Peace is waiting on the Lord

From today's reading: "Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation." 2 Peter 4:14-15

This is something that a lot of us are not good at. We find it hard to wait patiently, but that is what Advent is all about - waiting. In this world of ours that is so well connected, to sit and do nothing is perceived as counterproductive. Yet Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God." It is really easy to ignore God in the busy-ness of our life, but it is when we get still that we really begin to understand who God is and what part he plays in our life. There are times when God wants us to be still and sit quietly with him. God has something to say to each one of us and those are the times when he finds it easiest to get our attention.

Finding peace amid the trials and tribulations of this life can be a challenge. American lawyer, Horatio Spafford, after losing his four daughters in a ship accident, penned the famous song, "It is well with my soul" while traveling by ship over the same area where his daughters were drowned. Following this tragedy he was still able to say, "Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul." He and his wife had three more children and later traveled to Jerusalem to minister to Jews, Muslims and Christians alike without proselytizing. Here, more than a hundred years later, we remember this man who found great peace in the Lord and we ask the Lord Jesus to bring peace into our lives this Advent season.