Sometimes, I think that the proper greeting during the passing of the peace should be, “Peace be with you. Now, try not to lose it.” Peace can be far easier to find than it is to keep. We know moments of peace, but we also know the moments that steal that peace away. The first part of John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy….” and I believe one of the key targets of these evil actions is our peace.

Two weeks ago, as we preparing for our Sunday Worship Service, I was busy connecting my laptop to our LCD projector in order to put some of the key service images before the congregation. I made the connections, turned the power on and then, I waited… and waited. I quickly found myself becoming frustrated at the time it was taking for my electronics to come to life. I soon realized that I was so accustomed to my iPad’s immediate accessibility that I was annoyed by the 60 to 90 second start-up time my computer needed to be ready for action.

I laughed then, and still smile when I think about what that image represents for me and for many others I know. Life moves at tremendous speed, and anything that keeps us from moving with it quickly becomes a frustration. We are overloaded with information and applications. We fill our schedules to overflowing and try to find time for one more thing. There is little time remaining to find, or keep our peace. It reminds me of the saying, “hurry isn’t of the devil, it is the devil,” or as my wife’s family used to say, “if the devil can’t make you sin, he will make you busy.”

In the midst of our hurry, it is hard to tend to, and guard, our hearts. Then, into the rush of our lives, come the challenges and distractions that chip away at our peace. Obstacles that frighten us appear in our path, enemies of body, mind and spirit threaten to attack, and we stand trembling between the two wondering which way to turn.

In one of my favorite Bible passages, the Israelites faced this position in a very physical way. God, through Moses, brought the people out of Egypt. They were filled with awe, joy and peace. That is, until they found themselves pressed up against the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army bearing down upon them. Under attack and with no means of escape, fear took hold and all seemed lost.

It was in the face of these fears and threats that Moses speaks one of the most encouraging words in the Bible. He said, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:13-14)

Just picture the image. All the odds are against you, but then you hear the promise that God himself will fight for you. For your part, you need only be still. Several translations say, “you need only hold (keep) your peace.” The battle really is the Lord’s. Our part is to hold onto our peace. Fixing our faith on Almighty God we grasp the peace we are given and hold on until the Lord delivers us.

The Bible talks of the, “peace that passes all understanding,” and Jesus even told his disciples that he was leaving his followers his peace. Throughout all of John 14, we hear the resounding call, “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not let them be afraid.” It is the very peace of Christ that keeps us in the face of challenge and adversity. Our task is merely to hold on as we watch the deliverance of the Lord.

It is easy to get caught up in our circumstances, or intimidated by life’s challenges, but fixing our eyes on these things only leads to surrendering our peace. When we fix our eyes on God, and put our trust in him, we can find peace in the midst of the greatest storm and we can hold fast to that peace while God brings us safely through to the other side.

Guard your peace. Be strong in the Lord, for the Lord will fight for you; you need only keep your peace.