I could feel the wind blowing across my face as I sat on my patio on this beautiful, rainy day. I could hear the raindrops slightly wetting the leaves from the tree above. I felt inclined to close my eyes and as I did, I could feel such peace and tranquility. Nothing mattered at this moment. There were no thoughts, no fears, no worries. Just the calm of the rain surrounding me. With my eyes still closed. I imagined the rain washing over me in total surrounding peace. I felt the rain soaking me in the presence of God.

I suddenly opened my eyes. I immediately thanked him for his presence and for the peace he had just allowed me to feel. I thanked him for the rain that was washing everything clean and the water that was feeding the thirst of those beautiful trees. I continued to thank him for the blooming flowers that were surrounding me, as I saw a family of ducks that were quickly crossing the lake in front of me all along in the quiet of the rain. I felt such Peace.

I realized that as the rain continued to fall, and I closed my eyes to focus on Jesus, even if only for a moment, I had actually experienced a peace that could only come from God.

A peace that allowed me to see the beauty of his creation. For that moment, I forgot my fear, my worry and my pain.

So, let me ask you. Where do you go when you need to drain out all the worries of your world?
How do you actually define peace in your life?

Are you searching for peace and happiness in all the wrong places, in financial stability? Or maybe even for you, does peace just mean living in a calm atmosphere?

I would like to tell you, whatever peace you’re searching for in your life right now, if it doesn’t come from Jesus, it is not true peace because true lasting peace can only come from him.

The only peace that can transform your life, give you humility and calm in your situations, is the peace that only God can give.
Jesus tells us in his word that he gives us perfect peace, not like the world gives peace. We are to call upon him with our hurts, worries, fears and he will fill our hearts with his peace.

Sometimes this can be the hardest thing to do because to experience this Godly peace, we must let go of what we are worried about and surrender all to Jesus.

If you are a believer in Christ Jesus, what does feeling peace really mean for you?
As believers, we are supposed to walk in the peace of Christ, yet we all have stressful issues and circumstances that rob us of this peace.
Although Godly Peace may not be the absence, of troubles, it is the presence of God!

In John 16:33, Jesus tells us, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world”.

Not long ago, I went through a time in my life where I absolutely had no peace about anything. Worry had totally consumed me. I worried about my health, my financial situation, and my family’s safety. I worried about going outside and dealing with the world and I worried about being inside all alone. This was one of the darkest times in my life.

For many months, I did not feel peace and the more I worried, the further peace got away from me. It was only through the word of God that I realized the difference between the Peace I was trying to obtain on my own strength and the peace only God can give. Psalm 29:11 — (NIV) “The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.”

The Bible gives us many promises of God being a true and ever-reliable source of peace. We can at times gain temporary peace in many ways, but nothing in this world is a foolproof source of peace. This worldly peace comes and goes in our lives. People’s sources of peace can vary: money, stability, relationships, or even peace that they are trying to find on our own strength, as I was doing for so long in my own life, But….
The peace which God gives, the peace that surpasses all understanding, the peace that is by his grace that we may experience. This peace is none other than a great calm, which he commands.

God calls this peace, which He gives, “perfect peace.”

So, in what sense is it perfect?

God’s Word promises us that of all things, nothing can give more peace than Jesus Christ, who gave His life up for us so that we would receive His perfect peace. God will never fail as a readily available giver of peace, even when our own efforts let us down. He is there for us with open arms and available to fill you with his perfect and loving peace.
Perfect peace is by faith. Perfect peace is the Lord himself within us. When we put all our trust and focus on Jesus, then we will find what he has promised –“Perfect peace and then we can rest “in him.

Jesus tells us in John 14:27 (Amplified Bible)
“Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. (Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.”

Point to Ponder:
Jesus is and will always be the Prince of Peace. All you need to do is call upon him so that you may soak in his surpassing and perfect peace for your life, despite all the circumstances around us. He is always there! Trust him.

Prayer: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in strength and transforming peace.
In Jesus, Holy name, Amen .

 

By Carmen Espada