THE PEACE OF PROPHECY

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 14:27

I was startled awake last week at 12:45 A.M. by an alarm on my cell phone. A tornado was coming our way! As I got up to go down to the basement for safety, I heard the air raid sirens wailing and thanked the Lord for the warning. The house and all it contained might be blown away, but at least my wife and I stood a real good chance of surviving, thanks to the early warning. I'm sure that thousands of others were also glad for it and the peace it brought.

But how many of them trusted only their cell phone and siren to watch over them? It is the Lord Who is ultimately our warning system when it comes to eternal catastrophes, yet pitifully few people heed His warnings concerning judgment, hell, and what is coming to bring despair in life. Our Lord has provided abundant warning about all these things, but how many have been awakened in the soul and sought the shelter of the cross?

The peace that Jesus promises in John 14:27 is different from what the world gives in many ways, not the least of which is the fact that it comes from warnings that reach out far greater than radar: thousands of years ahead, to be honest. His sirens are blowing for the whole world to hear; the coming storm is near, and all that men have worked for will be driven away like chaff (Isaiah 17:13-14), along with their very souls. As the sirens wail, let those who have ears to hear, hear. They alone will find peace.

Davy L. Troxel