“Let the earth tremble and the oceans roar. God is our mighty fortress, always helpful in
times of trouble. And so, we need not be
afraid! -- Psalm 43: 3, 1-2
The King loved fine art. Once he decided to offer a gold coin to the artist
who would paint the finest example of ‘peace.’ Great works arrived from far and wide, each
artiste hoping to please the King and collect the generous prize. The King
studied all the paintings carefully. There
were only two that honestly moved him, so he considered each thoughtfully
before announcing his decision.
One picture was of a quiet lake;
it’s water as clear as fine crystal. A
perfect mirror surface reflected bright blue sky, fluffy white clouds, and towering
mountains that rose from lush forests.
It being fall, autumn leaves shone brilliant hues. No people, no animals, nothing to clutter the
landscape or distract one’s attention from this image of artful serenity. Everyone who viewed this piece thought it was
the ideal picture of peace.
The other picture had
mountains, too. But they were absent
vegetation, barren and unforgiving. A violent
sky belched heavy rain. One could almost
feel the roar of thunder from lightening which illuminated an otherwise black
sky. Down the side of the mountain
tumbled a foaming waterfall.
Do you know why the wise King
chose the second picture?
“Because,” explained the King,
“peace does not mean to live in a place where there is no noise, chaos, or hard
times. Peace means to be in the midst of
all those things . . . and still trust in the Lord, faithfully calm. That’s real peace!”
What does God promise us? Relief from all suffering in the next
world; relief from some troubles in this life. Faithful people throughout history have overcome
incurable illnesses, regained financial stability after catastrophic failures; spoken
languages they never learned, and conquered painful addictions. Miracles DO happen . . . but not always!
Sometimes God doesn’t intervene
(or so we think) and we’re forced to carry on. Not such a bad thing – we’re never closer to
God than when we are troubled. In times
of peace, we tend to place Him on the proverbial ‘back burner.’
Panicked, we suddenly remember,
"What if I asked God for help?" Sometimes the answer is the help we pray for. Sometimes the answer is "Lean on me, and
you will survive and thrive."
Almighty God, You never promised that life would
be of perfectly peaceful. I need You
more than anything on earth. My heart
may fail, my spirit may weaken – but You are the ultimate Picture of
Peace. I trust You. Amen.
