Peace

Peace.

I grew up in the sixties, when the hippies all wore necklaces with the peace sign on them, greeted each other with the word ‘peace’ and two fingers pointed upwards (not in the way considered rude here in the UK!). Of course it was the era of the Vietnam war and my generation were generally not happy about what was going on over there. ‘Make love, not war’ was the common bumper sticker in those days.

Peace is not just the absence of conflict. Real peace comes from within and can be elusive, especially when life is busy or events are worrisome or perplexing.

Last night I couldn’t sleep, so I went to my Bible. My mind was whirring in a circular treadmill and I realised that life has been so hectic recently that I haven’t had my morning times alone with God. I was telling myself ‘peace, peace’ when there was no peace within me. 

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He is the source of comfort. Even in the midst of storms, if we abide in him we can maintain our conviction that all will be well because he is always good, he is the beginning and the end, and he is love. 

I read Psalms 62 and 63, then 104, and when I lay back down, I restricted my thinking to repeating the first verses. ‘Praise the Lord, o my soul, and forget not all his benefits.’ I slipped into the land of nod.

Peace.