By Paul Taylor and Dean Hulce
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
It was a beautiful day. Sunshine without a cloud in sight. Temperatures were above normal, but very comfortable for mid September. Joe and I were sitting looking over a large basin just at timberline on the Rocky mountains in Northern Colorado. There were elk bugling down below and we were in no hurry to rush in.
It was the last afternoon of Joe's elk hunt and he was willing to just sit, watch the day turn into night and listen to the elk. It was extremely peaceful and we got comfortable. Once in a while one of us would ask the other a question... but then we'd be quite in long stretches.
I don't remember a more peaceful evening. But suddenly, as the sun set behind the mountains, a bull elk screamed out a bugged at the edge of timber 100 yards below hunt. What once an evening filled with peace was now a mad scramble for a place to hide and hope that bull came up the mountain.
I got behind Joe about 10 yards and he knelt behind a climb of sage. My heart rate went from 60 beats per minute to 120 in seconds. I began to call to the bull and he answered closer. Then in an instant I looked back at Joe and all I saw was a bull elk standing where Joe had been. Then I saw Joe draw his bow, just a couple of feet from the bull. He released an arrow and the bull ran a short distance and fell over. What had been an evening of amazing peace was no more. It became a time of high blood pressures and adrenaline rushes.
Peace... everyone wants it, sometimes we even find it, but come to realize how fragile it is when the storms of life come our way. It's usually surprising how quickly fear, anxiety and worry can overtake peace.
David, Elijah and Peter dealt with what happens when we lose our peace, and we all know what happened to Peter when he took his eyes off of Jesus.
How quickly we can feel like we're drowning in the circumstances of life, but Jesus didn't let that happen to Peter.
Instead, He spoke peace over the seas & He's holding you and me.
As we build our foundation on Christ, may His Truth lead us to Self-Control and the Security to remember He's got us.
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