Snow is blanketing the UK this week. Travel has been disrupted, motorists are stranded and we’ve just heard that natural gas is in short supply. But snow can also be beautiful. Falling softly through the air, it hides the mundane, carpeting the grey of urban life and turning it into a wonderland of white. It’s initial purity sparkles in the sunlight, creating a cool, short-lived, frosty playground to delight the young at heart.

One thing I have always loved about a snowy landscape is the beautiful sense of peace. Have you ever walked out alone after a heavy snowfall and listened to the silence? Everyday sounds are muffled, especially if you live in the countryside; the hum of the distant motorway and the clanking of farm machinery are silent – nothing stirs. How wonderful it would be to have that peace within!

As it is, the peace around us often gets crowded out by the worries of this life. So how do we escape anxiety and find that inner peace? Of course, peace is more than just an absence of noise, but you might be surprised to learn that real peace is found in a person; it is found in relationship with our Creator:

“You, Lord, give true peace to those who depend on you, because they trust you.”
Isaiah 26:3 (NCV)

Similarly, Jesus promised that we will find our peace in Him:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you … Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid … I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 14:27; 16:33 (NIVUK)

He is the source of all peace. We can find that peace when we share our anxieties with Him and trust Him to work things out – He’s always listening. But there’s more: because of His great love for you and me, He  also wants to draw us closer to Himself. He wants us to know an inner peace, unaffected by external circumstances. Here is a beautiful and very helpful prayer from UCB Word for Today:

“… Today I need this peace which transcends understanding to settle my nerves and calm my mind. Instead of thinking about my fears and worries, help me to focus on Your goodness, Your faithfulness, Your healing power, Your overflowing resources, and Your forgiving heart. Take up residence within me and fill me with Your peace. Show me what’s robbing me of it. I really want to know, Father, so I can be specific in what I need to confess, what I need to commit to, and what I need to change. I open myself to You now. Teach me the secret of lasting peace. I thank You now for whatever it will take to help me receive the peace You have so generously offered to me …”

KNOW JESUS, KNOW PEACE