Me: Well prodigal I wanted to introduce you to some of my family. Here are two of the most wonderful nieces!
Prodigal: Well I am very happy to meet them, we have been spending time together and they are a lot of fun.
Me: I know for the past several times I have been talking with your friends, but my nieces wanted to join in too.
Prodigal: Sure why don’t we tell everyone about when your niece asked about peace.
Me: I think that would be perfect.
My nieces and I spent some great time together over the holidays. We laughed, hugged, ran around, threw the football, played games for long hours and talked. At one such moment we mentioned peace and we talked about how those who are saved by Jesus Christ can know a peace that unbelievers will not know. A very good question was asked and they wanted to know how can this be and what was it like. I found Charles Spurgeon being able to explain this the best in his book Joy in Christ’s Presence.
The peace of God keeps our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Phil 4:7). At such a time there is a delightful sense of rest; we have no ambitions, no desires. A divine serenity and security envelop us. We have no thought of foes or fears, afflictions or doubts. There is a joyous laying aside of our own will. We are nothing, and we will nothing; Christ is everything, and His will is the pulse of our souls. We are perfectly content either to be ill or to be well, to be rich or to be poor, to be slandered or to be honored, so that we may simply abide in the love of Christ. Jesus fills the horizon of our beings.
This is the peace that by knowing Jesus I have been able to have over and over again. To some of you this is all foreign. To others you are remembering that peace that you have had before and it is a cherished memory. The truth though is that this is offered to everyone who believes in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I find though even as a believer the world can distract me from this peace. When I am home with my bible. It is quiet. There is no music, television, and the cell phone is silent. I take these moments to pray and seek his presences. The Lord will then show up with this peace. It refills my soul, it makes everything small and Jesus’s love so big and real. It allows me to not only go through the struggles but praise him during them also.
I pray that for this coming year that you will have that peace during those times your fears or doubts may show. Jesus will be there and can be there to give you his peace.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
Jennifer Van Allen,
www.theprodigalpig.com
www.faithincounseling.org
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