us.” He goes on to say: “When an airplane is caught in strong air turbulence and is tossed back and forth like a feather in a storm, when the ends of the wings swing up and down four meters, when most of the passengers shriek while the plane lurches, rears up and suddenly dives, then that peace enables the believer to bow his head, commit his soul to God and praise God for whatever the outcome will be.”
The Lord’s promise always applies: ”Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28).
You can enjoy this peace too!
The Lord Jesus is telling you today: “Do not be afraid! I want to give you the peace in your heart that ‘surpasses all understanding‘ (Phil 4:7). With this inner peace, nothing can disturb you!”
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