The January morning arrived cold and gray.
I pulled into a parking space for the drive-in funeral of a long-time family friend. Jack had been my youth choir director decades before.
At the same time I was remembering Jack, the funeral of a former pastor was being live-streamed from another state. Fred and Jack had worked together to help us young people know God and love Him.
That afternoon, word came that a fellow member of our church’s state women’s choir had lost her battle with COVID. A day or two earlier, I had heard that my neighbor’s dad had died unexpectedly. And within a few days, two of my former students suddenly lost their fathers.
These deaths pressed on my heart, even as I grappled with family members’ recent medical reports. Two of my siblings had also been diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses just weeks earlier.
Most of us do our best to tune out the chaos of the world to stay sane. We often ignore conversations about the spreading virus, political upheaval, and global unrest. Then something hits close to home, and we can no longer ignore the pain and the sadness.
Our hearts may cry, “Stop the world; I want to get off!” Or maybe we yell with Chicken Little, “The sky is falling; the sky is falling!” Where is that peace we long for? How do we find it?
Jesus, the peacemaker Himself, soothes our souls and calms our hearts. He tells us not to let our hearts be afraid or troubled. He gives us His peace.
The words “Peace I leave with you” were uttered merely hours before Jesus was crucified for our sins. He understands pain and loss. But His love is so great that He gave Himself to bring peace between us and the Father. And He abides with us to give us peace amidst the heartaches of this life.
After the tragic loss of his children, Horatio Spafford wrote the great hymn, “It Is Well with My Soul.” Are things well with your soul? When all else around you crumbles, do you have peace?
Draw near to Jesus. Let Him give you His peace.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Carolyn Thigpen grew up in Georgia, USA, and spent nearly forty years teaching high school mathematics. She loved working with students, and she planned to continue teaching until she couldn’t. God had other plans. When He unexpectedly took her out of the classroom in 2018, she had no idea what was ahead. After four unexpected trips to Israel in fifteen months watching God work, Carolyn found herself inspired to write devotional and inspirational articles for Him. Her blog, Giving Living Hope, can be found at carolynthigpen.com.