I've Got Peace Like A Small River
What do you do when life brings you down? When your friends and relatives disappoint you, where do you turn? When you look at the world, and it feels like evil is winning, where do you find your hope?
As Bible-believing Christians, we know that Jesus returns and we win in the end. However, the final battle is not done, and we are pilgrims making our way through a sinful world that is not our own. Fortunately, we have God’s holy word to guide and direct us. Unfortunately, we often forget or neglect to read it. My goal with this devotion is to inspire you to read your bible more and highlight some verses that deal with peace and comfort.
The first text is one that you may have memorized (I memorized it using the King James):
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. ”
Entire books have been written about Psalm 23, I am going to highlight just a few verses.
In the ESV, verse 4 reads, “For you are with me.” We have a shepherd who watches over us and cares for us, what a comfort to know that we are not alone and that someone is going with us through our struggles and hard times. If Jesus is living in your heart, you have a friend who will never leave you nor forsake you.
Verse 2 talks about green pastures and still waters. This verse and its image of peace has always been very special to me. We have a creek that flows through our farm and in it are several pools. Pools are deeper parts of the creek that flow with less force and thus the term: still waters. Charles Spurgeon refers to these still waters as peaceful streams of holy love. God’s word provides us with sources of refreshment that never run dry.
The next text is James 4:8.
“Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.”
This may seem a little nonsensical, but if going to the doctor and needles scare you, you are not alone. I’ve learned to use this easy-to-remember verse as a source of strength to get me through the visit. When we seek God with our whole heart, the bible says that we will find him. What a source of encouragement when going through difficulties that seem impossible and you see no light at the end of the tunnel.
The last text is John 16:33.
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Sometimes in life, we have situations that require waiting for a result. As you probably know, the not-knowing can sometimes be worse than the actual result. In this verse, Jesus is telling us up front that we will have problems in this world and to be prepared. The peace factor is knowing that God is for us and not against us when it happens.
In conclusion, I have two last points. First, I think everyone should have a go-to verse that they can recite when needed. Lastly, find a way to make reading the bible your favorite part of the day.
