Articles
“Seeking Peace Without God by Andrew Westphal”
Categories: Do you enjoy peace of mind?
In Isaiah 9:17 it says, “…everyone is godless…”
I'm writing about these three words because they put every one of us in the same boat – in need of God because we are imperfect.
Have you ever considered what it means to be god-less? The suffix less means, "without." If I say something is worthless, I am saying it is without worth. If you told yourself it would be harmless for you to spend some time with the elderly, you would be saying that spending time with the elderly would be "without harm" to you or them.
Many of us are peaceless. We are without peace because we pursue peace in this world, but truly get what the world offers, nothing. This is God’s point in Isaiah 7 to king Ahaz of Judah. God said to the king, “Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint…” (Is. 7:4). God said that He would protect Judah if Ahaz trusted Him.
But Ahaz says, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test” (Is. 7:12). Sadly, God wanted his trust. Instead, Ahaz sent word to the largest nation there was for help, Assyria. For this decision God determined Ahaz’s outcome was death – not peace. But the point is this: Who did Ahaz trust in? He trusted in something other than God!
Do you have peace? Many say yes for various reasons. But what would happen if this source of peace were taken away from you? If your father was your stronghold, what happens when he passes away?
I don't want a peace that comes without God. I've read too many stories in the Bible about what happens to those who live life without Him. I don't want to squeeze Him out of my schedule; I don't want Him to be an after-thought in everything I do and every plan I make. That only leads to cold, dark, lonely and fearful days which we know leads to death. There's no peace, happiness, security or refuge in that life. I don't want to be godless; I want to be full of God.
I want God to be always with me - in this life and not just the next. I want His conscience to pour into mine. I want to have, at minimum, a millionth-of-an-ounce of His wisdom to guide my way. I don't want to arrive in heaven one day and meet my Maker as if I’m meeting Him for the first time. I want to know Him as fully as I possibly can in this life.
Living without God is not living at all. It’s vain. Solomon was the wisest man to ever live. He spent many years searching for worth, fulfillment and peace in the things of this world. In the end, he reasoned that all is vanity without God.
Praise to God for His love for us that makes all this possible through His Son who died for this relationship.
What about you? Do you feel the need for peace? Consider these two verses: Phil. 4:7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” And Rom. 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
It is only through Jesus that we can have peace. So I suppose the real question we should ask is this, do you have Jesus?
Additional Resources
Seeking Peace Without God- Bible Study Guide
God's Concern for Us- Sermon by Curtis Pope
Lamb of God - Hymn from Annual Singing with Tim Stevens
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A Youthful Perspective
Peace Through Friendship
By Byron Wood
We all know that it’s that time of year where everyone is stressing over finals and trying to get into college, or making life decisions like who to date or getting your driver’s license. It’s during these times that we are looking for some way to relieve all of this stress. We are able to find this relief through our relationship with God. You might be thinking, “That’s good and all, but I can’t physically talk to God in this life.” While it is true God doesn’t speak directly to us anymore, a great source of peace He provides for me in my life is my Christian friends. When I am with them, I don’t have to worry about being pressured to do something I don’t want to do.
I really like Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, because to me, it shows the exact reason why we need to have good Christian friends. When we do fall, they are there to help pick us up. My best friend is a Christian, and she has helped me so many times when I have been tempted by the world or just need someone to talk to. If I need a friend, I know she has the same goals as me or if I just need someone to have a little bible study. I know she is always there for me and has my best interest in mind.
Another way I find peace is by knowing God is always with me. (Matthew 11:28-30; Deuteronomy 31:6) From these verses, we see that God will never leave us He will always be there when we need help.
