Topic: Peace

Because Christ’s return is imminent - the Lord is at hand - and he is present with us now, we are not to be anxious about anything. If during our moments of anxiety we could see Jesus sitting next to us, ready to take our hand, would that not be a comfort to us? And yet, he is indeed ready to do that through the gift of prayer.

Think back to all of life’s storms you have endured in the past. How often, in the heat of the moment, when you are being tossed around by the waves, does it seem like there’s no way you will ever make it through? Yet every time, Jesus is there to catch you with his strong arm. So why do we refuse to step out in faith when he calls?

Disquietude is an unusual word, is it not? Certainly not one you hear every day. Disquietude refers to a state of anxiety or uneasiness. Understood this way, today we together pray for eyes of Faith to behold the Transfigured Christ, in light eternal, to transport us from the anxieties and trials of our daily lives, the darkness of our temporal world.

When we focus on Christ instead of complaining about the many hardships in our lives, we become a witness to the Gospel. Our lives become saturated with the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding. This doesn’t make any sense if you don’t know Christ! This is how Spafford could write a hymn praising the Lord mere days after all his children died in a shipwreck.

Do you ever grow tired of hearing the noise of the world around you? Our world has been saturated with evil since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. For the Christian, it is easy to be discouraged by the many voices that speak out against the Gospel. Even greater is the temptation to give in to them. Here, the Rev. Galloway shares God’s reminder for us to be still, and trust in Christ.

After Christ’s death, the disciples took refuge in the Upper Room. Without warning, the risen Christ appeared to them. Listen as the Rev. Galloway discusses Christ’s miraculous appearance and explains what it means for our lives. “Shalom,” Christ said, “Peace be with you.”

The LORD says through the prophet Isaiah, “I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert… for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise” (Isaiah 43:19, 21). We all have wilderness experiences in our lives, but God will never leave us or forsake us, and it is the mark of the Christian to praise God even when everything life appears to be going wrong.

We are assaulted every day by anxieties about our own lives and everything going on in the world. In Psalm 46, the LORD tells the Psalmist, “Be still, and know that I am God.” In these words we can find great comfort, but we must first be willing to be still. We can take confidence knowing that God is in control as the great I AM.