Peace Within Ourselves.
How can we enjoy peace within ourselves? Don Salmans explains how we can experience true peace this Christmas and always.
Anxiety
There are so many things in our world to create anxiety, to cause fear. It may be health crisis, family problems or financial disasters. All of these things have the potential to create anxiety. But one of the wonderful things about the coming of Christ at Christmas is that we have the opportunity to have peace.
Again, I go back to that well known passage. Often we read this with our family on Christmas Day. In Luke chapter 2 we read,
“and there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night, and the angel appeared to them, the glory of the Lord shown around them and they were terrified.” There are many people in our world terrified, not for this reason, but terrified. “But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (and that that can apply to you if you’ll trust Christ your Savior. And it goes on to say,) “today in the town of David as Savior has been born. He is Christ the Lord. This will be assigned to you he will find you will find a baby wrapped in claws and line in a manger. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:8-14
Peace is Available
Peace is available. And we certainly need peace within ourselves. John 14:27 the Lord Jesus gives us these wonderful words,
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” John 14:27
Isn’t that overwhelming?
“My peace I give to you, not as the world gives, do I give to you, do not let your heart be troubled. Or let it be fearful.” John 14:27
Now maybe you’re in a situation where you are troubled, and you’re struggling with fear. The Lord Jesus says, my peace I give to you, I offer this to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
Trust in the Lord Jesus
We need to put our trust in the Lord Jesus first for our salvation, to have peace with God. But we need to keep trusting in the Lord, throughout our Christian life for a sense of security, a sense of peace, a sense of well- being. Isaiah 26:3-4 states,
“The steadfast of mind, you will keep in perfect peace.” Isaiah 26:3-4
The Lord will keep in perfect peace the person whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Then in verse 4 of Isaiah 26
“Trust in the Lord forever. For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting rock.” Isaiah 26:4
God’s Perfect Peace
I think of that hymn “Like A River Glorious,” like a river glorious is God’s perfect peace. God’s perfect peace. Overall victorious in its bright increase. Perfect, yet it flows, fuller every day. Perfect, yet it grows deeper all the way. And then the chorus, stayed upon Jehovah hearts are fully blessed, finding as he promised, perfect peace, and rest. Isn’t that wonderful! But we have to keep our sights stayed upon the Lord, in order to enjoy his peace.
Focused on the Lord
We need to stay focused on the Lord. Now how do we do that? Through His Word, by spending time in the Word of God. Set your mind on things above where Christ is. And another passage in Colossians is, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. We stay focused on Christ, on the Lord, as we meditate, ponder and read his word. This is such an important part, when the Word of God becomes absent in our life, when it’s just not a part of our life on a regular basis, anxiety often will begin to creep in because we’re not stayed upon Jehovah.
We also stay focused on the Lord through time in prayer. Philippians 4:6 “be anxious for nothing,” that’s a big request. “Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication,” notice “everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” So call upon the Lord consistently about everything, verse 7, “and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus,” we can have peace, even if it doesn’t make sense in this old world.
Call Upon the Lord
As we call upon the Lord, we stay focused on the Lord through His Word, and through prayer. The Lord is center point in our life, and that allows us to enjoy more and more of that peace of God. But also, we need to stay faithful to the Lord, not just stay focused on the Lord, but stay faithful to the Lord. Philippians 4:9 states,
“the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things.” Philippians 4:9
To practice these things, is not just to hear about them. Not just hear somebody speak about them, but practice these things and the promise, “the God of peace will be with you.” In living out God’s word, we enjoy more of God’s peace.
Proverbs 3:1-2, states,
“my son, do not forget my teaching. But let your heart keep my commandments for the length of days and years of life and peace, they will add to you.” Proverbs 3:1-2
As we stay focused on the Lord through the word we see promises, and I would encourage you to memorize passages that bring comfort to your heart. Let those passages circulate in your thinking. Maybe the very first thing when you wake up in the morning, you remind yourself, especially if you’re going through a traumatic time, remind yourself of those verses that bring peace to your heart. And there’s so many of them as we think of God. The verses in Isaiah mentioned earlier,
“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting rock.” Isaiah 26:3-4
That might be a great verse to memorize.
Enjoy Peace From the Lord
How we need to stay focused on the Lord, stay steady for the Lord and enjoy the peace from the Lord. That doesn’t mean life will be easy, and it doesn’t mean we won’t have heartbreak.
Years ago, Cleland Boyd McAfee, a Presbyterian minister in Chicago, had just received word that his brother and sister in law had lost both of their daughters to diphtheria within 24 hours. I cannot imagine how broken the heart would be of the parents. And also obviously this uncle who loved them, the grief stricken McAfee could only think of verses in the book of Psalms that brought comfort and rest to those who sought refuge in the Lord. As he meditated on God’s word, he wrote the words and music to a hymn.
Near the Heart of God
At the double funeral, outside the darkened quarantined house of his brother, Cleveland, McAfee with a choking voice sang this hymn publicly for the first time. And the words are,
There is a place of quiet rest,
near to the heart of God.
A place where sin cannot molest,
near to the heart of God.
Oh Jesus blessed Redeemer,
sent from the heart of God,
hold us who wait before thee
near to the heart of God.
There is a place of comfort sweet,
near to the heart of God,
a place where we our Savior meet
near to the heart of God.
There is a place of full release,
near to the heart of God,
a place where all is joy and peace,
near to the heart of God.
If your world is broken, if your heart is aching, if your anxiety is increasing, the only place we can have peace within ourselves is peace that comes when our heart is near to God. May we stay focused on Him. May we stay faithful to him and enjoy his peace that can touch our heart. As we walk through a broken world, may we allow his peace to comfort us on our journey.
How do you think we can have peace within ourselves? We would love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.
Don Salmans
Don has been a regular contributor to HopeStreamRadio for a number of years. Don and Martie live in Ontario where he preaches in various churches in the area.
Much of his time is invested in his own local church, Edmison Heights Bible Chapel, where he is currently an elder.
Don and Martie have been married 43 years and have two grown sons and seven grandchildren. One of his greatest joys in this season of his life is simply spending time with his grand kids.
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