Peace does not come from the circumstances we see but the God we know. This statement is much easier said than lived, but it is a truth that we must cling to during hard times. Psalm 119:161-168 magnifies this reality as the psalmist lists out his external circumstances all the while revealing they have not twisted the internal responses he is making. In the face of unjust suffering and persecution, he is not in despair and complaint mode but is in awe of God’s words. God has shown the broken and sinful world we live in but also has revealed this is not all there is. Because it is not just what is going on around us, we, like the psalmist, can rejoice at God’s Word that confirms the truth of our world, points to the hope of Christ, and gives the message of salvation. There will be those who speak lies. Those who follow the Lord, though, will love the law of God and follow after Him. This is not routine but because those who have been changed by the gospel praise God for the righteous rules found in the Scriptures. That is why great peace can be found even in trying and unjust circumstances. It is about the hope for salvation that comes from Christ. It is about the testimonies of the Lord and the evidence our hope is in Him by our soul keeping those testimonies. It all goes back to the heart. It is not about keeping a list of righteous rules to follow; it is about having a love to follow those righteous rules because of the redemption we already have in Christ through repentance of sin and receiving Christ as Lord and Savior. True peace is found with God even when the circumstances are not.

Reflection Questions:

1. Where do you tend to look for peace? Why is it helpful or not?
2. What is the difference between making a list of rules and having a love for the rules?