"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27 NIVUK)
Stop for a moment and think of the best gift you ever received – that doll you always wanted, that new dress, new game – the list is endless. But Jesus gives you a greater gift. He gives you the gift of peace. That is priceless. Just pause for a moment and think just how valuable peace is.
We all have times when life overwhelms us. Just like Peter in the boat in the storm, everything around us is crashing. We cry out to Jesus who still says, “Silence! Be Still!” (Mark 4:39 NLT). Jesus calms the storm inside us, if we would only let Him into our lives.
I can think of numerous times in my life when the outward circumstances that surround me are crushing me. I have no answers. All I can do is say “Jesus help me.” As I press into Jesus, He opens His loving arms and surrounds me with His peace and I feel calm. Have my circumstances changed? No. Only now I am filled with His peace and I know that whatever I face, Jesus is with me.
God has promised, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5 NIVUK). We have God’s assurance that we will never journey through life alone. Whatever we face, Jesus walks beside us.
I love the poem “Footprints” by Margaret Fishback Powers. There are times in life when Jesus seems absent or silent; I cannot ‘see’ Him. I cannot ‘feel’ Him. I wonder where He is. It is only when looking back that I see His hand was on my situation and He was carrying me through.
God is our perfect Father. I am fortunate to have a loving, caring earthly father, but I know this is not always the case. As a child if I had a problem or was afraid, my Dad held me and told me all would be well. I trusted him.
You can trust our heavenly Father. If you are afraid or life overwhelms, run to God, rest in His arms. Let Him whisper “all will be well” and let Him give you a peace despite external circumstances.
If you do not know God as your loving Father and have never invited Him into your life, you can do so today. May I lead you in a prayer?
Dear God, thank you for loving me. I ask you to come into my life today. I am sorry for all those times I walked away from you. Jesus come and live in my heart today. Amen.
Let me leave you with my favourite verse:
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (Revelation 3:20 NIVUK).
Julia Catherine Wilson lives in England and loves reading
**Julia Catherine Wilson resides in the U.K. where she loves to knit cardigans for her grandchildren and snuggle with her cats while reading books. If you would like to find a new title to read on a wintry day, she posts book reviews on Christian Bookaholics here or here.
