HAVING PROBLEMS WITH PEACE?
Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified
through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Many people equate peace with
the absence of conflict, and that peace may be acquired by removing from life
things that are stressful and troubling. In the end, after much effort these
same people have been quite disappointed. Wealthy people find ways
to seclude themselves from the day to day troubles of life and work. They
surround themselves with lavish possessions, homes scattered in remote places,
distracting hobbies and the like, all to keep disturbances at bay and peace in
their created worlds. In the end they forget that all these locations and
possessions do not remove the source of turmoil in life. They can never escape
from themselves.
John the Baptist was arrested by King Herod and throne
into prison. While he sat in that dark and dank cell, Herod sat on a throne of
gold amid his court and all the pleasures and comforts that being king
provided. He had many friends and grand possessions but he was still troubled
greatly. Although John sat chained in rat infested cell of squalor, he sat
there in peace. These two men lived in quite different surroundings and with
quite different relationships to God. John had peace because he trusted God through
faith. Herod rejected God, he exchanged faith for controlled circumstances and
found only trouble and anxiety.
When you cannot seem to find peace in your life, stop
looking at your surroundings. They can deceive you, making other things appear
to be the source of your trouble. Peace in life can only be found in God’s
presence. If you are finding yourself without peace, go to Him in prayer and
seek His loving hand on your heart and mind, trust him and find peace.
Jericho Road
Ministries Chapel, by
Rev.Bruce W. Gimbel, February 27, 2002.
