Peace

Peace with God does not mean peace with the world.  In fact, peace with God means emnity with the world.  Peace with God is the status of our spiritual relationship.  It is not a description of the condition of our lives.  We should expect trails, turmoil, tragedy and death in the course of our journey.  If we are seeking the calm, cool and collected, then we are not seeking peace with God.

Why? because God’s peace is to be found in the wilderness.  It is discovered in the place of wild beasts, danger and threats.  Does this mean that we will be pressed on all sides by outward enemies, that we will be battered and bruised by the attack of evil forces?  Yes and no.  Yes, it is true that we should expect, and be prepared for the fiery darts of the enemy.  What other reason would Paul have for instructing us so carefully in equipping ourselves with spiritual armor?  But we must not forget that for the most part our struggles with the enemy will not come from outside.  They will be struggles from within because our greatest enemy is who we have allowed ourselves to become in all the years of self addiction.