By Melissa McLaughlin
We’ve all been there. That moment when anxiety, doubt or fear grips our heart with paralyzing force. As if the jaws of death are closing in, crushing our breath, imprisoning our thoughts, consuming our whole being.
Unfortunately, even in those rare moments when our personal lives appear to be quietly coasting along, we can quickly be swept up and tossed about by the whirlwind of violence, hatred and evil that dominates our news media and lurks in the backdrop of our world, ready to pounce at a moment’s notice. We stand among the ashes of sorrow wondering where and when the next shooting, bombing or hate crime will occur.
The Peace of God
How can we experience the peace of God amid such chaos, sorrow or pain?
On a recent trip to the beach, my husband and I enjoyed a peaceful respite. We watched the morning sun glisten on the rolling water, napped in the soft sand and swam in the joyful waves. As we meandered along the water’s edge looking for shells, we listened to the waves’ rhythmic chorus. I asked my husband, “Why do people say the ocean helps them feel peace?”
He responded, “The sound is calming. The repetitive white noise blocks out the world for a little while.”
I wondered at his answer. Is that it? Is this the reason people flock to the beach like seagulls after a crumb? Yes, they like to swim in the refreshing water. Yes, they like to nap in the warm sand. But is it mostly to experience a peace that is so great it blocks out the world for a little while?
How can we experience peace from God, the One who made the very ocean that brings us peace?
How can we experience the peace of God?
Here are 7 ideas that have helped me experience the peace of God. I pray they are a blessing to you.
1.Pause and Turn Off the World – Though we can’t escape everything in this life, we can pause from the rush and clamor that we invite in through our online world. Turn off the phone, the computer, the TV, the radio, etc. Even if just for 30 minutes. Make the effort to lessen the voices of the world so that God’s voice may take center stage.
2.Take a God Walk – Take a walk outside. Breathe deeply of the flowing air. Look up at the expanse of the skies. Take in the fullness of God. Allow the wonder of His creation to have its rightful anchor in your soul. Listen to the sounds. Perhaps you will be graced with the song of a bird, a dog’s playful barking, a child’s laughter, the rush of the wind. Let the greatness of God and His creation remind you that He is the One who made this world. He is the One who made you. He is the One who died for you. He is the One who is coming again to make all things right, once and for all.
As you walk, remember Jesus.
3.Remember Jesus – In your mind’s eye reset your vision to zero in on Jesus, our precious Savior. Remember that He, too, faced violence, hatred and evil. Imagine Jesus reaching out to carry all the evil of your heart and mine to the cross. Visualize Him there. Then remind yourself again today, He defeated sin, death and hell for all eternity. We have a Savior who has experienced the worst of this world and yet rose up from that grave and is seated in heavenly places! He understands our suffering, took on that suffering and still has gone forth in victory! Now He invites us to come with Him.
4.Remember Heaven – Remind yourself again that this world is not our home. As we gaze upon Jesus and bring to mind His redeeming work, we recall that followers of Jesus are not citizens of this world, but citizens of the kingdom of God. He has gone ahead to prepare a place for us. A glorious place we cannot imagine!
5.Remember Jesus is Coming Back – Rest in the fact that Jesus will have the final word. Just as all of the Bible prophecies that predicted Jesus’ first coming were fulfilled, so all of the prophecies of His second coming will also be fulfilled. Evil will be defeated for all time and Jesus will reign forever and ever!
6.Remember His Word – Sing a scripture song or repeat a short Bible verse that brings you comfort and hope. Something as simple as…
“This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”-Psalm 118:24
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”-Psalm 23:1
“Behold, I make all things new.”-Revelation 21:5
Let God’s Word become bigger than your words or the chatter of the world around you.
7.Repeat a Walking Prayer – Ask the Holy Spirit to help you form a simple prayer using memories of Jesus, scriptures and songs. Repeat that simple prayer as you walk. It could be something like this…
Jesus loves me.
Jesus died for me.
Jesus is coming again.
Jesus is King forever.
Use scriptures, songs and prayers that are best for you. Repeat this walking prayer in keeping with your steps. Let it wash in with God’s truth and wash out the weariness of the world. Wash in and wash out. Wave after wave of God’s Word, God’s hope, God’s peace. A repetitive calming prayer. A walking prayer.
The ocean is vast and immeasurable in its weight and power. It has a force that cannot be contained or tamed. Much like the evil that lashes out around us.
May we remember that God made all things. God created that mighty ocean that moves in power. God created the ocean of people who sometimes use their God-given lives for evil.
However, God defeated the greatest evil there ever will be by sending His own Son Jesus to pay the penalty owed by all humankind. It. Is. Finished.
May God’s love, God’s power, God’s truth become the white noise that washes in and out of your soul and drowns out the sound of anything less, which is everything else.
Let the peace of Christ, that He won for us on the cross, wash in and out of you this day, like the gentle ocean waves reminding you over and over and over that God loves you, Jesus died for you and no matter what happens in this life, the peace of heaven waits.
What helps you experience the peace of God?
Philippians 4:7 – And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Additional Resources:
Do You Ever Wonder if the World is Coming to an End? By Melissa McLaughlin
Powerful Prayer Tool: Praising Over Pleading By Melissa McLaughlin
Remember Jesus 🙂
Amen! Nothing like lifting our eyes from the troubles of this world to see the glory of Jesus in the heavenly realms! God bless you!
I loved reading The Peace of God..
Thank you for taking the time to share with all of us.
God bless.
I’ll look for more. ðŸ™ðŸ™
Thank you for the kind words, ND! To God be the glory! May the peace of God, which passes all understanding guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Bless you!
Great post! I needed to read this today! Philippians 4:7 is one of my favorite verses. 🙂
Praise God! He slips just the right verses and messages into our spirit when we need it. I love Philippians 4:7, too. Hopefully these strategies will help bring the truth of that verse into full bloom. Blessings to you, Linda!
A very practical piece. I especially like idea #2, as it also gets me away from distractions (#1), and I do that regularly. But each of the ideas are helpful.
Thank you, Melissa.
You are right, slowing things down long enough to take a walk can help us pull away from the distractions, as long as we don’t bring the phone! When I am able to focus and be intentional about my walk with God, as described in this article, it can become a great blessing and time of worship, joy and peace. Thank you for reading and sharing!
Thank you for these words. I know I can’t run away from the world around me, but I try not to let it become a focal point. I quit watching news media sources like CNN, CBS, NBC, or ABC more than 20 years ago because I saw how they inserted their own propaganda into everything they reported about. It has helped me stay free of that propaganda. I search out my news on local stations, or the internet and sometimes use news sources from other countries like the Jerusalem Post. And meditate on His Word and on Him. Remember Him in all I do. Your post covered all this and more and it is encouraging to hear these things from other believers.
Dear Michelle, thank you for sharing your experiences and insights. I really try to limit my in-take of news and screen time in general. We are still in this world, but Jesus taught us not to be of it. I find I must guard heavily against the onslaught of digital time – whether phone, computer, TV, radio, etc. I need the stillness to simply read the Bible, pray and sing from my own heart to the Lord. Though the technology is great, we still need to enjoy God’s presence ourselves. Sometimes that is done in the secret places. Bless you!
I think we all deal with fear at different times. Placing our mind on the Lord and His Word always help me! Thanks for the post!
So true, Valerie! Feeling anxiety, doubt and fear is part of being human. What a difference it can make to redirect our minds to the Lord and His Word! He is truly a Rock beneath our feet. Bless you!
Melissa, sounds like your beach trip was so refreshing and peaceful. I do love the sound of the ocean as your husband pointed out. Even my noise maker I use at bedtime has ocean waves as one of the options. So it’s nice to be at the beach and hear the real thing…God’s creation making a melody. I love all the ways you suggest to experience God’s peace. Especially unplugging from devices. When I am in solitude with God at home or on one of those God-walks, it helps me drown out the noisy world so I can hear God speak and bask in His peace.
Karen, it’s true, there really is nothing quite like the peaceful sound of the ocean! It was a joy to stand there with the waves crashing on my feet, just taking it all in. Solitude with God is absolutely critical in this life of constant input. We must be intentional in order to have stillness and quiet rest in the Lord. It can become the sweetest sound of all! Bless you, dear Karen!
Thank you for the beautiful imagery of your words in this post, Melissa. I find the ocean very calming and I haven’t been for a couple years now. I miss it. I love your idea of imagining God’s truth washing in and out, calming our souls with his peace. As I walk through the woods tomorrow I will be listening to ocean waves. Blessings!
Jamie, thank you for the kind words of encouragement! Praise God! I’m so sorry you haven’t been able to visit the ocean in a few years. It truly has its own special sort of glory. I pray these ideas will bring the ocean rhythms to your soul as you walk and talk with the Lord. May the woods be like a little beach escape for you! Bless you!
I’m going to try them! Thank you!
Awesome! I pray these ideas will help you enjoy a fresh breath of God’s peace over you. Bless you, John!
I really appreciate that Melissa! Thank you!
You’re welcome, brother! Thank you for reading and connecting here. I appreciate your kind encouragement!
A great list of ideas to feel God’s peace in the turmoil. I love the simplicity of it. Peace does not come bottles or complicated procedures, it comes from disconnecting from the world and connecting with God.
You nailed it, Yvonne! Disconnect from the world and connect with God. It really isn’t complicated. But for some reason, though it is simple, yet it is hard to carry out. May our love for Christ, burn ever stronger, that He is truly our greatest desire! In Him, there is always peace. Bless you, dear sister!
Oh, I just love this! One thing about the world I allow to distract me is how frustrating and sad it is that we as believers forget Jesus is on the throne, has never left the throne and is coming back for us. We so easily lose hope about what’s going on in the world. But NOTHING surprises God, and He’s always in control. Those are all wonderful ways to experience God’s peace! Thanks for sharing your wisdom!
Thank you, Emily, for the kind and encouraging words! Glory to God! You are right, it is very easy for our eyes to drift back to the world and all the sorrows, evil and hatred that is on every side. But yes, Jesus is higher! Jesus is greater! Jesus is above all! And He is coming back for His own. So grateful for His grace, power and love. That is a peace no one can take away. Bless you!
What great suggestions! I have a CD that plays in a loop 1 hour of peaceful ocean surf. I play it a lot during tax season. You are a blessing to me, and to others!
That’s another wonderful idea! An ocean CD can remind you of God’s Sovereign power and peace. Praying you rest in Him this day. Bless you!
Bless you as well!
very nice mini sermon.
Thank you, Dad! And thank you for all the ways you taught me and lived out the peace of God that is found in Jesus. Your example of love and commitment to Christ is more than a mini sermon to me! God bless you and keep you in His peace. Love you!
Wonderful suggestions, Melissa. They give us the pause to take a step back with perspective. God is surely in control. Maybe a reason people like the beach is because the great chaos and power of the sea is tamed by the shore where we can rest without fear. That’s what God does for us.
Stephen, thank you for sharing your insights here! There’s nothing like taking a pause and stepping back to regain a God-perspective. Well said! I love your ocean analogy of God taming the chaos of our lives, like where the waves meet the shore. Only God!
I’m so glad I read this, thank you for sharing. I really needed it. I’m feeling better now. So much stress in my life right now, my dad’s funeral coming up this Saturday, I’ve had to quit listening to news, trying to stay strong in God’s Word. Just so much going on. Thank you Melissa ♥
Dear Karen, thank you for sharing your heart and insights. I’m so sorry to hear about the stress you are facing and the aching loss of your dad. It’s so hard to say goodbye. My heart goes out to you. May God blanket you in the comfort and peace of His everlasting arms of love. May you sense Him holding you close, catching every tear. Praying for you right now, dear sister. God bless you and keep you. May Jesus be your strength and hope.