God Is Peace

The Lord is Peace and He gives peace to us His children. He speaks peace to us as He spoke peace to His disciples, in the midst of their terrible storm at sea. We know that Jesus stilled the raging weather that had begun to threaten their lives, as water began to fill their vessel. The presence of Jesus did not stop the storm from coming. In other words, because Jesus was in the vessel with them, did not mean that storms would stay clear and not hit. The same is true of all of us who are with Jesus in the vessel of life. With Jesus in the vessel, you can expect all kinds of seriously severe storms.

However, with Jesus in the vessel, He speaks to the storm and calms it. His words are words of peace and the raging, boisterous, frightening, threatening storm, cannot but obey. There is peace in the atmosphere, once again. Quiet and stillness reign once more as things return to normal. The vessel is steady once more, the wind is peaceful and calm, and the water ripples along with poise and grace. Jesus, in the vessel, has spoken and the evidence of peace is most obvious for everyone to hear, see, feel, taste, smell and know. There is peace outside and around us, once more. 

Nevertheless, this outer, surrounding peace, does not grant you the peace of body, heart, mind and soul. Look at the disciples as they face that life-threatening, fear-demanding, peace-stealing situation. This is what happens to us also as we are all nervous, afraid, sick and weak in body, mind, soul and spirit. Anxiety, stress, worry and more dark evils have taken hold of us because of the situation we are facing.

Victory! With His commanding, powerful Word of Peace, Jesus brings calm to the troubled waters and winds. However, you and I also need His Word of Peace, to know inner calm and normalcy. The same authoritative Word is spoken to us and we are brought to peace once again.

God, the Holy Spirit speaks many words of peace to us, in various and diverse circumstances. Here is a word of peace for all who are God’s children, who are presently being severely disciplined. It is a word of exhortation for you, when the wicked, sly deceiver will spare no opportunity to make you deny truth about God, our heavenly Father.

Oftentimes, when our Father is disciplining us, we take it as though He does not love us. We think, speak and act as if He is being revengeful and spiteful, and all sorts of crazy, enemy-engendered thoughts. We become and sound like Naomi, who laments to her people. But she said to them, Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me? Ruth 1: 20 – 21.

She has a given name, a Christian name, a first name by whom she is known. All is going well, according to her, and her family, as she thinks that she is following God’s lead for her life. God, her Father in heaven, does not want to lose His child by allowing her to have her own way, to her destruction and damnation. He disciplines the child He loves, but this child does not see what God is doing in His loving discipline. She is so full of error and misguiding, she wants her name changed to Mara. Mara is ugliness. Mara is bitterness. Mara is emptiness. Mara is sadness. Mara is loneliness. Note, because of how God has dealt with His Naomi, His loved child whom He will save at all cost, she sees her heavenly Father as different towards her. She does not and cannot see His love for her, as in the days when all was going well for her.

Where is this taking us? What is the point?

We continue tomorrow.