God’s Inner Peace – a place where you experience total tranquility!
The word peace is one of the most commonly used words in our vocabulary! Parents use it, politicians use it, children use it – well, everybody uses it! Defined as the absence of disturbance and a state of tranquility, inner peace is a rare occurrence in most people’s lives. For me, in between the daily rush of work, kids, bills, responsibilities, etc, there is hardly a moment of peace. Once in a while, though, I really need that peaceful moment to chill out and reflect on all that is happening around me, and on God. To be honest, there are times when I need God’s inner peace within my heart, my own little haven of tranquility.
Note that I am not referring to just ANY inner peace, but God’s inner peace. As usual, I dived into the Bible to see what his word said about peace. Here we go!
- God’s inner peace is available!
Credit: Unsplash
In the book of 2 Thessalonians, I found a verse that hit me right in the face.
2 Thessalonians 3:16 “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.” (NLT)
Think about this – peace at all times and in every situation! For me, this means that it doesn’t matter what pit or valley I find myself in, God is ready to give me his peace even in that troubled situation. For many of us, peace is the last thing on our minds when facing a battle. On the other hand, letting God’s peace dwell in your heart is a sign that you have surrendered the situation to him. You hand over your worries, and he hands you his peace!
- God’s inner peace encourages us!
Having that quiet confidence in God when there are storms all around is awesome.
Just before Jesus was crucified, he said these words to his disciples.
John 16:33 “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (NLT)
Jesus did not promise that life in this world would be smooth and trouble-free; he promised trials and sorrows (ouch!) He, however, also promised that if we trusted in him, we would have peace in knowing him, and he would fight our battles. Having God’s inner peace in your heart gives you the confidence to walk into a tunnel knowing that you will soon be out of it!
- God’s inner peace is perfect!
Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (NLT)
Just reading this verse puts me at peace, knowing that if I focus on the Lord and trust in him, he will grant me his perfect peace.
Friends, God’s inner peace can be ours if we ask for it, but there are a couple of conditions – we must trust in him, and focus our thoughts on him. Let me give an example. If you have a pressing situation in your life that is giving you grief, rather than think about it day and night, pray about it and surrender it to God. His immediate answer will be to give you peace because you have chosen to trust in him. You will notice that the moment you start to obsess over the situation again, that feeling of peace will disappear, but the moment you pray about it, you are at peace!
Storms, valleys, turmoil, and struggles are part of our daily lives. The way we handle them can be either painful or painless, depending on whether we choose to have God’s inner peace dwell in our hearts. Wherever you go, let his peace accompany you, and enjoy fellowship with him inside your haven of tranquility!