Exhausted from the crowds, Jesus took His disciples onto a boat and began to sail away from the shore with a small fleet of other ships (Mark 4:35-36). They had hardly made headway before a "great storm of wind" began to strike fear into the hearts of these experienced fishermen. Fast asleep, Jesus was quietly at rest on a pillow. He awoke to the voices of doubt, but faced the wind with this most memorable line, "Peace, be still." Immediately the winds were brought to a calm and the seas became still. With one swift voice, the Lord illustrated not only His power over the wind, but His ultimate purpose of peace.

"Be still, and know that I [am] God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

In stories like the one above, we awe at the calming of winds and we laugh at the fear of the disciples. But peace is not so easily understood.

At age 43, Horatio Spafford looked on to see most of his real estate in flames during the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Having just recently lost his son to a bout with Scarlet Fever, Spafford looked for an escape overseas with his wife and remaining four daughters. He sent his family on ahead in a trip that he would never forget. As though he was plagued with inevitable tragedy, all four of his daughters along with 222 other passengers drowned on November 2, 1873 in the wreckage of a two-ship collision. Spafford's wife survived the disaster and was able to send him a two-word telegram from Wales that simply said, "Saved alone." With "sorrows like sea billows," a broken father sailed across the Atlantic to look over the waters where his children had perished and pen these most famous lyrics, "It is Well with My Soul." ⁹



Most of us who have endured trouble in life see the story of Horatio Spafford (pictured above) and humbly admit that we have not yet encountered anything by comparison. That he found "peace like a river attending to his way" is but a marvel to our hearts and a wonder to our minds. Would we stand in his shoes and weep curses to the Creator or would we fall to our knees and pour our sorrows before the King? Perhaps none can answer that question until they are face to face with such great loss, but it remains the conclusion of this study to ask the most important question of all. Does the God of all strength, mercy, and patience offer peace for our lives today as He once did for the heroes of Scripture?

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you." Philippians 4:7-9

Every opening series that Paul uses for his epistles begins with "grace and peace." This is crucial. Surely the audiences that he writes are already believers in God's grace, so to open with such a word is not for doctrinal purposes, but for practical edification. Likewise, to offer "peace" with that grace is to speak of a condition of the spirit accessible to all believers.

"Now the God of peace [be] with you all. Amen." Romans 15:33

"Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you." II Corinthians 13:11

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful." Colossians 3:15

Peace is, by Biblical standards, a stillness of the heart and mind. Based on the gospel, the faithfulness of the King, and the great patience of His mercy, we know that we have peace WITH God because He has bridged the gap that once kept us apart. But what of a daily peace?

"Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord [be] with you all." II Thessalonians 3:16

"By all means" reminds us that the Lord God Almighty has shown Himself compassionate, caring, and deeply loving. This is no less true of His desire for us to have daily peace. But how do we find it? How do we grab hold of this peace week after week and year after year?

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" I Corinthians 3:16

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." Galatians 5:22

If we have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and His shed blood, the Spirit of the Living, True, and Faithful God dwelleth in us. If the Spirit dwells within us, then we have access to all that He is. We have access to love, access to joy, and access to peace. There is "no law" against these because they are boundless. Love is not limited to the cross or to life itself. Joy is not limited to salvation or a sweet melody. Neither is peace limited to a treaty or a beautiful mountainside.

To be sure, you will endure trouble in this life. At times, you may go through the unimaginable. At times, you may simply have a tough week. But in all and through all, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has given us His Spirit and through His Spirit we have the ability to rest in His peace. You may not know that peace is there to be enjoyed, but it is for you that I write. Close your eyes for a moment and consider all that you have inside by the handiwork of the King.