Finding Deep Peace in an Age of Despair
I’m often asked why I sign off my emails with the words, ‘Deep Peace’. The phrase comes from The Four Gifts of the King[1]. Here are two excerpts.
Zedekai rode close to Steward. “Tell me, Warrior Steward, what do you feel?”
“What do I feel? I feel as though I am about to die.”
“Look again. Look around you, Steward. Look at the enemy in all its power and might. Look at the vastness of its resources and the ferocity of its intent. Look closely at it then search your heart and tell me again…what you feel.”
Steward did as the knight ordered. All he could see was hooded figures ready to raise their swords and overwhelm their little band of warriors. He saw the anger and evilness of the Phaedra. He could sense their hatred and their thirst for vengeance. But when he looked into his own heart…
His eyes grew wide, and he turned to Zedekai. “The Deep Peace, that’s what I feel.”
With their true nature now exposed, the Phaedra began a slow march toward Steward and the warriors. The enemies’ pace increased into a trot. Then the lead Phaedra shouted, and the charge began. Ten thousand horrific riders charged down the hills at Steward, Astrid, Zedekai, Dunston, and the ten warriors of the king.
The small band stayed fixed in their positions, swords in the air, ready for the onslaught. As Zedekai’s horse reared up, he shouted. “How about now?”
“What do you mean?”
“How about now? What do you feel now, Warrior Steward?”
Steward grinned. At that very moment, as death was charging upon them, all Steward felt was the Deep Peace of the king. “Yes! I feel the Deep Peace—even now!”
Zedekai smiled widely. “Then behold, Warrior Steward, your salvation is at hand!”
Steward, the main character, had been proclaiming the Deep Peace of the King through all the lands where he had been sent. But this was the moment they became more than words. Facing sure death, somehow that deep peace flooded his spirit. It was the King’s gift to him, and to all His people.
We are all likely facing some ‘moments of truth’ right now. We might be questioning whether what we believe is reliable, trustworthy, unshakable. For so many of us this may be the most trying, uncertain and precarious season of our life. We feel the temptation to anxiety and insecurity every moment. How can we know this deep peace in the midst of the chaos and uncertainty of this extraordinary time?
There is no sure formula, but one thing I know, I want it! I want to live above the waves. I want my spirit to soar above the fear and pain. I want my mind to be clear in a moment of confusion and my gaze to be steady amidst a cacophony of distraction.
I want it! That deep, sweet, God’s-arms-all-around-you peace. Don’t you?
Steward learned that this peace transcends the present realities of life. As Paul puts it, it is a peace that, “passes all understanding.” (Philippians 4:7) It is astonishing peace. Amazing peace. And real, very real peace.
The deep peace is so palpable that when you experience it you know that only God could have granted it. It is peace beyond the reach of circumstance. It is peace, calm, even, dare we say, contentment right there in the teeth of the howling winds of our day.
This deep peace is what God so desires for you and me. It is the unshakable foundation for the abundant life He created us to live. It is victory over fear and anxiety that only comes through surrender.
Today, on day fifty-something of lockdown for most of us, I want to encourage you to continue to surrender everything back to Him that His peace may never leave you. You can’t earn it or conjure it up or control it. The deep peace is God’s gift if we will but surrender ourselves to Him.
This is God’s desire for you. Your whole life belongs to Him. Let Him have control. Seek to be a faithful steward and trust Him with the rest. He will supply your needs. He will heal your wounds. He will make all things work together for your good. He is at work, trust Him. He is sovereign, lean into Him. He is faithful, lose yourself in Him.
Jesus left His peace with us, a peace “not as the world gives.” His peace overcomes all fears, all doubts, all discouragement and all failures. His peace is sure, it is victorious, and it is deep.
Perhaps today God is asking you Zedekai’s question, “What do you feel now?”
May you know His Deep Peace at every step along your journey with the King.
[1] The Four Gifts of the King is a saga of truth and deception, of trust and love, of courage and victory, and of faith. At its heart is the importance of family and coming home to the values that shape adults from children. It calls readers to consider their own legacy. It’s a parable that changed the lives of Sam’s children forever, as it changes the lives of all who read it. Rodin, R. Scott. The Four Gifts of the King. Available through Amazon and kingdomlifepublishing.com.
