How to Find Peace During Crisis
In our series on Peace, we’ve talked about how peace begins with God how we can accept salvation but still be doing things that keep us from experiencing God’s peace and how pursuing reconciliation brings us peace. Today, we’re going to dive a little deeper into how to experience peace during crisis.
Tribulation is inevitable. Jesus tells us this in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
There have certainly been enough examples throughout history to debunk the idea that having wealth and possessions will keep you from experiencing trouble. Consider the numerous millionaires, celebrities, and pop-culture icons who appear to possess everything, yet grapple with addiction, self-harm, or even the tragic depths of suicide.
It doesn’t matter what your status or station is in life; trouble is guaranteed.
In that same verse, however, Jesus offers peace in the midst of trouble. How?
Remember God’s Faithfulness
If we look at the Gospels of John and Luke together and their accounts of the night Jesus was arrested, we find Jesus’ message of how to experience peace in times of trouble.
In John’s Gospel, we see Jesus warn His disciples of what is about to happen–his arrest, his trial, his suffering, and his death. He even warns them about the trouble they will experience because they are His followers.
Paired with Luke’s account, we know Jesus is sharing these words as He and disciples observe Passover, the Jewish holiday that commemorates their escape from Egypt as recorded in Exodus.
As He breaks the bread and takes the cup, He tells them “to remember.”
Believers post-resurrection use these words when observing Holy Communion–also known as “The Last Supper” and “The Lord’s Supper”- which is the sacrament, based on this event in the gospel story, used to reflect on what Jesus did for us on the cross.
But for the original twelve disciples, these words would have been symbolic of Moses’ story. As Jesus broke the bread and drank from the cup, His followers would have been thinking of the blood of the ram on their doorposts that kept the Angel of Death from entering their homes and taking their first-born sons. Their thoughts would have been drawn them back to the banks of the Red Sea where their forefathers were almost caught by Pharoah’s army, but then the Lord parted the sea so they could walk across on dry land.
It’s as if Jesus chose this moment as they observed this ritual to show His disciples that when they face seemingly impossible situations–and in this case, His impending death–they should think of how God had a made a way through impossible situations before, and trust in His faithfulness.
Because if the Lord Almighty had shown up then, He would surely show up again.
What is Your Red Sea Moment?
The next time you find yourself facing a seemingly impossible situation in life, remember the Red Sea Moments. Focus your attention on the times throughout your life, history, and in the Scriptures where God showed up and made a way when there seemed to be no way.
“And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.”
Luke 22:19-20
Inspired by the fourth sermon and section of Mt. Bethel’s study on Peace, entitled “Peace in Times of Crisis,” written and delivered by Dr. Jody Ray. You can view the original sermon here, as well as subscribe to download an eBook version of the study guide which provides daily devotions to help you dive deeper.