Peace is not just a trendy word that hippies use. If you were to ask me a year ago what peace was, I would have told you the dictionary definition and gave you a peace sign with my hand. However, a recent experience has shown me what it really means to have peace. I’ll explain, but first, let me back it up a bit.
A few months ago, I kept seeing the word “peace” everywhere. Sometimes, this is how the Lord speaks to me, by showing me something repeatedly. Then, I kept hearing a song about God’s peace. I mean, every time I hit “shuffle” on my phone’s music library, that song played. Finally, I asked the Lord to speak to me, and studied it out a bit. This was right in the middle of the corona pandemic outbreak. I just assumed at the time that the Lord was inviting me to partake of His peace for this crazy time and season. Instead, I believe that He was preparing my heart for a future event. So, what I found in my study was that the word “peace” appears 429 times throughout scripture. Also, I found these specific scriptures that spoke to my heart:
“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” – 2 Thessalonians 3:16 ESV
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” – Isaiah 26:3 ESV
“Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.” – Psalm 119:165 ESV
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:7 ESV
Now, let me tell you about the experience that I mentioned earlier. In May, I experienced the scariest thing I have ever experienced. I got a call while I was at work from my mom. I could barely make out what she was saying from how much she sobbed. She said, “Your dad is having emergency open heart surgery— a quadruple bypass.” I was also informed that he almost had a heart attack during his stress test. I felt helpless. I knew that he went to his heart doctor for a checkup that morning, but I never expected this. I remember jumping in my car and I drove straight to the hospital to be with my mom. I got in my car after calling Caleb to update him, and began to pray. I had a moment of crying and feeling scared, but I remembered the word that the Lord spoke to me a month prior. PEACE.
I began to pray. I prayed peace over the situation, peace over my dad’s body, peace over my mom, peace over the doctors, and peace over myself. I also prayed healing over my dad and rebuked the devil, but that’s another blog for another time. When I arrived to the hospital, something happened to me. I walked in and felt drenched in peace. I felt peace that surpasses all understanding. Even now, I cannot explain it. Even when the very blunt surgeon came in and gave us statistics and explained the complications, I just knew that I knew my dad was going to be okay. I just knew that the Lord was in control. I had His peace. Long story short, my dad came through and he is healthier and happier than he has been in a long time. The Lord really touched him, and the hospital staff went on and on about how much of a miracle he is.
I know that the Lord prepared me in advance for that experience and those moments. I wanted to share this story in hopes that you could experience the peace of Jesus in a deeper way––that you might experience His presence and know He is in control even when everything around you is in utter chaos. As Christians, we cannot be troubled the way the world is troubled— and we don’t have to be. Jesus wants to give us peace—His peace!
