Dear Amy,

How can we know real peace?

The fruit of the Spirit is … peace

― Galatians 5:22

Peace here is the Greek word eirene, which corresponds to the Hebrew word shalom, and could be translated as tranquility in the soul. Who wouldn’t want such a thing? But how can we possibly know such a peace in the turbulent and warmongering world in which we live?

Psalm 46 provides insight, and is worth reading in its entirety. The world it describes doesn’t seem so very different from our own.

Mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;

― Psalm 46:2, 6

What an apparently chaotic and tempestuous world this is. And yet:

He lifts his voice, the earth melts.

― v6

What a voice that is! Tranquility in the soul is rooted in the absolute surety that the Lord is sovereign, infinite in power, so very good, and that he loves us beyond imagining. Only so can we rest in him, completely and comprehensively, and have this peace that defies circumstance.

He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

― v9, 10

It may seem that the world is out of control, but this is illusory and temporary. Ultimately, God will be exalted in all the earth. In such times as these, we must be still, and in the stillness we can know this, with certainty.

Be still, and know that he is God, Amy, and grow in tranquility in the soul! 🙏