We found ourselves on the road this past week. It was a long trip and I found my mind wandering often to the topic of peace. It was everywhere. From things I was reading to podcasts to snippets of songs popping into my head, the topic was always peace and I figured God was trying to tell me something and I’d better listen.
In a world gone mad, in a time of constantly fluctuating mandates and wildly exaggerated or even false news reports, it can be very difficult to stay calm. And yet Jesus tells us that it is possible if we remain in him. Jesus is the Word, John 1:1. So, it makes sense to read the Bible to find out more about Him and the peace He promises. He is also called the Prince of Peace and if we abide with Him and He with us, then we can be at peace no matter what the situation.
I know that sounds a little too easy, even impossible, but our God is the God of the impossible.
My husband and I celebrated five years of marriage yesterday. In those five years we have lost one son to miscarriage and one in a car accident. The grief of those losses looks very different but both were, and are, accompanied by confusion, chaos, anger and tears. The whys never end.
But God…That has to be one of my favourite phrases in the Bible. It precedes times when God stepped into human circumstance to turn things around, to bless, to allow His glory to be seen, to enlighten, to encourage, to be present in our mess. I’m so glad He does that.
In Genesis 8:1, we read, “But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.”
1 Samuel 23:14 tells us that Saul was chasing after David but God did not allow him to be found.
And in Jeremiah 10:12, we get to learn a little about God’s power: “But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.”
And so I know, in my own life, there have been, and will continue to be, times when I will have my own But God… moments. Times when He shows up, steps in and turns things around. Even when, especially when, my heart is breaking.
This week, God has shown me so many scriptures about peace and I want to pass on a few to encourage you in whatever circumstance you may find yourself in today. No matter what we are going through, God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8
“The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.” Psalm 29:11
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Susan Reimer 