Daily devotional, Feb 26, 2024 Eye of the storm

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” 
John 16:33

Every school day of my life, I wake up to AM Radio news. My dad would listen to it as soon as he woke up. When the weather is terrible, I take pleasure in hearing from the radio announcer that classes are suspended. I know that most children my age are thrilled to hear the same. Adults however are not as happy because unlike children who would have to stay home and play all day, they would still have to work and brave the forces of nature.

The false sense of peace children feel as they relish class suspensions, can be likened to the peace felt by people who are oblivious to the oncoming consequences of their disobedience to God. Sooner or later, they will be met with the natural consequences of their actions (or inactions) and have to live with it.

"If you will not listen to the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the command of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you, as it was against your fathers." 1 Samuel 12:15

The false sense of peace can be brought about by the numbness in committing sins. When a person has become blinded by what he gets from deliberately disobeying God, he no longer feels restless or conflicted over committing his favorite sins.

In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul the Apostle reminded the church to resist the temptation to commit sins and instead, be a tool for righteousness.

"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness." 
Romans 6:12-13

Seeking temporary sources of comfort could also provide short-term peace. When we turn to mindless consumption of digital garbage, overspend money, over-consume alcohol or abuse substances, over indulge on food or beauty fixes, or even cling on to bad relationships, we could feel a false sense of peace. What is alarming about this kind of “peace” is that it can blow up in our faces. It will surely complicate our problems further because instead of us seeking for a real solution to our issues, we turned to committing more sins to comfort ourselves.

In his letter to the Corinthian Church, St. Paul the Apostle reminded early Christians that as followers of the Lord, one must remain steadfast in faith, never sliding back to the old life. 

"Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." 
1 Corinthians 6:9-11

So what are we to do upon realising that the peace we feel is not the real, lasting peace that could finally calm our hearts and minds? We seek Jesus.

We can seek Him by praying earnestly, and sincerely wanting to hear from Him. We can seek Him by reading His words and trying our best to understand it and apply it in our lives. We seek Him when we consciously allot time for Him every single day, and do our best to not just be hearer of His words, but doers. 

Before His death, Jesus assured His disciples that He will bring them peace even in the most troubled times. And this is by giving them the greatest comforter, the Holy Spirit which could guide them in truth, love, and peace.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." 
John 14:27

Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Romans 6:20-23 to dig deeper on today’s topic.

Reflection Question: Do you have peace in your life right now? Is it the peace that Jesus gives?

Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father, thank you for being my source of comfort and peace. Allow me to seek you every single day, and especially when I am facing difficult challenges. Amen.