As every American knows, experiencing peace in our country is becoming more and more difficult. The political parties are firmly planted in their own ideological positions and even common decency, for the most part, is not a part of ordinary business today. Even Christians are seemingly having more trouble representing the kingdom of God by their actions.
Yesterday, President Trump ordered a military strike against Iran. At least 24 Tomahawk missiles were fired from submarines and at least 14 “bunker buster” bombs were dropped on nuclear sites inside the country. These major bombs are so destructive that the it is believed that the Iranian nuclear program has been crippled for quite some time or even destroyed in total. It will take several weeks to get a full post attack damage report. The White House is calling this “peace through strength.” Of course, the opposition is claiming that President Trump, for all intents and purposes, went to war without congressional approval and this could even lead to a possible move for impeachment. Clearly, the battle lines have been drawn and peace seems nearly impossible.
Even with our personal issues, including being so wound up with the affairs of the country, most of us find it difficult to achieve individual peace. We have issues at work, issues with our kids and families, issues with friends and peace is truly elusive. And it’s one of those things that the more we try to cling to it, the more elusive it becomes.
I know from my own experiences throughout the years that the times that I have the most peace are those times that I have failed to try and legislate it. In other words, I have the good fortune to have peace wash over me. It’s difficult to describe it. But it’s one of the greatest feelings in the world. I remember that each morning I drove to seminary I would look forward to my time with my professors and classmates. When I arrived, it was like a curtain opened as my car turned into campus and the moment I got to my parking spot, the curtain closed and I felt like I was in a sanctuary protected from the issues of the outside world.
It was as if God had put a hedge of protection around us. Nothing could shake the peace that surrounded us as we were learning more about God and entering into a deeper relationship with God. In seminary, you have to be careful. You spend so much time learning about God that you sometimes forget the relationship part. That can be dangerous. Because it’s not the head knowledge but the heart that determines how much peace you can experience.
Another thing that I have found is that the more I am in tune with God – meaning that I am spending time with Him – reading the Bible, prayer, experiencing the spiritual pathways of nature, solitude, community research, music and several others disciplines, the more peace I experience.
Our verse for tonight highlights the thoughts of Jesus on peace. The apostle John tells us the words of Jesus, in John 14:27, “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.” My encouragement this evening is that there is nothing like divine peace. My prayer is that each of us can connect with God on a deeper level and let His peace wash over us. It’s something that you can get used to, but can still be elusive at times. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…