One more month of 2021 is passing us by. If we look back, what stood out in the past month was the amount of pain and chaos recorded around each one of us. From pandemics to war, to utter state of chaos and confusion among everyone. 

‘PEACE’. Even the secular world realizes the importance of this small 5-letter word, so much so that for a piece of this ‘peace’ one can go to the lengths of isolating oneself and living in the cold barren mountains. However, for a child of the Almighty God, peace is not what the world has to offer but peace is in Christ Jesus – the Prince of Peace Himself. Jesus said in the Gospel of John “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.” (John 14:27 NKJV); In this chapter Jesus promises that He will pray to the Father who will give another Helper- the Spirit of truth, Jesus clearly specifies how the world cannot receive, neither see or know Him but it is us, His children who will know Him for He dwells in us and is with us forever. It is the fruit of this very Spirit that we have the peace while the world lingers in hatred, discord, jealousy and rage. (Galatians 5: 19:22) We see in the book of Judges, that after the death of Joshua, the children of Israel forsook the Lord and did evil in the sight of the Lord. They bowed down and served Baal and the Ashtoreth’s (false gods), provoking the Lord to anger, so He sold them into the hand of the enemy. But when the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, God raised up a deliverer – Othniel upon whom the ”Spirit of the Lord” came, and with that Spirit he went out to war and the Lord delivered the enemy into his hand, bringing ‘peace’ unto the land for a period of forty years, till the time he died. We clearly see how it was God’s strength that strengthens His people and blesses them with peace but abiding with them only until the time they walked with God. (“The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.” Psalms 29:11)

If one closely reads the Bible, we see how the peace of God is in fact a blessing from the Lord. Starting from the Old Testament in the book of Numbers, God speaks to Moses instructing him about how the priest ought to bless the Israelites and the blessing includes ‘peace’ (“the Lord turn towards you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:26) clearly stating how important is the peace of God. Even through the New Testament the peace of God is of the same importance cause Christ Himself promises to leave His peace with us and to not be troubled and afraid (John 14:27). However, in our day-to-day life often we fail to see this blessing of God.

The world often seems to be crumbling down upon our shoulders, sword of deadlines and unending work hanging above us and problems after problems chase us down. We may feel that no one understands our situation or be so fatigued and worn out that all the energy is exhausted, but this was felt by even the mighty prophet Elijah as well. We often see Elijah as the fiery man of God who with no doubts and wavering stands tall in God. But when Queen Jezebel found what trouble Elijah was causing, she threatened his life. Hearing this Elijah turned and ran into the wilderness of Judah and as he sat under a tree and cried out to God, “It is enough; Now, Lord, take away my life” (I Kings 19:4) as soon as he said his desperate prayer, he fell asleep. However, we see that instead of God reprimanding him to toughen up and know his calling, God tenderly cares for him and strengthens him. Perhaps in our journey with God we may reach at certain points where we are exhausted and may be telling God that we have had enough but even in such situations if we surrender to our Father, he makes us experience the sweet heavenly peace which strengthens us. “Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).In the book of Matthew when Jesus teaches the multitude He says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.” Jesus clearly teaches us to abide in peace, for we the children of God, members of one body were called to peace. (Colossians 3:15). The peace of God is not just given to us in our wearing situations but rather it ought to abide in us and we keep it. Therefore, in all our lives May the Lord of peace Himself give us peace at all times and in every way and may we continue to abide in it.