“Not fair!” screams the child.

“Stomp! Stomp!” echo the feet.

“Slam! Bang!” goes the door. 


One day, one of my sons had such an outburst and I accused him of shattering the peace in our home and of disturbing my personal sense of peace. His response was to blame his brother, saying, “Well, he made me mad!”

As I began to explain that he was responsible for how he chose to respond to another’s actions, a light went on in my own mind. Realizing that had I done the very same thing I was lecturing him about, I had to apologize to my son for blaming him for my own response.

If my sense of peace was shaken by a few seconds of a teenager’s demonstration of frustration, then perhaps that peace didn’t run very deep to begin with. I can only conclude that rather than enjoying the depths, I had merely dipped a toe in the still waters of God’s peace.

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

The peace the world gives is only a temporary, easily shaken, toe-dampening peace. It isn’t real and it doesn’t last.

We often speak of the depths of God love and sometimes of the depths of His mercy, but seldom think about the depths of His peace.

“The peace of God, which passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:7), is deep enough for us to jump right in and be completely covered, soothed by the waters of a lasting and refreshing peace.

Psalm 37:7 says we can enjoy “the abundance of peace.” How can we do that?

The way to develop a deeper peace is by spending time with the Prince of Peace, listening to His voice.

“I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly” (Psalm 85:8).  

God’s Word itself brings peace. David knew this and declared, “Great peace have they which love thy law…” (Psalm 119:165).

A life of peace and of being peaceable is a choice. God has freely given of the great depths of His peace to me and to you. We must choose to live in it, so that whatever interruptions come our way, whether big or small, we will continue in its abundance.

Let’s do more than get our feet wet. Let’s jump in and enjoy the soothing and refreshing waters of God’s eternally abundant peace that restores the soul and gives us rest.



Image: Courtesy Photos8.com