Peace in the Midst of Unsettling Times

The world is in the middle of a pandemic.  America is on the brink of chaos.  People are losing their rationale, logic, and self-control.  Just when we thought events were unprecedented, things get crazier.  Violence is rising, protests are turning dangerous, and anger is at an all-time high.  But before you lose hope in humanity, consider the following quote:
 
“You can’t expect God to be the source of your peace if the world is the source of your satisfaction.”
 
I found this on Pinterest, and while I don’t know who coined it, it is a powerful reminder that we cannot expect God’s peace which passes understanding to flood our hearts when the world is the one that fills our happiness.  But the reverse is also true; we cannot expect people whose hope is in the world to have peace.  The two don’t co-exist.

​So as you look around at the world today and read the new headlines, remember that the angry protestors and crazy people in the streets lack the peace and hope you and I share.  The world is their source of confidence and when it begins to fail and fall apart, so do they.  Their hope is in a broken system, so why not take to the streets and lash out like unruly children when life doesn’t go as expected?
 
While the current behavior of our fellow countrymen is disheartening, it should not be unexpected.  Apart from Christ there is no hope for the future, and we know that the world is held captive by Satan.  Add to that a people who deem that truth is relative and that God is non-existent and you have a recipe for chaos.  Therefore, we should not be surprised by the actions of those who deny Christ.  However, we must be careful not to give up on humanity.  Jesus died for each and every soul in the volatile mobs.  He gave His life for the angry person in the grocery store and the out-of-control perpetrators of violence.  Each person is a soul He loves and died for.  Therefore, we should not give up on mankind, but love our fellow neighbor.
 
I am reminded of the worship song I shared last Wednesday and the final verse, “if you gave your life to love them, so will I.”  May this be our heart’s cry!  May we love as Jesus did:  selflessly, without judgment, and with an eye fixed on heaven.
 
So how can we have peace in the middle of these unsettling times?  How can we move forward as light bearers and represent Christ well when the world seems like it’s beginning to fall apart? We walk forward with love.  We make God our source of everything.  We give Him room to not only give us peace and hope, but joy, contentment, life, and love.  We also shelter in the shadow of His protective wings.  The psalmist gives us such a beautiful picture of God’s protective hand on our lives in Psalm 91.  May it be our prayer and hope as we seek peace in the midst of these uncertain times.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’  For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.  He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.  You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.  A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.  You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.  Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge—no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.  For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.  On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.  You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.  ‘Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.  When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.  With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.’”  ~Psalm 91