Mensa Otabil - Great Peace
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We’re talking about God’s peace throughout this week, and I trust that God will keep you in His peace as you meditate on His Word. Psalm 119, verse 165: «Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.» Many times in life, we feel trapped in trouble; we feel like we are caught in a place where there’s trouble all around us. Often, we are not able to see our way out because we’re so surrounded by it. The psalmist here tells us that we can enjoy great peace-not just peace, but great peace. He tells us how to enjoy that great peace, and if you’re looking for peace, this is how you enjoy great peace: Those who love God’s law enjoy great peace.
At the heart of our quest for peace is God’s Word. God’s law and God’s promises are contained in His Word. You know, one of the reasons why people lose their peace is because of what they hear and what they see every day. Nowadays, it’s not just what you hear from friends or what you see happening around you, but because of the media, we see what is happening all over the world. When there’s a hurricane somewhere, although it never touches us, we see it and we hear of it. When there is an earthquake somewhere, it doesn’t touch us; in other times, we may never have known that it happened, but now it’s right at our front door, so we hear about it.
Each day, we are bombarded with news and information, and much of it is very troubling. Something has gone wrong somewhere; something bad has happened; there are insecurities; there is violence; there is a war going on. Our fathers or grandfathers didn’t have to deal with this; they only dealt with what was happening around them, so they lived rather peaceful lives. But we live very troubled lives. Why? Because there is so much trouble around us. That is why we have to go into God’s Word, because we are bombarded with so much troubling news that we must stay in God’s news, and God’s news is the Bible — the written Word of God. You have to stay there.
The scripture says those who stay in God’s Word have great peace. For every bad news you hear out there, you have to counteract it with God’s good news. Read the words of Jesus Christ; read about God’s promises; read about how God delivers the afflicted. Then you can counteract all the news you’re hearing with the Word: «Great peace have those who love the Word of God» or «the law of the Lord.» It also says that those who love God’s Word will not stumble; they will not lose their steps. Why? Because God’s Word is our guide. God’s Word directs us, and because we are in God’s Word, we don’t stumble; we don’t make hasty decisions.
Many times, the reason why people get into trouble is that they fear so much. They panic and take a step that gets them into trouble. They feel, «Oh, something bad is going to happen,» and they do something else that is worse than what they feared, leading them into more trouble. But those who love God’s Word do not stumble. Why? Because they are anchored in the safety of the Word of God, and the Word of God keeps our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
As you go through your life, I pray that God will give you great peace from His Word, so that in spite of everything you hear, read, and see, you will enjoy great peace, which comes only from the Word of God. Let’s pray. Say with me: «Heavenly Father, Your Word brings me peace; order my steps and keep me from stumbling. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.»