Psalm 5:4-7: “For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; no evil dwells with You. The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity. You destroy those who speak falsehood; the LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.”
Left to our own devices, we are entirely powerless to create our own peace with God. Membership in a church doesn’t work, baptism doesn’t work, creating a wagonload of ‘good works’ doesn’t work. A mere human unintelligently devising his own version of peace with God is like beating a dead drum, like climbing on a dead horse, like beating your head against a dead wall. The common denominator is ‘dead.’ No peace is found there.
It’s a task of futility. Far better to trust in Christ’s words: “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden.” Translation: Stop trying to create your own version of peace with Me. It won’t work. Instead, simply come to me. Then He says, “I will give you rest.” Translation: I can give you the peace with me that you desire.
Jesus is the path to peace with God. “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6)
We simply have to put our full faith and trust in Him, declaring we will follow Him to the best of our ability for the rest of our days here on earth. We boldly tell the world we belong to Him and no one else.
His peace comes. Romans 15:13 puts it wonderfully: “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
The God who towered sternly as the holy and righteous judge in Psalm 5:4-7 becomes the ‘God of hope’ for everyone who declares, “It is Jesus whom I will follow.” The word ‘hope’ needs understanding. It’s not like wishing. No ‘maybe’ is involved. When God uses the word ‘hope,’ He’s pointing to a secure future in Him. If a synonym existed for the word ‘hope,’ it would be secure future. Any wishing done by His followers is based on the desire He would return today to establish His perfect heaven and earth. Yesterday would be even better.
But wait—there’s more! Galatians 5:22-23 states this: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self-control.”
A.W. Tozer calls this ‘the invasion from above.’ Once we establish peace with God through turning to Jesus Christ as our Savior, God’s peace descends from above via the coming of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within every Believer.
Consider the power of God’s peace within us. Dwelling in His peace loosens us from the bonds of anxiety. Letting His peace flow within us frees us to love us selflessly, to enjoy joy to its fullest extent, and to exhibit faithfulness in all situations of our life. We’re more inclined to be patient, kindhearted, and self-controlled. We walk away from gale-force arrogance—a common trait in all insecure people—and thrive in the gentle breeze of humility.
Contrast that with the world’s recipe for obtaining peace. “Breathe in, breathe out,” the world says. In other words, do some fundamental biology. “Practice talking to yourself,” the world exclaims. Because the world has always admired people who talk to themselves. “Visualize your happy place,” advises the world. What if your ‘happy place’ is a serene park setting? What do you do when that setting becomes a parking lot?
Author Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.” To paraphrase Doctor Phil: “How’s that working out for you?” Author Walt Whitman once stated, “Peace is always beautiful.” Well, duh.
Ask any Believer why he lives in unshakable peace, he will always point heavenward. Part one of his response will answer this life dilemma: “I finally found out how to have peace with God.” Part two of his response will provide this life result: “When I found peace with God, His peace filled me.” Pretty simple formula.