Peace in the Storm

"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)

These were Jesus' words to his disciples at the Last Supper. In just a few hours, they would face the greatest storm of their lives—Jesus' arrest and crucifixion. Yet Jesus spoke of peace.

The peace the world gives us is conditional—we have peace only when everything goes well. But Jesus' peace is different. It's a peace that transcends circumstances, a calm that can be maintained even in storms.

I remember that late night when the doctor told me my mother had cancer. In that moment, the whole world seemed to stop spinning. But in that desperate moment, I felt an inexplicable calm—not because circumstances changed, but because I knew God was still in control.

This peace comes from trusting in God. When we shift our focus from circumstances to God, from problems to God's promises, we can experience this supernatural peace. Psalm 46:10 says: "Be still, and know that I am God."

Paul wrote from a Philippian prison: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)

This peace doesn't mean absence of pain or difficulty. Jesus himself was in great anguish in Gethsemane. But in his pain, he could still say: "Yet not as I will, but as you will." This is peace in the storm.

Let us learn to surrender in prayer, rest in trust, and find an unshakeable foundation in God's word. Because our God is the calm harbor in every storm.