Have you experienced the God who brings peace? As I write this many people are bogged down with fear with what is going on in the world. When we experience fear it not only affects us, but those around us. Fear can be contagious and can suck the very life out of us.
Our Peace Depends on our Relationship with God
Israel had forgotten God and gone their own way. As a result, God allowed the Canaanites to oppress them. Judges 4:3 Sisera, who had 900 iron chariots, ruthlessly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years. Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help. [1]
The people had robbed themselves of peace by their own sin and lack of relationship with God. It took twenty years, but finally they came to their senses and turned to God for help. God answered their prayers as the He went before the Israelites in a supernatural way. When the Canaanites attacked Barak and Israel, God sent an unseasonable rainstorm. Sisera’s chariots were useless in the mud and the army panicked. This gave Israel a great victory. Then there was peace in the land for forty years.
The people of Israel had peace because their relationship with God had changed. Instead of doing their own thing, they were now following the Lord. The peace lasted forty years until the nation again turned away from God.
The Lord is the Author of Peace
Our peace also depends on our relationship with the Lord. The world can’t offer us peace because it has nothing in which to place its hope and trust. No matter how much wealth I have it will not bring me peace. People in political office come and go and what the culture values changes with the wind. Our only constant is the Lord Almighty who is eternal. He is the Creator, Sustainer, and Lord of all. All authority has been given to Him. He longs to offer total and sustained peace to all who place their faith in Him as their Savior.
Jesus tells us in John 14:27, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.[2] Jesus tells us that peace is a gift and is something the world can never give us.
Paul gives us insight into peace and our relationship with God. Philippians 4: 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. [3]
Prayer
I surrender and admit I can’t control people, plans, or even all my circumstances, but I can yield those things to You, and focus on Your goodness. Thank you today for every good gift You’ve given, every blessing You’ve sent, all the forgiveness I did not deserve, and, yes, for every trial You’ve allowed into my life. You bring good out of every circumstance if I’ll only let go and believe You. I know that when I pray and give thanks instead of worrying, You have promised that I can experience the kind of peace that passes all understanding. That’s your kind of peace, Lord. And it’s the kind I crave. Amen.[4]
To hear more about the God who brings peace, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/faith-makes-a-difference-barak
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[4] https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/a-prayer-for-inner-peace.html