Jerry, our handyman, just left our house and told us that the previous owner had wired the outlets in such a way that the Jerry can't even tell where the connections go. We'd been sorting out the switches on the breakers - they're all mislabeled. As I worked with Jerry, we found that one downstairs outlet is not connected to the one next to it, but rather to an overhead lamp. Some outlets in the same room are on different breakers, and shouldn't be. Worst yet, all of the downstairs outlets on the inside walls have gone out and we don't even know where the power source is - none connect to the house's breakers!
I groaned as he told me this. How much will this cost to fix? Every time I turn around we have another bill. Can't I get some peace?
Then I realize that, yes, we all can have God's peace in the midst of trials, bad grades, conflict at home, persecution during witnessing, or a bad relationship. Writer Selwyn Hughes says that his research about the word "peace" helps us understand what Jesus gives us:
"William Barclay says that the word "peace" (Greek: eiriene) came into the New Testament with a great history. It is a translation of the Hebrew word shalom, meaning peace. In classical Greek, 'peace' was mainly negative, implying freedom from war or hostilities, but in the New Testament, the word gathers up positive elements such as are seen in shalom. The central meaning is serenity and harmony. 'Peace' occurs eighty-eight times in the New Testament, and it appears in every book." The writer Hughes wants us to remember that the Bible shows us that Jesus gives peace as we need it.
And as I sit here and pray, a peace starts to settle in. It'll be okay.
