The Miraculous Power of Peace
What if you could tap into a spiritual power source that would make the mighty Niagara Falls look like a trickle? What if you could learn how to function out of that great power to recharge your own life and release healing to the world around you? It would change both you and the world. The truth is…you can.That power source is in your own heart!
Jesus promised us access to a continuously flowing artesian well of living waters in our heart—the river of peace. When we live in the peace of God, we tap into the ever-flowing river of God’s will that leads to destiny.
Prior to leaving on a ministry trip to New England many years ago, the Lord took us through a series of lessons about the rule of peace (see Colossians 3:15). When God uses object lessons to teach us, we never forget!
The drive back from the meeting in West Haven, Connecticut, was a breeze—at first. Our hotel was only one hour away, and we expected to be “home” around ten o’clock in the evening. Even when we headed north on I-95, traffic was sparse. That was a pleasant surprise. I-95 is often backed up with rush hour congestion, road construction, or accidents. The traffic was even lighter as we pulled onto I-91 north. It had been a great day ending in an easy drive back to the hotel where we were staying.
On the last mile of our journey, we pulled off the exit ramp onto I-84. Our hotel was directly off the very next exit. However, our eyes widened in shocked dismay when we saw what lay directly before us. There was no turning back, so we reluctantly pulled onto the interstate and were slowly drawn into a vast “parking lot” of cars. We were trapped. No one could move. Some vehicles were even attempting to turn around and go down the exit ramps.
A few car lengths ahead, we saw a policeman running crime scene tape all the way across the highway, from the edge of the road to the concrete barrier median wall. Other police officers walked among the cars picking up items and dropping them in evidence bags. We found out later that we had driven right into the aftermath of a shootout between two cars that started in Hartford and had continued as they sped eastward. The highway had become a crime scene!
Now what? We looked at one another and agreed this was a perfect time to practice peace. After Dennis and I were married in 1997, I asked him to disciple me in all the lessons God had taught him about living in the Spirit. One of the most important lessons of all was the power of peace.
Immediately before leaving on this trip, we had made a conscious decision to let the peace of God rule in our hearts no matter what happened. Because the Bible tells us to let peace rule, obviously God has given us the capacity to do just that: “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts” (Colossians 3:15). Therefore, we immediately released our worries and yielded to the presence of God in our hearts. As we did so, the peace of God flooded the car.We didn’t have any idea what would transpire, but we had an inner assurance that God was with us because we could feel His peace. Would we be stuck in this traffic jam for hours? Was there any way out of this? We didn’t know the answers, but had a strong assurance that the One who is the Answer was with us. We just didn’t know if it was God’s will for us to stay there for hours or for traffic to start moving again. Regardless of the outcome, we were determined to stay at peace.
Suddenly, Dennis noticed an opening of about one car length one lane over, right beside the concrete wall. He felt a quickening in his spirit, so without questioning, Dennis immediately pulled into the space. In the natural, it seemed foolish. After all, everyone else was trying to get closer to the side of the road in hope of escaping down a ramp. Much to our amazement, as soon as we pulled into the space, a police officer walked to the wall, peeled back the yellow tape and opened a way for one lane to move forward. About eight cars pulled forward onto the empty interstate ahead and into freedom. We were the last car through. As soon as we passed, the policeman put the tape back in place. To this day, we believe God sent an angel to rescue us.
We were at our hotel five minutes later. The following day we discovered that traffic was at a complete standstill on I-84 until six o’clock the next morning!
On this same trip, we encountered one difficult situation after another. The computer crashed. Our car window was smashed in a robbery and our GPS stolen. The hotel room flooded. Each time we stayed in peace, we saw God move in marvelous ways. In situations that look dire to us, God delights in working on our behalf… when we maintain the right attitude.Peace is evidence our heart is aligned with the will of God. When we have peace, we are connected with God’s Kingdom and His purposes. Every time we trust in God and don’t give in to fear, we stay in peace. A heart at peace positions us so God can move on our behalf. When our heart draws near to God, we feel His peace. When we are at peace, we know God is with us (see James 4:8).
[W]e know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).