“Peace of mind for five minutes, that’s what I crave.” – Alanis Morissette*

“There is nothing we desire more than peace,” writes Joe Barnett, “And nothing we find more elusive.  Why?  Perhaps because we look for it in the wrong places, kneeling at the altars of the wrong gods.

• We worship the god of money, only to learn that there are things that money cannot buy and that in a seesaw economy, money is a fickle and unreliable deity.

• We bow before the god of pleasure, only to discover that its thrills fade and its passions wither.

• We bend the knee before the god of science, only to find that while it has given us many good things, it has also fathered fears that it cannot calm.”

“It is short-sighted,” Barnett concludes, “to depend on short-term gods. They don’t deliver on their promises.” *

In 1875, Edward Henry Bickersteth wrote a hymn entitled, “Peace, Perfect Peace.”  Bickersteth’s son wrote about the history of the hymn and noting something about the hymn that is often missed: “It is not always noticed that the first line in each verse of ‘Peace, Perfect Peace,’ is in the form of a question referring to someone or other of the disturbing experiences of life, and the second line in each verse endeavors to give the answer.”

Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin?
The blood of Jesus whispers peace within.

Peace, perfect peace, by thronging duties pressed?
To do the will of Jesus, this is rest.

Peace, perfect peace, with sorrows surging round?
On Jesus' bosom naught but calm is found.

Peace, perfect peace, our future all unknown?
Jesus we know, and He is on the throne.

Peace, perfect peace, death shadowing us and ours?
Jesus has vanquished death and all its powers.

It is enough: earth's struggles soon shall cease,
And Jesus, call us to heav'n's perfect peace.

True peace – the peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7) and is not based on circumstances – is found in a right relationship with God.

Sin destroys peace with God and within us.  But God sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins so that we can have peace with Him and within us.

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.  And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1-2 NIV).

God will forgive and give peace and eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  He will continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7-9).

Long ago, Isaiah said of God: “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3 NKJV).

Find your peace by surrendering your life in trusting obedience to God.

-- David A. Sargent

* Sources: "Alanis Morissette Quotes." BrainyQuote.com. BrainyMedia Inc, 2022. 16 December 2022. https://www.brainyquote. com/quotes/alanis_morissette_465641; Pathway Evangelism: Today’s Walk in the Word with Joe Barnett (12/13/22): “Looking for Peace in the Wrong Places”; “Peace, Perfect Peace, in This Dark World of Sin” in www.hymnary.org.

David A. Sargent, Minister

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

Archived issues of Living Water can be viewed and accessed from our website at: www.creekwoodcc.org