"⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -- Philippians 4:6-7

When I was a kid in Sunday School, one of my favorite songs was, "I've Got the Joy" (I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart, to stay). It's one of those songs that fills you with joy while you are singing it! That and it was fun to see how fast we could sing it without tripping over the words. The hardest verse was always, I have the wonderful love of my blessed Redeemer way down in the depths of my heart. We would always get tripped up. My favorite verse, however, went like this: I have the peace that passes understanding Down In My Heart. As a kid, I really did not understand what it meant, but for some reason, I always liked singing that part.

It was not until I got older and started going through the travails of high school, later college, and then (gasp) the "real world," that I truly understood the peace that passes understanding. It is a peace that allows perfect calm in the middle of life's storms, a peace that doesn't come from friends, family, or counselors (though all are good sources when going through rough times), but rather a peace that can only come from God himself. It is a peace He promises us, and a peace that, no matter what you are going through in life, can be yours.

There is a popular expression that says, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." There is a lesser-known version of said expression that says, "When the going gets tough, the tough get God." I don't consider myself all that "tough" to be honest, but when the going does get tough, I have turned to God and He has helped me though it each and every time. And why not? He promises us as much:

³³"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 16:33

¹²For this is what the LORD says:
"I will extend peace to her like a river,
and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream;
you will nurse and be carried on her arm
and dandled on her knees.
¹³ As a mother comforts her child,
so will I comfort you;
and you will be comforted over Jerusalem."
-- Isaiah 66:12-13

When the going gets tough, the tough get God, all right, and God will always be there for us:

⁵No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. ⁶Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. ⁷ Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸ Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. -- Joshua 1:5-9

Throughout the Bible, there are not only promises of God's peace, but examples of Him fulfilling that promise. I believe the two greatest examples are King David and the Apostle Paul. If anybody had it rough, David and Paul did.

David had won a tremendous battle for the Lord and King Saul. Facing down a giant with just a sling and a stone, David came out victorious. Saul saw fit to thank David by trying to kill him, hunting him all over the hills and desert (the story can be read in 1 Samuel 17-24). Not only did God deliver David from Saul's hand, but He gave David peace as well:

¹⁶¹ Rulers persecute me without cause,
but my heart trembles at your word.
¹⁶² I rejoice in your promise
like one who finds great spoil.
¹⁶³ I hate and abhor falsehood
but I love your law.
¹⁶⁴ Seven times a day I praise you
for your righteous laws.
¹⁶⁵ Great peace have they who love your law,
and nothing can make them stumble.
-- Psalms 119:161-165

In what was probably the most scary incident of the whole ordeal for David, Saul entered the cave David and his men were hiding in. David's men urged him to kill Saul, saying "This is the day the Lord spoke of when He said to you, 'I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish'" (1 Samuel 24:4). David, however, spared Saul's life, and not because he was afraid. Rather than take his life, David snuck up on Saul and cut off a piece of his robe.

When Saul left the cave, David called out to him and showed him the piece of the robe. He told Saul how he spared his life. Talk about courage! Saul was trying to kill David. He brought along thousands of men to hunt him down. David not only spared Saul's life, but went up to him and told him so, showing him the cloth that was cut from his robe. David would not have been able to so on his own, rather it was the courage and peace provide by God that enabled him to keep his head in such trying circumstances.

***

Paul was another servant of the Lord who had a rough go of things. In the course of his career, he was beaten, whipped, stoned, ship wrecked, thrown in jail, constantly rejected, and many attempts were made on his life. Through it all, however, God was with him and brought him peace. Granted, there were times where Paul was "under great pressure, far beyond [his] ability to endure, so that [he] despaired even of life" (2 Corinthians 1:8b). With all he went through, Paul was bound to get into some despair. However look at what God did for him:

⁹Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, ¹¹as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. -- 2 Corinthians 1:9-11

In his heart, Paul felt the sentence of death, but look what happened: God delivered him and gave him hope. Paul was able to continue on and his confidence in the Lord increased. He realized that he could not go on by himself. On his own, there was only deep despair, yet with God, there was hope!

We can see this hope first hand in Paul's final journey to Rome, as recorded in Acts. The ship hit some extremely rough weather. Seasoned sailors were fearing for their lives, cargo was being thrown overboard, the ship was being battered relentlessly, and look at what Paul said:

²¹After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: "Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. ²²But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. ²³Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me ²⁴and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' ²⁵So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me." -- Acts 27:21-25

In the midst of the storm, Paul was at peace. And this was not average storm, either. The Greek word is eurokludon which literally means "a violent agitation" or "a wind causing broadwaves." The NIV renders it 'Northeaster,' though it would be the equivalent of a modern hurricane or typhoon of today. When I was in the Navy, our ship was caught in a typhoon so fierce that every man not on watch was ordered to stay in his rack (bunk), and I can tell you, it is pretty scary. When the ship rocks so far over that are practically lying on the bulkhead (wall), you get in some good communication with the Lord!

Paul was at peace because of his communication with the Lord. God sent an angel to talk to him and reassure him. Paul was at peace in the midst of the storm because he knew God was in control, and through the peace and courage that Paul showed, all the men were saved. Not a single one of them was harmed. The ship was destroyed, but every single man safely made it to land. God not only brought Paul and the men on that ship through the storm, He provided the peace and courage Paul needed to weather it.

The Lord promises us the same peace and courage that He provided for David and Paul. Whether we are 'surrounded by enemies' or in the midst of life's storm, God not only will see us through, but in the midst of the chaos, He will grant us peace. Then we will echo Paul in saying, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles..." (2 Corinthians 1:3-4a).

While only God can give you the perfect sense of peace, Christians can, and should allow God to work through them to bring that peace to their brothers and sisters. I believe that we have a responsibility to pass on the peace and comfort we receive from the Lord. Picking up were we left off in the passage above, Paul tells, "...who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God" (2 Corinthians 1:4). God provides us with the peace and we pass it on to our brothers and sisters who are in need.

Jesus tells us, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28), and we should follow suit. We need to follow our Lord's example and "carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). Rebecca St. James sings a song on her Worship CD called, "Quiet You With My Love." It's words are as follows:

Come to Me, all who are weary
And I will give you rest
Come to Me, all who are weary
And I will give you rest

Lay your head down on My shoulders
Be still my child, rest a while

CHORUS:
I'll quiet you with My love
Rejoice over you with My song
I'll quiet you with My love
Rejoice over you with My song

Come to Me, all who are weary
And take My yoke upon you
Come to Me, all who are weary
My burden is easy and light

Lay your head down on My shoulders
Be still my child, rest a while

In this song, she is echoing the words of Jesus, and in our lives, we should too. Living in today's world is tough. Nobody can go it alone. Christians need each other. Our family needs us, and we need our family. We should tell each other, "Lay your head down on my shoulder." We should let each other "be still...rest a while."

Jesus tells us, "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand" (Mark 3:24), and for good reason. When we are all fighting each other, there is nobody to lift us up when we grow weary, nobody to support us when we get tired. As Christians we need to be there for each other. We need to be a source of peace and comfort for each other, even if it means holding off on what is important to us for a little while. The Bible tells us:

¹If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ²then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. ³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. ⁵Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." -- Philippians 2:1-5

We need to be like Jesus. Our attitude should be that of Jesus, who laid down his very life for us! In the same way, we should put the interest of others ahead of ourselves. If it means dropping what we are doing to listen to a brother or sister, we should feel honored that they feel they can trust us. When we see a brother or sister in need, we should go that extra step and reach out to them.

Nobody can force anyone to talk to them or lean on their shoulder, and there are times when people do want and need to be left alone. However, nobody can stay alone forever. Believe me, I tried. It does not work. We need each other. Is there a balancing act involved? Absolutely. The key is, in my opinion, to reach out to a brother or sister in need, and then wait. Don't hammer them relentlessly, but don't write them off. Offer to listen, then give them space. After a while follow up. Eventually, they will need to unload and we should always be ready to listen, no matter what their timing is.

Most of the time, all they need it to talk. After talking things through, they will not feel so burdened and will be at peace. Some times it will take a lot of listening, and sometimes they may actively need our help. Always, always, always pray for them. If you can pray with them that is even better, but always pray for them.

What is more important is to pray about how active or passive you should be in helping them. Listen to the Lord, because He knows the best way to comfort that person. Often, just knowing you are there for them will bring them peace, and pushing too hard to help can push them away.

So, when you see a brother or sister in need, reach out them. If they do not take you up on your offer right away, that is ok. Pray for them, follow up, and then pray for guidance in how you should help him or her. If you listen God, and offer yourself accordingly, you can be an instrument of peace for the Lord. Nobody can solve everybody's problems all the time, but we should all carry each other's burdens. By doing so, we will help bring peace to those in turmoil and strengthen the body of Christ.

"Come to Me, all who are weary...and take my yoke upon you. My burden is easy and light." Jesus promises us peace and rest when we rely on him. In the midst of life's storms and battles, He can and will provide us the comfort and courage we need to carry on. David and Paul both relied on the Lord and survived some pretty tough situations. They both reached the very bottom depths of despair, but found hope and peace in God. That same hope, that same peace, is available to us. All we need to do is cast our burdens upon the Lord. In the same way, we should be ready and willing to take each other's burdens. By putting the interests of others above those of ourselves, we can be instruments of the Lord's peace. Likewise, if you need to reach out, if you are in need of peace and comfort, reach out to a brother or sister in Christ. Be it the Lord Himself, or a brother or sister in Christ, reach out. God will take your worries from you, encourage and strenghten you, so cast off your burdens and unload yourself of your worries. Give it all up to God, then you will "have the peace that passes understanding down in your heart, where? down in your heart to staaay!"