"Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws. Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble." (Psalm 119:164-165, NIV)
Peace. How does one find it? On the international scene, for instance, we seem to be no closer to achieving peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians--despite all the diplomats and peace efforts. After over a thousand American lives lost, and all the other costs we have paid as a nation to bring peace to the Iraqi people, even today the question being asked is, are we even winning the war? These international expeditions for peace mirror our pursuit of personal peace.
It's not surprising that so many people lack inner peace. Our world today is far different from anything we would have imagined just a few years ago. I remember the fateful day of September 11, 2001. I was working at an Army base for cross training. We received a phone call from the wife of one of the employees to inform us of what had happened to the Twin Towers. We all went to the break room, turned on the TV, and watched in awe not saying a word to each other. That one horrible day has changed the landscape of our country forever.
Neither things nor another human being can bring us lasting peace. Any feeling of being at peace with oneself derived through these means is artificial because the source is external to us, and is subject to change at any moment. And since change today is both certain and chaotic, we need a more reliable source of inner peace--one that will not forsake us amidst the most turbulent times.
This is one of the reasons God gave us the Bible. Those who fall in love with it will know great peace. His Word is more than mere words. They are spirit and they are life. They are food for our inner being that has been recreated in the image of His Son. Because our renewed spirit and the Word of God came from heaven, an amazing chemistry takes place as we feed the former with the latter, and mix the Word with faith. The resulting peace will far surpass anything the world or another person can give us--or take away.
Dear Lord, thank You for changing me on the inside, and thank You for Your Word. May my love for it continually grow. And teach me how to trust Your Word that I might know great peace, and be fazed by no storm. Amen.
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