Peace
There is only one way for a believer to live in peace. That is to live in the will of God for his life. You know God’s will by “renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is”4. Jesus Christ is our Prince of Peace. We find peace in him. In assuring us of the peace he has given us, Jesus said “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]”[i] Having peace in God doesn’t mean that problems will not come. Instead, such peace means that “A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.”(Psalm 91:7 NIV) Trouble can be all around you but God will build a hedge of protection all around you (Job 1:10 NIV). King David (a man after God’s heart[ii]) knew the secret to peace in God when he said “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”[iii] David hid God’s word in his heart. The word he hid not only prevented him from sinning but also gave him the assurance that God is for him and is his refuge.
How did David hide God’s word in his heart? By meditating on it. If you read the rest of this Psalm down to the end, you notice that David tells you what he does. In five different verses in this very same psalm, David tells us about how he meditates on God’s word. So when you also meditate on God’s word, you hide it in your heart so that when Satan tries to trick you to follow the wrong path, you will know the truth and not sin. Throughout the pages of scripture, God has written a love letter to us guaranteeing peace even in times of trouble. He has promised us with a covenant that he will never leave us or forsake us. To enjoy this peace, all we need to do is abide in the word of God (read it daily, meditate daily, study frequently). Meditating on God’s word is medically recommended for anxiety, depression and even helps in treatment of many other diseases.
