Peace
1. From Hope To Peace
2. The Peace Of God Passes All Understanding
3. “He Whispers Sweet Peace To Me”
4. “Peace, Be Still”
5. Peace In Salvation
6. The Apostle Paul Had Peace At The Thought Of Dying
7. Peace In The Midst Of Fire
8. Wonderful Peace
9. A Blessing Of Peace
10. Peace To Help Us Sleep
11. Christmas Peace
12. Pray For Peace
13. Doves, A Symbol Of Peace
14. God Gives Peace When Prayers Are Answered
15. “Peace, I Leave With You”
1. From Hope To Peace
We finished our look at “Hope” in the book of Romans. Today we are once again in the book of Romans,
moving from “Hope”, to “Peace”. “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 15:13) In this chapter the Apostle Paul speaks of the God of hope, and ends the chapter with the God of peace. “Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.” (Romans 15:33) Just as we can’t have a sure hope without God, I don’t believe that we can have real peace without God. I once saw a sign that said, “Know God, know peace. No God, no peace.” We can’t have peace without God.
2. The Peace Of God Passes All Understanding
Have you ever heard a Christian praise the Lord even when going through a hard trial? Have you talked to someone near death and they are at peace with God and talk about being ready to go home? Have you noticed that many times when a Christian dies the family has a Celebration of Life, instead of a mournful funeral? Only God can give this kind of peace. When I was getting prepped for cancer surgery, the Lord gave me peace. When we put our trust in the Lord He gives us peace that the world can’t understand. The Apostle Paul tells us about this peace in his letter to the Philippian church.
“6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” (Philippians 4:6-9)
3. “He Whispers Sweet Peace To Me”
When Elijah was overwhelmed and could not go on any farther, he hid in a cave. The Lord came to him and fed the great old prophet, and gave him water to drink, and let him sleep. Later, the Lord spoke to Elijah in “a still small voice.” I am so thankful for a loving Savior who speaks to me in a still, small voice, when I am overwhelmed and cast down in spirit and soul.
“11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?” (I Kings 19:11-13)
I really like the old hymns. The words are so meaningful and often taken from the scriptures. At church Sunday, the choir sang, “He Whispers Sweet Peace To Me.” This great old hymn was written by Will M. Ramsey in 1932. He knew the peace that comes from the still, small voice of our Savior.
“He Whispers Sweet Peace To Me”
1. Sometime when misgivings darken the day,
And faith's light I cannot see;
I ask my dear Lord to brighten the way,
He whispers sweet peace to me.
Refrain:
He whispers sweet peace to me,
He whispers sweet peace to me,
When I am cast down in spirit and soul,
He whispers sweet peace to me.
2. I could not go on without Him I know,
The world would o'erwhelm my soul;
For I could not see the right way to go,
When temptations o’er me roll.
3. I trust Him thru faith, by faith hold His hand,
And sometimes my faith is weak;
And then when I ask Him to take command,
It seems that I hear Him speak.
4. He speaks in a still, small voice we are told,
A voice that dispels all fear;
And when I’m in doubt or troubled in soul,
That still, small voice I can hear.
4. “Peace, Be Still”
Have you ever experienced the quiet calm after a terrible thunderstorm? One minute the thunder roars and the lightning strikes and the wind whips through the trees, and then it passes and there’s a wonderful peace. I have never been in a storm at sea, but I suppose a storm on the sea would bring greater fear, with the wind and waves rocking the boat and the water getting deeper inside the boat. I am glad I know the One who can calm the storm. Jesus said, “Peace, be still” and there was a great calm. The Lord can say, “Peace, be still” and calm the storm, or He can say, “Peace, be still” to my soul and calm me. My daughter used to sing a song which had these lyrics…
“Sometimes He calms the storm, sometimes He calms me
Sometimes the storm still rages on, but I feel the sweetest peace
It's such a joy to know that my Lord knows just what I need
Sometimes He calms the storm, sometimes He calms me”
“35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.
36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:35-41)
5. Peace In Salvation
Before we are saved, we don’t have peace. We read in Isaiah 48:22, “There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.” We can’t have peace in our sinfulness. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23) “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) We can have a fear of living and a fear of dying. When we trust Jesus to be our Savior, then God gives us a sweet peace. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2) God takes away our sin and our fear and gives us peace! “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.” (Isaiah 12:2) Jesus died on the cross and took the sting out of death. And when we believe on Him for our salvation then we don’t have to fear death and can have peace.
“51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Corinthians 15:51-57)
6. The Apostle Paul Had Peace At The Thought Of Dying
When I started thinking about peace, I tried to think of examples in the Bible of people who had peace. The one that readily came to mind was the Apostle Paul. He had been through great persecution and imprisoned several times for preaching the gospel. He stayed faithful. In his letter to Timothy, he said that he was ready to leave this world to be with His Lord. The last time we went to visit our former pastor we could tell that he was ready to go home to be with the Lord, and he had peace. In Psalm 23:4 David shows that he also had peace about dying. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Here are some of Paul’s final words to Timothy.
“6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” (II Timothy 4:6-8)
7. Peace In The Midst Of The Fire
I started my Bible reading in the book of Daniel and when I came to the third chapter, I thanked the Lord for giving me the perfect example of people in the Bible who had peace. Even when facing a fiery furnace, these three children had peace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who had been taken captive to a foreign land, did not hesitate to tell the king they would not bow to his golden image. They had peace and assurance that God would be with them. The king had his men make the fire seven times hotter, and the flame killed the ones who threw them in, but it did not harm the faithful Hebrews. God can give us peace when we are facing a fiery trial!
“13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” (Daniel 3:13-18)
“24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” (Daniel 3:24-25)
8. “Wonderful Peace”
When I need to make a certain purchase, or I’m planning a vacation, or even making small everyday decisions, I like to pray about it first. I try to ask the Lord to show me His will in every aspect of my life. Sometimes God will show me a sign, and at other times He will speak to my heart. There have been times when God spoke to me through a certain scripture. When I go to God in prayer I ask Him to give me peace about the decision I need to make. When I have the peace of God, it’s wonderful, and that’s all I need! “Wonderful Peace” is a great old hymn written by Warren Donald Cornell in 1889.
“Wonderful Peace”
1. Far away in the depth of my spirit tonight
Rolls a melody sweeter than psalm;
In celestial-like strains it unceasingly falls
O’er my soul like an infinite calm.
Refrain:
Peace, peace! wonderful peace,
Coming down from the Father above,
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray,
In fathomless billows of love.
2. What a treasure I have in this wonderful peace,
Buried deep in the heart of my soul,
So secure that no power can mine it away
While the years of eternity roll.
3. I am resting tonight in this wonderful peace,
Resting sweetly in Jesus’ control;
For I’m kept from all danger by night and by day,
And His glory is flooding my soul.
4. Ah! soul, are you here without comfort and rest,
Marching down the rough pathway of time?
Make Jesus your friend ere the shadows grow dark,
O, accept this sweet peace so sublime!
9. A Blessing Of Peace
There is a beautiful blessing of peace in Numbers 6:22-27. The Lord told Moses to have Aaron and his sons bless the children of Israel with this blessing. I believe that it is a beautiful blessing that God would give to His children today. I have often written verses 24-26 on cards that I have sent to people. May the Lord bless you and give you a beautiful Lord’s Day!
“22 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,
24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
27 And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.” (Numbers 6:22-27)
10. Peace To Help Us Sleep
When we are worried or fearful about something, it can be almost impossible to sleep. When I have trouble falling asleep, I pray for my family, my church family, and some of the many other prayer requests I have. When I am anxious and can’t sleep, I start thanking the Lord for all He did for me throughout the day. Then, I thank Him for saving me, and for my family and my church, and so many other blessings He has given to me. God has been so good to me and I have so much to be thankful for. After a few minutes of being thankful, my heart begins to praise Him. Soon, I am overwhelmed in the goodness of my Lord and all of my anxiety and troubles fade away. God gives me peace in my heart, mind, and soul and I can sleep peacefully. “I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.” (Psalm 3:5) “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8)
11. Christmas Peace
Since we have 13 grandchildren we like to begin our Christmas shopping early. If I’m waiting until mid-December to shop it makes me anxious and can disrupt my Christmas joy. Some years I put too much on my schedule and I feel rushed and can’t enjoy Christmas. As I get older I really try to work on making ornaments, shopping, and decorating really early so I can have it done without the Christmas rush. When the children were small, I would be cooking, and wrapping presents as we were ready to walk out the door for our family dinners. I want the peace of Christmas! When the angels appeared to the shepherds they said, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:14) They left the field where their sheep were gathered and went with haste to Bethlehem. Sometimes when life seems too busy, I leave it all for a while and get alone with my Lord. I like to sit in the dark with the glow of the Christmas lights and sing carols softly. I read the Christmas story. I take time to play with my grandchildren. We bake Christmas goodies. I listen to my favorite Christmas songs while I work about the house. All of these things give me joy at Christmas and help me have peace during a busy time. It’s still four months away, but I want to make sure my focus is on my Savior this year and celebrate His birth in peace.
“8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.” (Luke 2:8-20)
12. Pray For Peace
Today we have a two-part devotional on praying for peace. First, we have a verse from a song of David. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.” (Psalm 122:6) I never saw the beauty of the temple that King Solomon built, or the glory of Jerusalem, but I am thankful that one day I will see the New Jerusalem and live forever with my God.
“1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” (Revelation 21:1-3)
We continue on to the New Testament and the Apostle Paul wrote to young Timothy to pray for our leaders. Instead of all the complaining we do about our leaders, we should be spending time in prayer for them.
“1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (I Timothy 2:1-6)
Let’s remember to pray for Jerusalem, and to pray for those who are in authority.
13. Doves, A Symbol Of Peace
I was walking towards the back of the church and I noticed a small pillow that someone had brought to help her back. It had a dove with an olive branch in its mouth and the word, “Peace”. Since I have been writing on peace, I thought it would be interesting to look at some of the doves in the Bible. Doves are associated with love and peace. The first is found in Genesis 8, with Noah in the ark. After the flood Noah sent a dove to see if the water had gone down. The dove could not find a place to land and returned to Noah. After seven more days, Noah sent the dove from the ark again. “And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.” (Genesis 8:11-12) The next example is one that I have thought of often when I was tired, or troubled. It is found in Psalms 55. David said, “Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;” (verse 2) Maybe his mournful soul reminded him of the mournful sound of a dove. A dove has a distinctive sad sounding coo and I learned to recognize it at an early age. David continued, “And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.” (Psalm 55:6) In the New Testament, Joseph and Mary took Baby Jesus to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord, “And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” (Luke 2:24) In Leviticus 12 the law was that the mother was to bring a lamb, but she could offer doves or two young pigeons if she could not afford to give the lamb. The last example I want to mention is given to us in all four of the gospels. Maybe you remember…
“And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. ” (Matthew 3:16-17)
“And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. ” (Mark 1:10-11)
“Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22)
And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. ” (John 1:32-34)
14. God Gives Peace When Prayers Are Answered
Recently I mentioned my growing list of prayer requests. I have seen the Lord answer several prayers and I want to praise Him today. There is joy and peace in knowing that God is hearing and answering our prayers. In our scriptures today we see a woman who found peace when the Lord answered her prayer. In the opening of the book of I Samuel, we find the story of Hannah. Her husband had two wives. One wife had children, but Hannah did not have any children. Her husband did not understand her desire for a son. “Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?” (I Samuel 1:8) The priest did not understand.
“10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.
11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth.
13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.
14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.
15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.” (I Samuel 1:10-15)
We find peace in the answer of the priest. “Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.” (I Samuel 1:17) There were times that Jesus also said, “Go in peace” when He answered prayer. “And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.” (Luke 8:48) Jesus gives us peace when He answers our prayers.
15. “Peace I Leave With You”
John 14:26-27 is a great closing for our look at “Peace”. “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Before Jesus went to heaven He promised that we could have peace. The peace of God is a great promise.
As the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, lives in us, we are filled with the Spirit of God. And we see the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Let’s live so that others can see the love, joy, and peace from God in our lives, as it runs over in longsuffering, gentleness and goodness to others. And let our heart and soul be guided in faith, meekness and temperance.
