As I was thinking about what to write, the words grace and peace came to mind. In this world of such turmoil we desire peace in every area of our lives. The description of peace is a state of calm and quiet; freedom from disturbing thoughts or emotions; an end of hostilities. That sound pretty good to me. But, in this fallen world the evidence of peace is almost non-existent. That’s because peace doesn’t come from without, but from within and resonates from God the Father and Jesus our Lord.

Grace also comes from God because it is the unmerited help He gives to his people. This grace comes with the Salvation offered to us in Jesus our Redeemer. His grace becomes evident in our lives as strength to live for Him. We need His grace for our physical bodies to have strength to do the work He has called us to do, and we also need His grace spiritually to be able to discern the truths in His Word.

So, maybe there’s a question in your mind as to how we can attain and maintain His grace and His peace. I’m glad you asked! How much do you want God’s grace? How much do you want God’s peace? There is a price to pay and it’s called time. We must spend time in the Word of God. We must spend time in the presence of God. The level of grace and peace we have in our lives is in direct connection of the time we spend with God.

According to Second Peter 1:2, both grace and peace come from knowing God and Jesus our Lord; “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”  It’s pretty self-explanatory: the more knowledge we have of God’s Word the more His grace and peace are multiplied to us. Therefore, the stronger our knowledge of Him, the stronger our faith is in His Word, and the result is that it’s easier to believe for the promises of God. We can’t believe for what we don’t know! The progression of this truth is simple: to gain grace and peace, we need to hear God’s Word. The more we hear, the more our faith and knowledge of God grows, and the more we are able to live in the rewards or blessings of God.

His Grace gives us strength to live obedient lives and His peace is the reward of sound thinking. Both are good testimonies of God’s goodness and bring glory to Him. The world sees His grace and peace outwardly in our lives by our manner of living. His wisdom is also apparent in the way we think and the wise decisions we make. All this is possible when we maintain our focus on His Word and keep in close fellowship with Him. Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God.” It’s a known fact that the more we hear something the more likely we are to believe it. Another fact is that the more we believe something, the stronger our walk is in that area.

I encourage you to make every effort to be in God’s Word each day. Develop a Bible reading plan and stick with it. Develop a prayer life that isn’t just for your needs alone, but to pray for the will of God in the lives of others. Take time each day to be in the presence of God and develop a closer relationship with Jesus, which in turn will result in stronger grace, peace, and faith to live for Him.