“Peace I
leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27 NIV).
If you were in a very scary and traumatic situation would you be
filled with peace? I just read about a person who was in a very scary situation
and relied on her faith in God to calm a man who was determined to kill a
number of people at a school. The whole article can be read on this site:
You see Antoinette Tuff has a strong belief in God. Every morning
she gets up at 5, listens to gospel
songs, talks out loud to God and reads the Bible. Then she sits for 15 minutes
and waits to hear from God.
She has done this for a
long time. Her life had not been easy. She had moved 14 times as a kid and was
homeless for a time. She knew what it was like to be down and out and without
hope. She used this background to show empathy to this man with a gun that
burst into the school. She said she doesn’t remember being calm, but her voice
was calm when she was talking to the man to give up. The police officers said
she did everything right when she managed to convince the man to give himself
up. The police officer said that you have to practice being calm in every day
life in order to have it in an emergency. She said it was no accident that she
was there that day. All of her life experiences helped her
empathize with this man and save 800 elementary students from danger. Isn’t it
something how God can use even our tough times to help others?
This example shows us that
self-discipline in regards to prayer, Bible study, and quiet time with God can
provide in us with the calm we need to face our storms in our lives. Time spent
every day reading the Bible, praying, and being still and quiet helps
Christians develop peace that goes deep within the soul. Jesus oftentimes went
by himself to talk to His Father and be still. That is how He managed to remain
calm when He was condemned to die on the cross. This week take time every day
to sit in silence before the Lord, read the Bible, and pray.
Dear Lord,
We know that storms will
come in our lives. Help us to be prepared for them by gaining peace through
prayer, reading the Bible, and being still before you. Thank you for never
leaving us and for your peace.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
