Peace of God!
Are you experiencing the peace of God in all circumstances?
and still abide in God's perfect peace?! It's true!
One of my favorite Psalms, Psalm 46, tells us that,
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”
I would like to share with you the true story of a man whose earth gave way and whose family fell into the heart of the sea. In 1873, Horatio G. Spafford decided to take his family on a vacation to Europe. He thought it would help his family, who was grieving the loss of Horatio's only son who had died during a recent epidemic. At the last minute however, Horatio could not leave because of an obligation to some real estate business after the Great Chicago Fire.
He sent his wife and their four daughters on ahead, with plans to join them in the up-coming month. Partway through the voyage, a British sailing ship, names the Lochearn, collided with the ship the Spafford family was sailing on. Within as little was 12 minutes, the boat had sunk.
All four of Horatio's daughters had perished. A week and a half later, Horatio received a telegraph message from his wife with only two words, "Saved alone." Spafford, quickly set sail to be with his wife in England and when he arrived at the location in the ocean where his children had drowned, he went back to his cabin and began to write,
"When peace, like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll. Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul."
How can a human being endure such a heart breaking loss, and compose these words? How can a person experience such pain and still be well in their soul? Despite the loss of his beloved children on that cold, foggy morning, Spafford was at peace with God.That peace, can only come from the Lord our heavenly Father and by having a close relationship with Him.
We can have a close relationship with God by spending time in His word daily; by meditating on and memorizing His word; and by prayer and thanksgiving. It is through daily walking with the Lord that we come to know Him, to know His promises, to know how much He sacrificed for us and how much He loves us. When we know these things we can have peace.
In the final verse of Psalm 46, the Lord tells us how we can know true peace, He reminds us:
"Be still, and know that I am God."
Written on: October 12th, 2012
Reference source: Hymns for Family Worship By Building Faith Families
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