Peace in the Storm

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)

Life is an endless struggle. From the cradle to the grave you struggle through the storms of life. Every beat of your heart or every breath that you take serves to remind you of the tenuous and uncertain hold you have on life. You are constantly beaten and battered, and you become weary and worn by the vicissitudes of life. For example, you struggle with your mortality, with unfulfilled needs, and with the fear of the unknown. You struggle with relationships in your home, on your job, and with your friends. As every living thing in the path of a hurricane must struggle to withstand the force of the rushing wind, so you must struggle to withstand the force of the storms and stress in your life. Indeed, your personal turmoil is a microcosm of the condition of the world today. Like you, our world is being torn apart by the howling storms of wars, terrorism, strife and dissension, as well as natural disasters. You long for peace, but you can find no peace. Peace is to the troubled mind as rest is to the weary body. Peace renews and rejuvenates the mind, and clears away the cobwebs of delusion and confusion.

There is a parable that gives a graphic and true picture of peace, the kind of peace that only Jesus can give. The story is about a king, who felt a compelling need for more enlightenment about the concept of peace. The “wise men” and nobles in his kingdom were unable to give the king a true understanding of peace, because no one in their "circle” had ever experienced it before. Finally, as a last resort, the king commissioned the artists in the kingdom to paint a picture representing peace. One by one they presented their paintings before the king, and one by one the king rejected their paintings. He complained that the artists’ representation of peace was as shallow and meaningless as the “wise men” and nobles' explanation of peace. Then the greatest painter in the kingdom presented his painting, brimming with confidence that he had the perfect picture of peace. It was truly a masterpiece, a most exquisite painting of a peaceful, pastoral scene. The artist painted a gentle stream flowing through a lush, green meadow. Beside the stream could be seen sheep grazing peacefully. Below the slope of the meadow were numerous houses of a little village; smoke could be seen curling up from the chimneys of some of the homes. Above the lush green meadow, the artist painted a blue sky dotted with bright, white clouds. The king was impressed with the remarkable skill of the painter. However, a dark gloomy expression came to his face as he gazed at the painting. With his vivid imaginagion, he could see the white clouds becoming dark and ominous looking, unleashing torrential rain, and turning the stream into a mighty river, flooding the meadow and the little village. Such a peaceful scene could change at anytime with the weather, he thought. Therefore, he concluded that this painting was just as meaningless as all the rest. The king sighed ruefully, and said “It seems that no one in my entire kingdom can give me an adequate explanation or representation of peace.” Just then an old man stepped forward. The king was struck by the serene expression on his face and the humility in his demeanor as he presented his painting. The first sight of the painting brought a gasp of astonishment from the king, but then his surprise gradually gave way to sublime satisfaction as he pensively considered the artist's rendition of the picture of peace. The most violent storm was represented in the painting. Gigantic waves could be seen lashing against the seashore, trees were bending under the mighty force of the wind, a heavy sheet of pouring rain was descending with unabated fury, drenching the landscape leading from the seashore. Every thing was at the mercy of the storm except an extremely large rock. Situated on a hill could be seen the massive rock, looming higher than the tallest tree. In the cleft of the rock, deep within its covert, the artist painted a little bird, sleeping peacefully, safe and secured from the stormy blast. The king exulted, “This is a true picture of peace. Peace in the storm.” Turning to the other painters he said, “All of you painted the calm before the storm, but this man has painted the calm inside the storm." The king at last found the meaning of peace; the only true peace is peace with lasting security.

My friend, if you have Jesus as your ark of salvation, and as your shelter in the time of storm, you can say with confidence, "When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I" (Psalm 61). In this world you will need to always abide in the Rock of Ages; you will need a hiding place. The Bible says, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principilaties, against powers, against spiritual wickedness in high places... "(Ephesians 6:12). You are waging spiritual warfare, and you can only be victorious if you abide in Jesus. Therefore, when the enemy comes in like a flood, find refuge in the cleft of the Rock, and rest assured in His promise, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27). Jesus, the Prince of Peace, is offering you real peace... lasting peace. His tender love for you, coupled with His awesome power, is your blessed assurance of eternal security and everlasting peace... perfect peace.

Let us pray: Father, only you can give peace, because only you can give us eternal security. Lord Jesus as our shelter in the storm, you will rebuke the wind and the waves on the sea of life, simply by saying, “Peace…peace be still.” Yes, the wind and the waves must obey your will, because you said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Matthew 28:18) As we nestle tonight under warm blankets to shield our bodies from the cold, lead us, O God, to nestle our souls in the cleft of the rock. Jesus is our living rock. There we will find shelter from the storm, and there we will find peace. O God, let us be always mindful that when we rest in the hollow of your mighty hand, we rest in perfect peace. Grant us peace now, dear Father, in Jesus name. Amen

The gospel is the good news of peace to the world. The next topic is about the meaning of the gospel. It is entitled, "The Good News." Indeed, the gospel is the only real good news the world has ever heard.