A Heavenly Treasure – by Glenna Salsbury
~ Romans 3:17 – “And the way of peace have they not known.”
The rushing pace of the world affords very little peace for us individually. Interestingly, in both the Old and New Testament, the definition of peace includes a sense of prosperity and wholeness. Yet the world races after money and power and fame in a search for prosperity! It seems there is an important insight for each of us in this. If we want to truly prosper we need to be living in “the way of peace.”
The prophet Isaiah describes those who do not experience true peace. Their “tongue mutters wickedness… They trust in confusion and speak lies… Their feet run to evil… Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity” (Isaiah 59:3, 4, 7 NASB). They are separated from God and He does not even hear their prayers (Isaiah 59:2).
The Source of true peace is found only in the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. As He explained to the disciples, “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). The world talks about peace and yet wars exist continuously. And not only do nations war with one another. Tribes, families, individuals commit murder, robbery and unending evil in the lives of others. And this chaos is escalating globally at a frightening pace.
What is the answer for those of us who know Christ? How do we go about accessing the peace Christ promises? The Lord has “spoken” to us and told us that peace is only in Him. “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but… I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). The word tribulation means anguish. The Lord is inviting us to live with our eyes on Him alone. He is encouraging us to live in His Word, to stand by faith on His promises. We are to ignore and avoid all the worldly schemes to obtain money or attain status and power. The “prince of this world” is actively at work to produce anguish and fear and confusion in our lives. Christ is victorious over all that is in the world. Our only true peace, the experience of genuine prosperity, flows from seeking Jesus only.
After the Lord’s resurrection He appeared to the disciples on several occasions. Repeatedly His greeting to them was, “Peace be unto you” (John 20:19, 20, 26). The Hebrew word for peace is shalom. That is the very word that Jews use to greet one another to this very day.
What if we spoke peace into one another’s lives every day, His peace? What if we continuously looked to Christ Himself for our peace? This means realizing that Christ is enough. Being in Him is enough. He is the One Who reigns over every aspect of our lives. We can release all our worldly efforts to fix what isn’t working in our lives. We can succumb to the reality of Him, His Person in us, being sufficient. This alone is “the way of peace.”
Prayer
Lord, we are so used to having programs and directions and self-help plans to achieve peace. That is the way of the world. Help us see that peace is in a Person, You. And You are all we need.
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