Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all! I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand, and this is a distinguishing mark in every letter; this is the way I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. [2 Thessalonians 3:16-18 NASB]
God is able to give us peace because He is the Lord of peace. Notice what he does not say. He does not say, "May the Lord of peace send His angel..." Nor does he say, "May the Lord of peace, through his church..." Nor does he say, "May the Lord of peace, through the sacraments..." It is God Himself, whose spirit dwells within us, who gives us peace.
Jesus promised us peace;
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. [John 14:27 NASB]
As I write this, we are still in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is a time of high anxiety for many people. Fear is the watchword of the day.
Motivated by fear, people have "panic-shopped", hoarding material goods. Irrationally, people became afraid that they would not be able to get toilet paper when they needed it, in case they were quarantined. So they panic-bought and hoarded toilet paper to such an extent that they created the very shortage they were afraid of.
There is a normal, healthy fear that helps us survive. If you are afraid to walk down a dark alley in a high crime area, that's a good thing. There is a rational fear of the coronavirus that causes us to take reasonable precautions, such as social distancing, the wearing of masks to protect ourselves and others, and the washing of hands.
All but essential businesses have shut down in an effort to control the spread of the coronavirus. As a result people are huddled in their homes, allowing time for fear to feed on itself and grow to unhealthy proportions.
Since the churches have closed down, we no longer have the comfort of a church service, and the company of our church family. Many churches have "online church" now, but it is not the same as standing in a room with beloved fellow believers, engaging in corporate worship. Zoom meetings are great for conveying business, but they will never replace the intimacy of a face to face conversation. As a result, people feel isolated, and isolation breeds more anxiety, as well as depression. It is one thing to be isolated. It is far worse to feel isolated. There are some for whom the fear of isolation is greater than fear of dying from the virus. So they gather en-masse to protest the lockdown. They are not being brave, they are only demonstrating another aspect of irrational fear and anxiety.
Paul said;
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 4:6-7 NASB]
We need to make a conscious effort to come to God, and express all of our fears, anxieties, and misgivings to Him. We need to understand that we can not rely on people, churches, traditions, or any other thing for our comfort. We need to rely on the source of all comfort; the God of peace.
My God, I thank You that You are with me in all things. I thank You for Your promise, and pray that you will give me peace in the midst of the turmoil. Please keep me far from anxiety and depression. I give You praise, Father, In Jesus' name.
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