Peace like a River

            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. (Jn 14:27)

Among the many promises and blessings of God, peace is what I treasure the most. Although at times stress and anxiety may wash over us like waves from a stormy sea, I have learned over the years to put all the things which are beyond my control into God’s hands, to let His peace rule in my heart (Col 3:15).

Through prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving, we can experience a peace which surpasses all understanding and can guard our hearts and minds (Phil 4:6-7). Why is this peace able to transcend all understanding? God’s peace can give us an inner tranquility so miraculous that it is beyond rational explanation. God’s peace can also perfectly calm our hearts in ways our own attempts to alleviate anxiety by means of reasoning or positive thinking can never do. God’s peace will also guard our thoughts—those very thoughts which often lead to fear and distress and keep us from trusting Him through prayer.

So how can we receive the peace that surpasses all understanding? Isaiah 48:18 reads: “Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” This verse tells us that we should seek to always let the peace of God dwell in us by heeding His commandments. When God’s Word is present in our lives, we will naturally experience the blessings of God continually flowing—peace like a river.

Questions for Reflection

1.      On a scale from 1 (“smooth sailing”) to 10 (“furious storm”), what is your “peace” level?

2.      What is the difference between peace from Jesus and peace from the world?