Peace Over Storms
By Abraham Israel
Peace is the most precious gift that God has given to every one of us who believe in Him. Before Jesus came there was more external peace with the people of God than the internal peace which they required in their day to day lives. External peace depends on our circumstances to be calm and without war. But internal peace which comes from God is not dependent on the external environment to be always calm. When we become God's child, God gives us peace with Himself permanently saying, "You are my child forever because of what I have done through my Son Jesus to save you from sin, sickness and death forever." Peace with God opens up a avenue of confidence in God, which makes us to go to Him when ever lives burden overwhelms us and just pour out all our burdens to Him and in exchange receive the peace of God in our hearts.
Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27) and "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). In other words Jesus is saying, do not depend on the outward circumstance to be always peaceful in you life. But always depend on the internal peace to make you understand that I am always with you and is working towards your good expected end which God has planned for you beforehand. From the world system of governance, always some sort of affliction, trial, distress and suffering will come because Satan holds the reign over this world. God has allowed Satan and his demonic cohorts to tests one's endurance, patience and faith, so that they we might be trained up for a higher purpose of God in our future. The only thing that Jesus wants us to have always is the peace that he has given in our hearts to keep us intact spiritually.
The opposite of peace is not violence in the spiritual world, but it is fear which creates confusion and destroys the peace of mind. Peace is essentially spiritual. Beginning in the book of Genesis and continuing throughout the book of Revelation, God reminds us to “Fear not.” Almost every book in the Bible has a "fear not" in it. When God says "Fear Not" once, it is more than enough to make us understand its importance to our day to day lives. But when He says again and again, it means that He is re-emphasizing it to make us understand that it is the one and only way of the enemy of our soul to destroy our spiritual lives. So according to Jesus, one should not allow our heart to be troubled and become afraid of the storm that comes to us externally. What matters is whether we have the peace that Jesus has given us in our hearts in the midst of the storms of life.
The devil cannot take our peace until we make a wrong choice to allow fear to control our lives. The other way we can destroy this peace of Jesus is when we are lethargic and complacent enough to not to take our little problems in our day today lives to Jesus consistently. When we continue to live like this, over a period of time our little problems will become great storms in our lives to make the wonderful, abundant and peaceful life that Jesus has given to us to be destroyed by it.
One day when Jesus was traveling in a boat along with His disciples, a great and a severe storm arose. Jesus was asleep in the midst of the storm. But the disciples saw that the boat was covered with the waves and began to panic, not realizing that the great Creator of the whole universe was sleeping with them peacefully. Then when they cried out for Jesus to save them, He arose and rebuked the wind and the sea. Then there was great calm and peace on the outside. The first question that Jesus asked the disciples was, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" (Matt 8:23-27). In other words, Jesus was rebuking them for allowing fear to control their lives. Times like these come sometimes when we fear of the storms we face and cry out to Jesus to save us, in such situations He calms the storms we face. But remember saints, Jesus will still not be pleased with us if we like those disciples of His will let fear control us, instead of keeping the peace He has given us to control us in the midst of storms. When Jesus sees us peaceful in the midst of storms He will be pleased with us, automatically His power will act through us in such a way that when we command the storm and rebuke it, the storms will obey our command of faith. Only this will bring Glory to Jesus!
Still at other times, we see that Jesus did not rebuke the storms of life to cease immediately. We read in the gospel of John that Jesus loved Martha and her Sister and Lazarus, yet when He heard that they were facing the storm of Lazarus being sick unto death, He stayed in the same place where He was for two more days and then He wanted to go to Lazarus house. By the time He reached the home of Lazarus, he was already in the tomb for four days. Here we see that Jesus calmed the heart of the family that got disturbed by the death of their family member. When the whole family was completely hopeless but was still believing for something good and comforting for Jesus to say to them, then suddenly Jesus raised the dead Lazarus and calmed the storm that raged until then fiercely (John 11:1-44). No time is too late for Jesus, when He is present in a place all our tempest flees away seeing Him. Many times he calms our heart to work a miracle in our life for the Glory of God! So the next time you feel that the storm continues to rage in your life in spite of praying to Jesus fervently, just hold on to the peace of God and know that He will calm you first and then He will work a miracle in your life. Jesus knows that the calm heart is the foundation bed for miracles to be worked out for the Glory of God! By the time Jesus intervenes, you yourself will become the miracle that you and all were looking for until then. For Jesus nothing pleases more than a peaceful heart that trusts Him in spite of the storm, such people will see miracles of Jesus consistently for the Glory of God!
Pray with me saints : Dear Jesus, Now I have come to understand that some times you will calm the storm that comes to me immediately and at other times you will calm my heart in order to work a greater miracle through me for the Glory of God! Help me to hold on to your peace no matter whether you calm the storm or you allow it to rage in my life. Give me the wisdom and faith to speak against the storm and calm it when it is needed, and also give me the strength to face the storm peacefully when you allow it to rage through in my life. Help me understand that all things [i.e. whether good or bad] that happen in my life is happening for my good, because you are constantly working it all to be turned favorably for my future good. Thank you for your glorious peace that keeps me always safe all the time. Bless you and praise you for it all. Help me to be grateful to you always. Amen and Amen!
Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27) and "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). In other words Jesus is saying, do not depend on the outward circumstance to be always peaceful in you life. But always depend on the internal peace to make you understand that I am always with you and is working towards your good expected end which God has planned for you beforehand. From the world system of governance, always some sort of affliction, trial, distress and suffering will come because Satan holds the reign over this world. God has allowed Satan and his demonic cohorts to tests one's endurance, patience and faith, so that they we might be trained up for a higher purpose of God in our future. The only thing that Jesus wants us to have always is the peace that he has given in our hearts to keep us intact spiritually.
The opposite of peace is not violence in the spiritual world, but it is fear which creates confusion and destroys the peace of mind. Peace is essentially spiritual. Beginning in the book of Genesis and continuing throughout the book of Revelation, God reminds us to “Fear not.” Almost every book in the Bible has a "fear not" in it. When God says "Fear Not" once, it is more than enough to make us understand its importance to our day to day lives. But when He says again and again, it means that He is re-emphasizing it to make us understand that it is the one and only way of the enemy of our soul to destroy our spiritual lives. So according to Jesus, one should not allow our heart to be troubled and become afraid of the storm that comes to us externally. What matters is whether we have the peace that Jesus has given us in our hearts in the midst of the storms of life.
The devil cannot take our peace until we make a wrong choice to allow fear to control our lives. The other way we can destroy this peace of Jesus is when we are lethargic and complacent enough to not to take our little problems in our day today lives to Jesus consistently. When we continue to live like this, over a period of time our little problems will become great storms in our lives to make the wonderful, abundant and peaceful life that Jesus has given to us to be destroyed by it.
One day when Jesus was traveling in a boat along with His disciples, a great and a severe storm arose. Jesus was asleep in the midst of the storm. But the disciples saw that the boat was covered with the waves and began to panic, not realizing that the great Creator of the whole universe was sleeping with them peacefully. Then when they cried out for Jesus to save them, He arose and rebuked the wind and the sea. Then there was great calm and peace on the outside. The first question that Jesus asked the disciples was, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" (Matt 8:23-27). In other words, Jesus was rebuking them for allowing fear to control their lives. Times like these come sometimes when we fear of the storms we face and cry out to Jesus to save us, in such situations He calms the storms we face. But remember saints, Jesus will still not be pleased with us if we like those disciples of His will let fear control us, instead of keeping the peace He has given us to control us in the midst of storms. When Jesus sees us peaceful in the midst of storms He will be pleased with us, automatically His power will act through us in such a way that when we command the storm and rebuke it, the storms will obey our command of faith. Only this will bring Glory to Jesus!
Still at other times, we see that Jesus did not rebuke the storms of life to cease immediately. We read in the gospel of John that Jesus loved Martha and her Sister and Lazarus, yet when He heard that they were facing the storm of Lazarus being sick unto death, He stayed in the same place where He was for two more days and then He wanted to go to Lazarus house. By the time He reached the home of Lazarus, he was already in the tomb for four days. Here we see that Jesus calmed the heart of the family that got disturbed by the death of their family member. When the whole family was completely hopeless but was still believing for something good and comforting for Jesus to say to them, then suddenly Jesus raised the dead Lazarus and calmed the storm that raged until then fiercely (John 11:1-44). No time is too late for Jesus, when He is present in a place all our tempest flees away seeing Him. Many times he calms our heart to work a miracle in our life for the Glory of God! So the next time you feel that the storm continues to rage in your life in spite of praying to Jesus fervently, just hold on to the peace of God and know that He will calm you first and then He will work a miracle in your life. Jesus knows that the calm heart is the foundation bed for miracles to be worked out for the Glory of God! By the time Jesus intervenes, you yourself will become the miracle that you and all were looking for until then. For Jesus nothing pleases more than a peaceful heart that trusts Him in spite of the storm, such people will see miracles of Jesus consistently for the Glory of God!
Pray with me saints : Dear Jesus, Now I have come to understand that some times you will calm the storm that comes to me immediately and at other times you will calm my heart in order to work a greater miracle through me for the Glory of God! Help me to hold on to your peace no matter whether you calm the storm or you allow it to rage in my life. Give me the wisdom and faith to speak against the storm and calm it when it is needed, and also give me the strength to face the storm peacefully when you allow it to rage through in my life. Help me understand that all things [i.e. whether good or bad] that happen in my life is happening for my good, because you are constantly working it all to be turned favorably for my future good. Thank you for your glorious peace that keeps me always safe all the time. Bless you and praise you for it all. Help me to be grateful to you always. Amen and Amen!
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