We all have struggles in our lives that make us wonder if things will ever get better. Sometimes we get so stressed out about things that we feel like pulling our hair out.
And then there are everyday stressors that we all face, causing some upset in our lives. Getting to work on time, getting that essay done for our term paper, making all the appointments with work, the school your children are in, getting supper ready and getting the children to bed BEFORE you can actually sit down and go PHEW!!!
The Bible has good news for us. God grants us a peace beyond what we can ever comprehend. And we don’t have to carry all our struggles and stressors alone. That is what He is there for.
The Bible tells us in Psalm 3:5 that the Lord is our source of Peace. I lay down and slept. I woke up in safety, for the LORD was watching over me. Some of us can’t imagine lying down in bed and relaxing enough to go to sleep let alone have a peaceful night’s sleep. Again in Psalm 4:8 the Bible says, I will lie down in peace and sleep, for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe. So not only can we lie down and sleep in peace but we can trust that God will keep us safe when we do so.
If you are a Christian, God gives us this promise: The LORD gives his people strength. The LORD blesses them with peace. We are granted both strength and peace. When we are peaceful we often feel stronger than when we are tired and stressed out.
Not only does God grant us peace, but he surrounds us with songs of victory (Psalm 29:11). He is our hiding place, who protects us from trouble. He surrounds us with songs of victory (Psalm 32:7).
There is a song we used to sing in church. Its lyrics went like this:
He is our peace, who has broken down every wall
He is our peace. He is our peace.
He is our peace, who has broken down every wall,
He is our peace. He is our peace.
Cast all your cares on Him, for He careth for you.
He is our peace. He is our peace.
Cast all your cares on Him, for He careth for you.
He is our peace. He is our peace.
I will play that on the piano today still when I am feeling stressed. Sometimes I forget that God is the author of peace and try to do things my way, creating only more stress in my life rather than allowing God to work out His will for me which would include perfect peace regardless of the situation.
So how can we get peace from God?
In Psalm 34:14 it says, Turn away from evil and do good. Work hard at living in peace with others. So we are to turn from sin to God.
Isaiah 26:3 tells us You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you! We need to trust God to be with us in all of our circumstances, good and bad, and we are to keep our thoughts fixed on him. Not an easy thing to do when crises arise or we are dealing with pain in our lives. But still, it is what we need to do, whether we like it or not. I struggle in this area a lot.
Here is a small list of Scriptures relating to peace:
Psalm 37:11 – Those who are gently and lowly will possess the land; they will live in prosperous security.
Humble yourself before the Lord.
Psalm 119:165 – Those who love your law have great peace and do not stumble.
Love God’s Word. Peace comes from knowing and living according to God’s Word. His wisdom and direction guide you into the ways of life and lead you out of conflict, compromise, and deception.
Luke 2:14 – Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favours.
Praise God.
Galatians 5:22 – But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us…peace…”
Cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in your life.<
Romans 2:10 - But there will be glory and honour and peace from God for all who do good.”
Obey God.
Phillippians 4:6-7 – Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
Prayer is a gateway to peace.
Your spirits lighten as you unburden your soul to the lord. His peace is like a guard on patrol, protecting you from any assaults of anxiety or concern.
John 14:27 – I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn’t like the peace the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
Even before Jesus’ death, he promised that the disciples would not be alone, that he would send the Comforter – the Holy Spirit, to guide them, protect them and watch over them. He was going away so that the Comforter could come and work in their lives.
So we know that we can have peace with God. It is in Scripture in almost every book of the Bible. But what about peace with other people? The Bible gives us instruction there as well.
2 Corinthians 13:11 – Rejoice. Change your ways. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.
Working hard at ridding sin from your own life while diligently guiding others up helps achieve peace.
Ephesians 4:3 –Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace.
Seek the unity that comes from the Holy Spirit.
Jeremiah 29:7 – And work for the peace and prosperity of Babylon.
Matthew 5:9 – God blesses those who work for peace.
Peace involves dealing with conflict appropriately. Peace is not always the absence of conflict. God calls us to pursue peace, which involves hard work.
Romans 12:17-18 – Never pay back evil for evil to anyone…Do your part to live in peace with everyone.
If you harbour feelings of revenge in your heart, you cannot be at peace with others.
James 3:17 – The wisdom that comes from heaven…is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere.
Commit yourself to the good deeds that are the mark of a true peacemaker.
And God grants promises to those who strive for peace:
Psalm 34:14-15 – Turn away from evil and do good. Work hard at living in peace with others. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help.
Psalm 37:37 – Look at those who are honest and good, for a wonderful future lies before those who love peace.
1 Peter 5:7 – “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you.
God knows your life inside and out, including your worries and your concerns, trials and tribulations. He is only a spoken word away. We need only to cry out “Jesus, help me” and he will be right there. He is waiting to take the load off of your shoulders, whether it be the size of the rock of Gibraltar or the size of a pebble. That is one of the reasons he died – Isaiah 53:1-12
Who has believed our message? To whom will the LORD reveal his saving power? My servant grew up in the LORD’s presence like a tender green shoot, sprouting from a root in dry and sterile ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected–a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised, and we did not care.
Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God for his own sins! But he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed! All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the guilt and sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. From prison and trial they led him away to his death.
But who among the people realized that he was dying for their sins–that he was suffering their punishment? He had done no wrong, and he never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave. But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him and fill him with grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have a multitude of children, many heirs. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD’s plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of what he has experienced, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. I will give him the honors of one who is mighty and great, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among those who were sinners. He bore the sins of many and interceded for sinners.
The Bible is FULL, completely jam-packed, with verses regarding peace – what it is, where it comes from and how we can obtain it. I think one of the best books of the Bible to look in for wisdom, is of course the book of wisdom itself – Proverbs.
Proverbs 1:33 -(NLT) But all who listen to me will live in peace and safety, unafraid of harm.
Proverbs 3:16-18 (“she” refers to wisdom) Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed.
Proverbs 12:20 – (NIV) There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace.
Proverbs 14:30 -(NIV) A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
Proverbs 15:18 – (MSG) Hot tempers start fights; a calm, cool spirit keeps the peace.
Then in Psalms, we are flooded one more time with Scriptures regarding peacel
Psalm 23:2 – (NLT) He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.
Psalm 35:13-15 – 13 – (NLT) Then watch your tongue! Keep your lips from telling lies! 14 Turn away from evil and do good. Work hard at living in peace with others. 15 The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help.
Psalm 37:10-11 -10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. 11 But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.
Psalm 55:18 -(NKJV) He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, For there were many against me.
The Bible is loaded with Scriptures regarding peace. If you have a concordance, look up the word peace and you will be flooded with instances of the word peace in the Bible and how you can apply it to your life. If you do not have a Bible/Concordance, but have internet access go to http://www.biblegateway.com and you can search online for as much information on peace as your heart is content.
As Christians, we are to be examples of what living in peace and showing peace in our lives to the others who are out there watching. We are God’s ambassadors and because of that, we must exemplify Him in our lives to the best of the ability He has given us.
True peace is within our grasp, if only we ask God for it and then trust Him to give it to us. He promises it to us over and over again. He tells us the wonderful life of peace and even how to achieve it.
If you are seeking peace, I encourage you to look up these Scriptures and read them over and over until they sink in and you have them memorized. I have learned that if we memorize Scripture that when we really need the support, they are right there in our minds, popping up at just the right moment.
God begrudges nobody peace, if they truly desire it and truly are willing to work towards it. There will never be complete peace in this world until Jesus returns and takes His children home to Heaven. Then there will be peace forever, through all eternity. But until then, we are to be His examples of what peaceful lives are. It is not always easy, but it is essential that we do our best to live peacefully with other people and to live in the peace that Jesus died to give us. It doesn’t matter if you are a leader, a lay person or a person who attends church for the learning aspect; peace is there for all if only we do what the Bible tells us we must do. Peace is there; all you need to do is ask for it.