Jesus found a resting place near the stern of the ship and soon fell asleep. A great storm arose; and still He slept. Meanwhile the storm increased in fury; the wind rendered the boat unmanageable; waves beat over the side; so much water was taken on that the vessel seemed about to flounder. The disciples were terror-stricken; yet through it all Jesus rested peacefully. In their extremity of fear, the disciples awakened Him, crying out, “Master, Master, we perish”, “Lord, save us; we perish”; “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” They were abjectly frightened, and at least partly forgetful that there was with them One whose voice even death had to obey. Their terrified appeal was not wholly devoid of hope nor barren of faith: “Lord, save us” they cried. Calmly He replied to their piteous call, “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?”
Then He arose; and out through the darkness of that fearsome night, into the roaring wind, over the storm-lashed sea, went the voice of the Lord as He “rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” Turning to the disciples, He asked in tones of gentle yet unmistakable reproof: “Where is your faith?” “How is it that ye have not faith?” Three simple words, “Peace be still” uttered with supreme authority by the Master brought immediate and deep felt peace and comfort to a boatload of terrified men, who literally feared impending death.
One early spring night roughly 2004 years ago, in the city of Bethlehem of Judea, Jesus the Christ was born among men. In Holy Writ He is referred to as; “The Savior, The Lord, The Son of God, The Great I Am, Wonderful, Counselor, The Messiah and more”, but perhaps the title most applicable to those who mourn this day, is His title, “The Prince of Peace”. An angel of the Lord announced His birth to shepherds abiding in their fields and then the sudden appearance of a heavenly choir singing audibly to human ears introduced the consummate human desire-Peace on Earth.
Storms, winds and tempests in our lives caused by tragedy, death, accident and calamity are all a part of our earthly experience. In the midst of these storms we often suffer pain, anguish, sorrow and despair. It is natural for us to seek peace and comfort during our trying times. Is there really a safe harbor from these storms of life? Where is it, how do we find it? Is it really possible to acquire inner peace in this life when we are required to face such sorrows?
For centuries, ancient Israel dreamed of peace, their dream of peace was to be free of war and political domination. As a people, they looked forward to the coming of their Messiah or Savior. They believed this Savior would rescue them from the battles and conflicts with their neighboring enemies and then establish a powerful political kingdom. While the Jews still wait the arrival of their Savior, they failed to see the fulfillment of prophecy when Jesus Christ walked among them. He offered them not kingdoms and glories of men but “inner spiritual peace, or “the peace of God”.
Unfortunately, many alive on the earth today have, like ancient Israel failed to see and understand the source of true peace in their lives. By in large, the world has been deceived by the father of all lies. Satan promises us peace; however his is a false peace, obtained through mechanisms devoid of any real spiritual strength. He teaches that inner peace can be obtained through the acquisition of material things, homes, cars or large bank accounts. He has convinced this nation that inner peace is simply an extension of endless recreational delights. Satan, through his endless barrage has persuaded many that inner peace is the result of non-stop pleasure or the ecstasy associated with chemicals and toxins that provide temporary bliss. The big lie that Satan has hoisted upon us is that these things will bring us happiness and peace. While in fact, if our hearts are set upon these things, the opposite is true and real peace, true inner peace, will forever eludes us.
Christ, “The Prince of Peace”; invites each of us to partake of His peace. A real peace, a lasting peace. His words, “Come unto me, ye that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” is a personal invitation to each of us as individuals, as families, as communities, as a nation and even as a world. Our personal decision, whether to accept and act on His invitation or to ignore it will determine the depth and quality of the inner peace we find in this life.
At times in our lives, many of us find ourselves in a rut. Some of these ruts can be deep and difficult to overcome. A couple of nights ago, my 16-year-old daughter was on assignment to deliver a younger sibling to a mountainside home above Midway. As you might suspect, the snow depth the other night at that elevation exceeded 4-5 feet. As she left the main road, the plowed road, to deliver her cargo, her inexperience in real winter driving conditions became obvious. She had turned onto a snowmobile trail. The trail was wide like a road and had been tightly packed by the considerable snowmobile traffic. To a young, innocent, blonde and somewhat naïve driver, this “road” looked like a road. As the vehicle proceeded towards the intended delivery point, by staying on the hard packed center of the trail, everything went well. However, when she attempted to back, back down the “road”, difficulties began to ensue. An unsuspecting bump in this “road” caused a slight over steer, propelling the passenger side tires off the hard pack into the depths of the soft snow. Moments later, the jeep was listing to the starboard and was frozen in place, unable to move forward or backward. Four wheel drive and good tires proved futile in these conditions With the help of a neighbor and two young teenage boys, we dug, pulled, pushed and sweat in the sub zero night unable to free the jeep from its current rut. After digging a very long and deep trail that was designed to gently guide the vehicle out of the rut and return it to the hard-pack, failure was once again our reward; the jeep would not leave its rut. In the end, the vehicle finally came free when considerable momentum was gained and utilized, as another vehicle was able to pull the helpless jeep down the mountain path while still in the rut. The back end of the jeep looked and acted like a snowplow as it was pulled at fairly good rate of speed through 4-5 feet of snow backwards down the mountain. Some ruts are just plain hard to get out of.
Some of life’s ruts, especially those that prevent us from enjoying the inner peace offered by the Lord may be very difficult to overcome. We may need help from others, it may require untold energy and commitment if we are to free ourselves. Prayer, fasting, scripture study, priesthood blessings and changes in daily habits will almost certainly be required. Once free of these ruts, peace will come more easily. Bruce R. McConkie, taught: “Inner spiritual peace, the peace of God, which passeth all understanding is a gift of God to the obedient”.
This peace, this real, spiritual inner peace can be with you on an ongoing basis, minute-to-minute, hour-by-hour, and day-by-day. You can find solace for your soul. Will their still be pain and longings for loved ones lost; of course? However, there is a way to end that aching, never-ending emptiness. It can be replaced with peace, comfort and even joy. The Lord Jesus Christ, The Prince of Peace has told us this: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” He who calmed the wind and the seas those many years ago, can also calm our troubled souls. By adhering to the principals and practices of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we can obtain His gift of peace. I bear you my witness that the Lord can deliver us from our afflictions and bless us with lasting comfort and send us the peace he has promised if we will follow him and keep his commandments. I pray that we may all have the strength and discipline to do so. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
