The Place Without Peace

We all want peace, don't we? A peaceful life free of conflict. A peaceful home. That deep, inner peace. And yet, for many, there's this one thing that keeps coming back again and again to rob them of the peace they so much desire. Ivan the Terrible was the Tsar of Russia in the mid 16th century. He tried to bring peace using his secret police force, instilling terror in his people by eliminating all perceived threats. He even ended up killing his own son. Yet the more he did those things, the more deeply he was driven into paranoia. Unsurprisingly, his quest for peace through those evil actions proved utterly futile, merely driving Russia into deeper turmoil. Honestly, we want to see people like that get their just desserts. We don't want to see them succeed. More recently, Hollywood actress Jodie Foster had this to say: "No, friends, don't be so naïve. Those who do bad things don't always end up badly. Many of them will do well. You'll see them succeed. You'll see them take the best of everything. And that's the real world. But if it brings you any comfort, I can tell you that I've seen many successful wicked people ... but never at peace." There's nothing new in that. Isaiah 48:22 "There is no peace," says the LORD, "for the wicked." (ESV) Why? Because God designed it to be that way. So if you want peace, you'll need to ditch whatever it is in your life that's robbing you of it. Because there can be no peace for the wicked. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today