Finding Peace In a Troubled World

Another school shooting took place today in Maryland.

Another bomb went off in Texas today.

What is this world coming to?

I came across a booklet I had received from the Discovery Series about finding peace in a world filled with violence and hardships.

Today, news of events around our ever-shrinking global community bombard us in an unsettling, unceasing drumbeat of violence, danger, hate, and destruction. As the stories multiply, we feel the weight of the fear and desperation.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

John 14:1 tells us “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.”

John 16:33 says “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!”

As long as we live in this world we are going to endure hardships. Bad things are going to take place. We live in an evil-filled world.  The Bible tells us this.

So how do we find peace in this hate-filled world?

Jesus gave his disciples a starting point for peace–trust. “He challenged them to allow their confidence in Him to overcome their fear and despair.”

Swimming in their fear, these words were a lifeboat. Words that offered rescue and safety.

His promise of peace is directly linked to our trust in Him and His ability to bring us through.

Jesus will NEVER fail us. We may fail in life but Jesus never will and we can take comfort in that. Anxiety will try to take over our thoughts but Paul tells us Philippians 4:6-7 to “be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses ALL understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Prayer allows us to access our greatest resource–the God of the universe–who is more than sufficient for any of the trials we wrestle with.

How can we be so sure of this? How can we be certain that Jesus is the answer?

The Prince of Peace has gone to the cross and defeated the grave to make it so.

In the words of Vivian Kretz’s classic hymn:

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on Thee.
When the shadows come and darkness falls,
He giveth inward peace.
O He is the only perfect resting place,
He giveth perfect peace!
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on Thee.