GREAT PEACE from our upcoming book “Peace: The Power of God’s Presence”
Great peaceH7965 have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offendH4383 them.
Psalm 119:165
Those who love Your law have an abundance of peace, and nothing along their paths can
cause them to stumbleH4383.
Psalm 119:165 (VOICE)
September 11, 2001 – Like our parents remember Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, our generation will never forget the day the twin towers collapsed into rubble and dust. I (Susie) was sitting at my desk in the auto dealership accounting office where I worked. My supervisor came by and asked if I’d heard the news that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center and one of the towers was on fire. I had not because I didn’t turn on the car radio that morning. Someone else came in and said, “A second plane has hit the other tower, and it looks intentional!” As my coworkers flew up the stairs to gather around the television, I sat in stunned disbelief. Realizing I was completely alone in the office, I remembered that the only and best thing I could do about this tragedy was to pray. Therefore, in the silence of the empty room, I bowed my head and asked the Lord to watch over the people in New York and to give us peace in the midst of the confusion, horror, and fear. I took a moment to call my sister who worked at a law office. She was watching it all unfold on TV and gasped, “Oh my gosh! The tower just disintegrated!” I hung up the phone and tears flowed as I prayed for families of victims and firefighters and policemen who would risk and lose their lives. At lunch I watched news reports of a plane hitting the Pentagon and a plane ditched in a field to keep it from reaching its intended target. I prayed for wisdom for President Bush and peace for his wife. I was upset by the tragedy, but I was not unsettled. The Lord restored my peace as I exercised my faith in his sovereignty and control. Fear of more attacks gripped the nation. Reports on the radio told of local schools giving parents the option to pick up their children early. I was keenly aware that my home lay between an airbase and a major airport and only two miles from Bell Helicopter. Even with the feeling that my house had a target painted on the roof, I had to agree with our CFO when he said, “If we cease to be productive, the enemy wins.” He was talking about the terrorists. I was thinking about Satan. If he could take my focus off God’s power, he would win. I determined not to let him and continued to pray, and God gave me great peace.
“Offend” in this verse can be translated “cause to stumble” or “stumbling block.” As long as our focus is on the Lord Jesus and demonstrating our love by trusting and obeying Him, we will not fall but will be kept in perfect peace. Things going on in our world often distract us, but we must deliberately, purposefully shift our focus away from the fear caused by circumstances and fix our gaze on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
Father, thank You for the peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:6-7) that is ours when we cease being anxious and entrust every care to You.