“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.
Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27
“The peace of God is not about the mere absence of conflict,
but rather about His abiding presence throughout whatever comes our way.”
December 8, 2019; Invitation to Peace
Peace. It’s a topic that I keep coming back to. It’s like north on my heart’s compass. I may get off-track. I do get off-track, but ‘peace’ – it keeps leading me back. I never understood why until my feet wore to callouses and, well, my heart did too I guess. I’ve walked a lot of miles before I learned that peace-keeper does not equal peace-maker, and that life – well, frankly, it’s not going to get any easier. Actually, the truth is that it’s kind of the opposite.
But, peace.
It’s like laughing with an old friend over the phone, as you feel God reminding you who you are through their words.
It’s your week falling apart – and the earthquakes, fire, and wind is not where you’re met with God’s powerful presence, but instead in your car with the radio off. As you pour out your heart.
It’s holding your spouse, or loved one, when you’re both scared, but reminding each other to trust God.
It’s laughing with your child – being reminded that in the midst of stress and unknowns, it’s going to be ok.
It’s experiencing God in these places. Sometimes you don’t realize that it’s Him until retrospect, but sure enough, as you look in your rear-view mirror, you see Him wink back at you.
Recently, I had the chance to speak on the Peace of God for Advent. Here it is: