Peace?

I started to write this posting before the U.S. and other nations bombed Syria and Iraq in an effort to slow down ISIS and Khorasan. While I don't want to see war, I was very glad to see our military launch an attack to slow down the efforts of a group bent on bringing down Western countries.

I have to admit, many times I hesitate to even turn on the news. . .there's so much evil and ugliness nowadays that I'm not sure I want to hear any more. But, last week I was glad to hear of action being taken, that the military did what they are trained to do in taking down a new enemy before the rest of us know there is another enemy. We don't always get to hear about these military victories.

Does this action stop the evil from happening? No. Did it make the groups hit by the bombs mad? Sure it did. The surprise attack is no longer a surprise. Are we still targets? Yes. So is there a chance to have peace? That's the million dollar question.

While peace evades the countries of the Middle East, I must confess that hearing this news in the confines of my home, far from the countries under attack, makes everything seem detached from me. But, in many ways it's not. Those fellow citizens are fighting half a world away to keep me safe in my home and at peace. Then I realize that on any given day we could have a repeat of 9/11, not just in the U.S. but in other western countries. Now where's my peace?

And what exactly is the peace I'm looking for? According to Merriam-Webster, peace by definition is a state of quiet or tranquility. Dictionary.com adds it is a freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, obsession...a tranquility, serenity.

How do I get that?

Here's where God comes in. How many times in the Bible have you read, "Do not be afraid," or "Fear not...," or "Peace to you..."? While some of those people were told these words because an angel of the Lord stood before them, others were in the midst of trouble. Either way, nerves were on fire inside the person and they're told to be at peace. This is how God works. If there is nothing happening to scare you, if there's no reason to cry out to God, then there's no need for additional peace.

So while it only takes turning on the TV to be scared and fearful of harm, I need to cling to what I know in the scriptures. God is in control of the bigger picture. And nothing that happens is a surprise to Him. I just have to remember that my peace comes from Him and not the status of peace in the world.

Now is a great time to read, really pray, the Psalm being recited by the Jewish people at this time of year... Psalm 27. Read it. Pray it. Cling to it.