Inner Peace
The Lord promises us
peace—another working of the Holy Spirit. “Peace I leave with you, My
peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not
your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”1
Just as Jesus calmed the
stormy sea when His disciples thought their ship was sinking and they were
about to drown,2 He
can calm the storms of life and give you inner peace that passes all
understanding.3
He did it for Paul and
Silas, when they were persecuted by being beaten and thrown into prison.
Instead of despairing, they sang praises to God—and were suddenly and
miraculously set free!4
He did it for the early
Christian martyrs, who joyfully sang and praised God victoriously as they
were burned at the stake and fed to the lions—and many onlookers so
envied the supernatural peace that the Christians possessed that they, too,
became believers.
As you learn to trust in
the Lord with all your heart,5 you’ll
find that He can give you perfect peace—no matter what is going on around
you!—Rafael Holding
*
Trust doesn’t just
happen. As children we learn to trust our parents because we feel their love
and benefit from their care and mature understanding of life. We trust friends
who have stuck with us through thick and thin. We trust business people whom we
find to be honest and reliable. We trust people, in short, because of our
experience with them.
It’s the same with God.
The more we open our hearts to Him, the more we feel His love and concern. The
more we study the Bible and Bible-based materials, the better we understand
life and the more we appreciate God’s wisdom and goodness. The more we put
God’s promises to the test, the more faith we have in them. The more we take
our problems to Him, the more we learn to depend on Him to work them out. The
better we get to know Him, the more we trust Him; and the more we trust Him,
the more inner peace we have.—Keith Philips
*
When the world goes to
pieces, the best place to be is in the charmed circle of God’s protection. “He
who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of
the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; my God,
in Him I will trust.’ Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and
under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and
buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that
flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the
destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and
ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you.”6
Even if there’s turmoil
and confusion all around, you can have inner peace through the Prince of Peace.7 He never fails those who trust Him.
*
You will keep him in
perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.—Isaiah 26:38
*
Many things can happen
in life that are just too much for us, but they aren’t too much for the Lord.
Ask Him to give you the “peace of God, which surpasses all understanding”9 that comes when you tell Him your
problems. It may take time to work out certain situations, but He will take
away the feeling of stress they cause. So don’t try to face everyday
irritations alone. Ask the Lord to help, and the first help He’ll send your way
is His inner peace.—Nana Williams
*
If
we have not quiet in our minds, outward comfort will do no more for us than a
golden slipper on a gouty foot.—John Bunyan
*
Peace comes not from the
absence of trouble, but from the presence of God.—Author unknown
*
There are many things
that are essential to arriving at true peace of mind, and one of the most
important is faith, which cannot be acquired without prayer.—John Wooden
*
When you find peace
within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with
others.—Peace Pilgrim
1 John 14:27 NKJV.
2 See Mark 4:35–41.
3 Philippians 4:6–7
NIV.
4 Acts 16:22–26.
5 Proverbs 3:5.
6 Psalm 91:1–7 NKJV.
7 Isaiah 9:6.
8 NKJV.
9 Philippians 4:7
NKJV.