Dear Friend,

     Is it hard for you to maintain a sense of peace when difficulties surround you? Does your assurance and security waver when turmoil hits? When unsettling times arise?

     A “yes” answer to these questions is not a black mark against any of us. Nor should you feel any sense of condemnation. It can be difficult to stay peaceful while facing a raging storm—which, in many ways, is exactly the situation you and I have been experiencing in the world around us. Wouldn’t right now be a perfect time for finding inner peace?

In the Midst of Pain

    A DPM staff member recently shared this touching testimony regarding peace after his father had succumbed to the COVID-19 virus. Our co-worker told us that during the services and memorials held after the sudden death of his father, friends and extended family in attendance marveled at the amazing level of peace they witnessed. “So many people said they had never seen a family exhibit such peace in the face of this type of loss.”

     The unexpected passing of a loved one is always an occasion for grieving and weeping. That is normal, natural, and right. However, God bestows a special degree of comfort for those who mourn (Matthew 5:4). When a believer passes into glory, as in the case of our dear co-worker’s father, there remains “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Phil. 4:7).

     It is a peace which comes from the assurance of an eternity in the presence of Jesus. In our own troubled times, how can you and I succeed in finding this type of inner peace?
 

Hope and Peace

      Truly, the ultimate source of our peace is the hope that comes from knowing Jesus Christ and being in an eternal relationship with Him. Hope and peace go hand in hand.

     I saw this unmistakable link between hope and peace as I examined some of the Scriptures on the topic of peace. Surprisingly, my recognition of that special relationship took place as I came upon a troubling passage in my time of study.

     The verse is from the book of Lamentations—admittedly not one of the books of the Bible I often read. Following a long series of laments stemming from Israel’s disobedience, the connection between peace and hope emerged in this complaint to the Lord in chapter 3, verse 17: “You [God] have moved my soul far from peace; I have forgotten prosperity. And I said, ‘My strength and my hope have perished from the L_ORD.’”

     Far from peace, with a total loss of all strength and hope. Not a great place to be, is it?

Hoping in Him

     Ironically, the adversity described by the lamenter in the above verse becomes the unlikely and unexpected catalyst for the birth of hope. “This [the affliction that has been experienced] I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. Through the L_ORD’s mercies, we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘The L_ORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I hope in Him!’ The L_ORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the L_ORD” (Lamentations 3:21–26).

     Perhaps you are feeling right now as if your strength and your hope have perished. Perhaps you feel very far from a place of peace. Maybe you realize there is a troubled, unsettled spot deep in your spirit. Could this be the very set-up for a rebirth of your hope and peace? It is no mistake that the Bible tells us in Hosea 2:15 that God will sometimes take us through a gloomy, deserted valley called Achor [trouble] as a “doorway of hope.”

     Trouble may be part of the process God uses in helping us to find our inner peace.

The Full Meaning

     In Part 1 of his four-week radio series on “Identification,” Derek Prince points out that the peace we need and seek is part of the provision brought to us by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Therefore, a focus on our Savior is essential to finding inner peace. If you would like, listen along to the original recording as you read.     

 

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     How shall we sum up? What phrase or word can we use to describe that which God has made available to us on the basis of the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus on the cross? If I were to pick one word, the word that I would pick in English would be peace.

     But peace does not fully represent what I’m trying to communicate. The Hebrew word for peace is shalom—the famous Hebrew greeting today: “Shalom.” But shalom means much more in Hebrew than the word peace means in English—not just an absence of war, conflict, strife.

     Shalom means completeness, fulfillment, perfection. The root thought is “to complete” or “to perfect” or “to make full.” What is offered to us is completeness, wholeness, harmony—much more than just peace. It’s not just spiritual. It’s not just inward. It’s total wholeness—spirit, soul, and body.

The Source of Peace

     Back to the question asked at the start of this letter: In these troubled times, are you hoping to find a greater sense of inner peace? I know I am!

      Let’s simply acknowledge that desire—and together, ask Jesus to help us.

     
     Lord Jesus, You have said, “Let not your heart be troubled.” But my heart has been troubled by the events and trials that surround me. I didn’t want to be knocked off balance or disturbed by them. But that has taken place.

     I believe You are the source of my peace. I also believe the promise You have given: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you.”

     By faith, I now receive that supernatural tranquility which surpasses all human understanding. Please touch the troubled spots deep inside me and provide the type of peace which can only come from You. Amen.

Your Connection with Us

     The provision of inner peace we have just requested from Jesus Christ is not a luxury in these days—it is a necessity. Thank you for joining with me in asking the Lord for it.

     All of us here at DPM-USA are standing with you in these tumultuous times. The stability you and I seek can only come to us from a growing understanding of the Word of God. Please feel free to access the teaching resources we can make available to you, starting with the radio message from which we drew Derek’s quote: “Identification, Part 1.”
     
     Thank you for connecting with us and for being such a vital part of the work of DPM through your prayers and your financial contributions. We are grateful to you!

A Probing Question

     As you probably know, much of what I write comes directly from my own experience. I have shared rather transparently about my own personal need for a sense of inner peace. Over the years, I have seen how my tranquility and security can be quickly disrupted by news of world events that is unsettling, or simply by the daily aggravations I encounter.

     A few days ago, as I was inadvertently complaining inwardly about the troubles in the world and some irritations I faced in my personal situation, I heard the quiet voice of the Lord asking me this probing question: “Am I not enough for you?”

     It brought me to a full stop. Then, with some embarrassment, but also with a renewed sense of inexplicable peace washing over me, I replied: Yes, Lord. You are enough for me. Immediately, the statement from verse 24 of Lamentations 3 came to mind—the one where the writer declared: “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him.”

     In the end, the Lord Jesus Himself is our primary focus for finding our inner peace.

All the best,

Dick Leggatt
President, DPM–USA

P.S. We are so grateful for your involvement with the work of DPM. Please feel free to stay connected with us, and to download “Identification, Part 1,” the week of radio messages from which we took the quote by Derek Prince used in this letter.