“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6, ESV)
One of the most beautiful and powerful Christian hymns is “It Is Well with My Soul.” The first verse and chorus read:
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.
It is well with my soul.
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Even more powerful than the song itself is the story behind this song. If you don’t know the story, check out his video:
How amazing that Spafford wrote this song from such a place of grief and loss. What gave him the strength to say “It is well with my soul?” It is the one who would be born Prince of Peace!
We all respond differently to loss and tragedy. Some respond with anger. Others will respond with despair. And others will respond with hope in God.
Jesus is what makes the difference. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He gives peace in a world that is so often lacking peace. Jesus enables us to sing “It is well with my soul” even when the world is falling apart.
Here are four ways Jesus give you peace.
1. Peace with God
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1, ESV)
Your sin separates you from God. Through your sin, you declare yourself an enemy of God. That is not a good place to be. You are never going to win when you fight against God. But Jesus conquers sin and reconciles you with God.
2. Peace with yourself
God loves you more than you can imagine. Whatever you have done, God has forgiven you through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Your guilt has been erased. But many of you still carry guilt around with you. For some of you, the most difficult person to forgive is yourself. Know that if God can forgive you, you can forgive yourself.
3. Peace with others
The peace you have with God makes way for peace with others. The power of God’s forgiveness in your life gives you the power to forgive others. Forgiveness is hard from a human perspective, but when the Spirit of God is at work in your life, forgiveness becomes part of who you are.
4. Peace in Life
The storms of life keep coming – one after the other. Jesus nowhere promises to stop the storms. What he promises is shelter from the storm. That is what peace is. It is to find quiet through the noise. It is to find calm through the chaos. It is to find hope in grief.
An Invitation to Peace
If you lack peace today, I would like to invite you to pray with me. We are told that if we are anxious about anything that we are to cast our cares upon him.
Heavenly Father, I am troubled today. I am filled with anxiety about the future. I am filled with guilt about things of the past. I am overwhelmed by the things I have to do this day. I am grieved because of broken relationships. My soul is not well. I cannot calm the storm. I need your shelter. I need your hope. I need your healing. I need Jesus, the Prince of Peace. As you sent him into the world that first Christmas, send him into my life. I want to know your perfect peace that I may sing like the angels: Glory to God in the highest, and PEACE to his people on earth. Thank you for the peace you give. Amen.
Questions for Reflection
- Where do you lack peace?
- How does Jesus offer peace in the storm?
- When you lack peace, how do you find it?
- Share your comments.
Thank you so much for your time and sharing. You have touched me by God’s words. I am a Christian and try to live my faith. I am growing in my faith through your sharing. Thank you again for I was stalled and now I feel alive again.
Thanks Peggy. We all stall from time to time and need a little encouragement. God blessings and Merry Christmas.
Thank you for your constancy and faithfulness. It makes a real difference in the life of my faith. Thank you, also, for that wonderfully expressive prayer today. It reminds me that it can surely be well with my soul! Christmas blessings to your and your family, Pastor!
Encouraging and fulfilling words.great.