Perfect Peace

By David A. Sargent     Berit Kjos once wrote a piece about peace: Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally, the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered. The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled. As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd. A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner.     The man with the vision uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace? A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power. A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil. *     Peace in the midst of a storm – that is perfect peace. Only Jesus can give us this peace.     “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” – John 14:27      The only peace that the world can offer is an absence of conflict. Peruse the history of the world and it current state, and one cannot find lasting peace in it. It seems that lasting peace is an impossibility in the world.     But Jesus offers peace in the midst of conflict and turmoil.     “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33     The key to this peace is a right relationship with God. The greatest disturber of peace is our sin: it separates us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2), from one another (Galatians 5:15), and it robs us of internal peace (Isaiah 57:20).     But Jesus, the Prince of peace, left heaven and came to this earth as a man to enable us to have peace. He died on the cross to pay the price for our sins so that we may have peace with God (Romans 5:1), peace with one another (Ephesians 2:14), and peace within ourselves (Philippians 4:6-7). “Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin? The blood of Jesus whispers peace within.” -- Edward Henry Bickersteth     God will give His peace, His forgiveness, and eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will continue to give His peace to those who continue to walk in the light of His Word as the blood of Jesus continues to cleanse such from sin (1 John 1:7-9).     Know Jesus; know peace. There is no lasting peace anywhere else.

- David A. Sargent, minister for the Church of Christ at Creekwood in Mobile, Alabama, is also the editor of an electronic devotional entitled "Living Water." To learn more about this excellent resource contact David via their website: http://www.creekwoodcc.org   * From A Wardrobe from the King, Berit Kjos, pp. 45-46, as shared in https://bible.org/illustration/perfect-picture-peace.