TITLE: Peace Deep Down 1/16/15 By Richard McCaw 01/16/15 |
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Peace Deep Down
by Richartd McCaw
“Macbeth” is one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays, classified as a tragedy. Lady Macbeth presses her husband, Macbeth, to kill King Duncan, then plants the dagger on the attendants. Her doctor and a lady in waiting watch as she sleepwalks, wrings her hands and exclaims, “Yet here’s a spot!” Her dreams are slowly driving her mad.
Later on, she shouts angrily, “Out damned spot!” and tormented a few moments later, “Here’s the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.”
Isaiah, the prophet was right, “There is no peace, says my God, to the wicked!”
I once knew a man, so intent on worldly wealth and an early retirement surrounded by servants and luxury, that he could not forget the wife he had divorced, his estranged children, the problems at his factory.
All night he lay awake. Eventually he had a hypnotist teach him to hypnotize himself to sleep. But the result of playing around with his spirit soon took its toll when a stroke crippled the left side of his body. However, he began to recuperate and one day, while out exercising, he stopped by a friend’s home, and there collapsed. He died leaving all his dreams behind him.
I was soon to find out whether I had real peace deep down inside my spirit.
One Friday night after a young people’s meeting, although my car had very little gas, I drove a former Sunday school scholar to his home in Harbour View. The following day, a “Pioneer Camp Reunion” was due to be held in the country parts of Portland.
I can remember vaguely in a half sleep that night seeing flashing lights, but must have fallen back soundly asleep. That Saturday morning, I had planned to drive to St. Andrew’s Parish Church in Half-Way-Tree, where I was to pick up youngsters, and then drive to Portland.
So I dressed and kissed my mother goodbye and went outside to the garage. Suddenly, my heart skipped a beat. The doors were wide open and the car was gone!
I hurried inside and with racing heart barely breathed, “Mummy...they have …stolen the car!” My knees felt weak. Immediately I fell to my knees beside her bed, and we prayed, “Lord, You said, Commit your way to You, trust also in You, and You will bring this to pass!”
There is a peace that Jesus gives that does not come because everything around is quiet and dreams are being fulfilled. This supernatural peace comes from deep within the human spirit in the midst of turmoil and can never be understood nor explained. This deep peace keeps every true child of God from giving up. deep peace keeps every true child of God from giving up.
Someone else drove me to the meeting place outside Half-Way-Tree Parish Church. When we arrived, teenagers and camp counselors were climbing on to the chartered bus that would take us to the camp site in Portland that morning.
During the camp reunion, in the midst of the fun and games a counselor asked me, “Richard, how can you look so peaceful? I hear that your car was stolen!”
“Yes!” I responded. “I was about to take it from the garage when I noticed it had been stolen. My mother and I committed it to the Lord. I’m sure we’ll find it somehow!”
Jesus once said to His disciples, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid?”
Paul also encouraged, “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful!”
When I returned home late that evening, my mother told me that there was a message from the Matilda’s Corner Police Station. The car had run out of gas and had been abandoned along Lady Musgrave Road. Nothing had been destroyed on the car. Within a few hours I had retrieved the car from the police station at Matilda’s Corner for only $10.00 Jamaican dollars.
I remember the illustration a preacher gave years ago of a little bird flying in the sky enjoying the beautiful sunshine and scenery. After a while the sky grew dark and storm clouds began to form. However, the little bird had begun to sense that something was about to happen. Flying a little lower it saw a rock far down and flew still lower. By this time the winds had become fiercer, the rain had begun pouring down in torrents and the storm had begun. The little bird searched for a shelter under the rock and found it. Perching on a ledge beneath the rock, it was safe and secure. Outside, the storm winds and rain dashed against the rock, but never blew inside the rock. Then the little bird began to sing a wonderful song.
That is a beautiful picture of the child of God securely safe under the shelter of a Father’s love and protection during times of stress. Outside, the world may be crashing around, but inside, there is deep, abiding peace!
To committed believers Christ brings peace to their troubled hearts, breaking down barriers and seeking to mend broken relationships.
Paul, the Apostle, declared, “He Himself is our peace, Who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation!” To Roman believers, he wrote, “The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, and peace, and joy, in the Holy Spirit!”
Isaiah also prophesied of Jesus’ birth, “His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Peace is the heritage of all who commit everything to the Lord of heaven and earth! He is our great Peacemaker!
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