Silas
Beloved of All
I hear the depth of your frustration and anguish in what you have shared, and the way this burden has grown into anger and anxiety as you look at the food supply and the suffering you see around you. It is understandable to feel overwhelmed and even outraged when it seems that what should nourish and sustain life instead brings harm, and when you feel you cannot trust what is put before you and your family.
Scripture helps us put that feeling in a larger picture. The Bible speaks of a true peace on earth that has not yet fully come. One of the names given to Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and the prophets say that of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end, and that one day peace will be like a river and every person will sit under his vine and fig tree unafraid. That day is still ahead. Jesus himself told his disciples that until the end there would be wars and desolations and turmoil. The world remains broken, and human systems, including the ways we grow and distribute food, reflect that brokenness. Your grief over that brokenness is real, and God does not dismiss it.
At the same time, God offers a different kind of peace that can be known right now, even in the middle of a troubled world. The first step is peace with God, which comes only through the blood of Jesus Christ shed for our sins. When we are reconciled to God through him, the war between us and God is ended and we are forgiven. From that reconciliation flows a second gift, the peace of God that guards the heart and mind. Many people know they have peace with God but have not yet learned to live in the peace of God day by day.
That is why Scripture so often puts grace before peace, grace and peace to you. When we understand the grace of God toward us in Christ, we can then experience his peace. Jesus said to his disciples, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives. Let not your heart be troubled and do not be afraid. The world cannot give this peace and the world cannot take it away.
The prophet Isaiah gives the key to how it is kept, You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are stayed on you, because they trust in you. And in the New Testament we are told of a peace that passes all understanding that will keep our hearts and minds in Christ. That peace comes as we turn our thoughts away from the constant turmoil and fix them on the Lord, trusting that he sees, he knows, and he will care for his people. When the mind dwells on the problem alone, anxiety and depression grow. When the mind is stayed on him, he steadies the heart.
That does not mean we ignore wisdom or responsibility. The wisdom that comes from above is described as peaceable, and those who are peacemakers and sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. In practical terms, that means we can seek wisdom to steward our bodies as best we can with what is available, make the most thoughtful choices we are able to make, and then entrust the rest to the Lord who is our peace, the Lord our peace even in the midst of conflict. Anger, while understandable, if it takes root will only destroy us from within and rob us of the very peace we long for.
I am praying for you, that God will first deepen your peace with him through Jesus and then fill your heart with his peace that guards you. I pray he will quiet the turmoil and fear, keep your mind stayed on him, and give you wisdom for each daily decision about how to care for your body and those you love. I pray he will help you release the burden of outrage into his hands, trusting that he is just and compassionate and sees every injustice. And I pray with you for that final day when the Prince of Peace will come again and make all things right, when there will be true and lasting peace on earth and no more cause for the grief you feel now. In Jesus name, may his grace and his perfect peace be yours today.
Scripture helps us put that feeling in a larger picture. The Bible speaks of a true peace on earth that has not yet fully come. One of the names given to Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and the prophets say that of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end, and that one day peace will be like a river and every person will sit under his vine and fig tree unafraid. That day is still ahead. Jesus himself told his disciples that until the end there would be wars and desolations and turmoil. The world remains broken, and human systems, including the ways we grow and distribute food, reflect that brokenness. Your grief over that brokenness is real, and God does not dismiss it.
At the same time, God offers a different kind of peace that can be known right now, even in the middle of a troubled world. The first step is peace with God, which comes only through the blood of Jesus Christ shed for our sins. When we are reconciled to God through him, the war between us and God is ended and we are forgiven. From that reconciliation flows a second gift, the peace of God that guards the heart and mind. Many people know they have peace with God but have not yet learned to live in the peace of God day by day.
That is why Scripture so often puts grace before peace, grace and peace to you. When we understand the grace of God toward us in Christ, we can then experience his peace. Jesus said to his disciples, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives. Let not your heart be troubled and do not be afraid. The world cannot give this peace and the world cannot take it away.
The prophet Isaiah gives the key to how it is kept, You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are stayed on you, because they trust in you. And in the New Testament we are told of a peace that passes all understanding that will keep our hearts and minds in Christ. That peace comes as we turn our thoughts away from the constant turmoil and fix them on the Lord, trusting that he sees, he knows, and he will care for his people. When the mind dwells on the problem alone, anxiety and depression grow. When the mind is stayed on him, he steadies the heart.
That does not mean we ignore wisdom or responsibility. The wisdom that comes from above is described as peaceable, and those who are peacemakers and sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. In practical terms, that means we can seek wisdom to steward our bodies as best we can with what is available, make the most thoughtful choices we are able to make, and then entrust the rest to the Lord who is our peace, the Lord our peace even in the midst of conflict. Anger, while understandable, if it takes root will only destroy us from within and rob us of the very peace we long for.
I am praying for you, that God will first deepen your peace with him through Jesus and then fill your heart with his peace that guards you. I pray he will quiet the turmoil and fear, keep your mind stayed on him, and give you wisdom for each daily decision about how to care for your body and those you love. I pray he will help you release the burden of outrage into his hands, trusting that he is just and compassionate and sees every injustice. And I pray with you for that final day when the Prince of Peace will come again and make all things right, when there will be true and lasting peace on earth and no more cause for the grief you feel now. In Jesus name, may his grace and his perfect peace be yours today.
