I cannot say that the last month or two of my life has been peaceful. It is not that I have been arguing with Beth or any of our family members. I have not been at odds with our neighbor. Actually, we get along with our neighbors pretty well. I have had no problem with the feds or any state or local government. I even have not had any kind of a barrage of nasty emails from trolls or argumentative subscribers to the Berean or the Forerunner. Otherwise, I think we have done pretty well. I have not been fighting a health problem or having any spiritual problems like not resisting temptation. But it has been a tough one and a half, two months. Beth and I have been fighting our house. We have been there for 32 years now, since 1994. And of course, in a house that is that old (it was actually built before then in 1983), things start to break down and not run, but the things that we had, but one, were things that we had put in, in earlier years. First, our water heater reached the end of its natural life. It had put in a decade or more of fine service. It was hot for us when we needed it. And rather than wait for it to leak all over our new floors, we decided to replace it. We could say we were engaging in preventative maintenance here. It is a nice chunk of change to prevent anything like that, but we were good to go. Then, second, the power went out one day and it stayed off for a while, and when it came back on, we believe this happened, that the surge fried a circuit board on our heat pump. Now at 14 years old, it was well past its average lifespan. And we had already repaired it, you know, buying this $400 part, buying this $800 part, and all that stuff you do to try to keep something working for as long as possible, but we needed a new one. It was old. So, being over a barrel of course you are when your heat pump goes out in the South and spring and summer are approaching, you have to have AC down here we decided to replace it. We bit the bullet. And believe it or not, the good ones are a lot more expensive than you might think, but we swallowed and had it done. Third, not two weeks ago, we received our water bill and it was $305. I was like, What's going on? Three times more than normal. In Charlotte, we bundle it with the waste and stormwater fee. Ask me about that one time, but it is usually around $100. But $305! And I had noticed that the time before it was $245. I probably should have gotten on the horn at that point, but things were going on like Days of Unleavened Bread, and so went another month and it was just getting worse and worse and worse. We obviously had a leak somewhere. Water was running through our pipes and onto the ground. So I called Charlotte Water and Carter Quality Plumbing. (I will put out a plug for them. They are the plumbing company that we use here at the church and they are good folk.) But the plumber found a leak near the water meter. It was about eight or ten feet away. And he repaired it for $700. But before he filled in the hole, he checked the meter and discovered water was still flowing even though the main had been shut off at the house. Okay, he said, you've got another leak. Obviously. He could not find it. He went all up and down our line between the meter and the house, and he could not find any soft spots or anything. So he said, You need a leak detector out here. We've got a guy that we use. And so I called them and this guy, he was there with his headphones on because they use a kind of a sonar probe or whatever to listen to the leaks as he went up and down the line. And he went like this into the ground and he hit the pipe and caused another leak. So he had to dig that up and repair it free and then he got back to it and finally, after going up and down the line, I do not know, six times, he found the leak and it was within about three feet of the first leak that had been repaired. But he could not hear it because it was about another one, one and a half feet deeper than the first

The lack of peace, both external and internal, reveals a profound spiritual decay among people, as highlighted in prophecies from Jeremiah and I Thessalonians. In Jeremiah 6:10-15, God laments the state of Israel, where false prophets and priests deceitfully proclaim "Peace, peace!" when there is no peace, masking the true turmoil and impending judgment with empty reassurances. Similarly, in I Thessalonians 5:1-3, Paul warns of a time when people will claim "Peace and safety!" only to face sudden destruction, indicating a deceptive calm before the Day of the Lord. This absence of true peace exposes a hypocritical facade, where individuals believe themselves to be spiritually stable, yet their inner corruption and rebellion are revealed by the inevitable conflict that follows. True peace, as conveyed by the Hebrew word shalom, extends far beyond the mere absence of war, encompassing well-being, contentment, and prosperity. However, without a right relationship with God, such peace remains unattainable. As Isaiah 48:22 and 57:21 declare, there is no peace for the wicked, for sin creates a state of conflict and separation from God. Outward peace often hides inner turmoil and discontent, evident in humanity's restless search for identity and meaning, driven by ignorance and rebellion. This internal war with oneself, rooted in a lack of spiritual grounding, underscores the impossibility of peace apart from God's covenant, which is designed to establish stability and foster spiritual growth.

Finding peaceful moments in this life can be very difficult. The reason peace does not stay with us long is because we see the pain, disaster, strife, confusion, and agony in this world. The reality of what is on the horizon is ever-present with us, and it has its effect, not only on us, but on the people we deal with in the world as well. With the exception of those who profit from confusion, hatred, fear, and war, the whole world longs for peace. Even overseas, those who fought against us would rather be home caring for their families and fields. Nobody wants to fight; nobody wants war. We do not see much peace around today. To get a true picture of peace, we must see what the lack of peace has produced in the world. Until we learn to hate hatred and anger, we will not truly appreciate peace. Since mankind has been on the earth, only a small fraction of time has been without wars. From the formation of America, it has been involved in wars for most of its history. War produces costly combat, conflict, hostilities, slaughter, and carnage. It brings enmity, loathing, and destruction of all sorts. It results in death camps, annihilation, destruction of cities, and ways of life. Those who did not start the war often suffer the most. War shatters careers, separates loved ones, puts futures in doubt, and leaves many wounded, blind, lame, or amputees. It robs nations of their future through the loss of young lives, financial debt, and the rebuilding required in structures and lives. We are fortunate in this country not to have seen our cities decimated, unlike other nations that have been heavily impacted by war. Yet, we do not expect or think it will happen to us, though that time is coming. The world does not understand that in war, anger, and hatred, nobody wins. Hatred of any kind is the same as war. Harmony, unity of accomplishment, and love cannot grow in an attitude of hatred, even if that anger is hidden from others. God looks into our hearts, where hatred can blot out peace. God does not want hatred in our hearts, as it leads to bitterness and can cause one to drift away. Hatred stirs up strife, making mountains out of molehills, while love seeks peace and tries to remove aggravations.

In the context of widespread disobedience and impending judgment, the absence of peace is a profound consequence of sin. God, through Jeremiah, expresses His frustration with the people of Judah, who reject His warnings and calls to repentance. The priests and prophets, tasked with guiding the people back to God, instead offer false comfort by proclaiming "Peace, peace!" when there is no peace, failing to acknowledge the gravity of the situation and the inevitability of divine wrath. This superficial assurance masks the reality of turmoil, as peace is absent not only with God but also among the people themselves, who are divided by factions and internal strife. Isaiah further illustrates this lack of peace, declaring that humanity has never truly known the way of peace due to their iniquities. Sin creates a separation from God, rendering peace impossible as people follow crooked paths of their own making. The presence of sin, whether through violence, deceit, or covetousness, ensures that peace cannot exist between neighbors, within families, or even within individuals, as evidenced by mounting personal and societal turmoil. James reinforces that peace is a necessary environment for righteousness to grow, but sin disrupts this, leaving individuals stuck in spiritual stagnation. Without addressing sin, there can be no progress toward peace, which is essential for growth. Romans highlights the universal state of sinfulness, emphasizing that all have sinned and are under the penalty of death, inherently at enmity with God. This carnal enmity prevents peace, as humans cannot subject themselves to God's law or erase their guilt through their own efforts. Ultimately, the lack of peace is a pervasive condition of humanity's rebellion against God. As Isaiah states, there is no peace for the wicked, a reality that persists until sin is addressed. Only through divine intervention can this impasse be broken, allowing for the possibility of reconciliation and the restoration of peace with God.

In the days of Israel, as recorded in Judges 21:25, there was no king, and everyone did what was right in their own eyes. This lack of a recognized sovereign led to disunity and a departure from the peace that God intended for His people. As Deuteronomy 12:8-9 warns, the people were not to continue doing as they did in the wilderness, each following their own way, for they had not yet come to the rest and inheritance that the Lord their God was giving them. Yet, in Judges, this pattern persisted, with the refrain echoing in chapters 17:6, 18:1, 19:1, and 21:25, that there was no king in Israel, and the people lived according to their own judgments, resulting in depravity, pain, and warfare. This absence of peace stemmed from failing to remember and live by God's Word, as the people drifted further from His sovereign authority. In contrast to the obedience under Joshua, where rest was possible, the book of Judges reveals a disobedient and idolatrous nation, unable to find peace in the land of promise. God, in His sovereignty, raised judges to guide them back, yet by the end of the book, Israel had lost sight of the true King who was always present, choosing instead their own paths and suffering the consequences of lacking peace. The significance of recognizing the King of Peace is vital, as seen in the preparation for the Passover. Without understanding God's perfect sovereignty and the peace He provides for unity with Him and one another, the Passover cannot be kept properly. This memorial of recommitment to unity and peace with the Father, the Son, and each other underscores the necessity of acknowledging the ever-present King, whose way of life fosters true harmony when lived together according to His law.

In the midst of modern life's stress and frantic busyness, peace and serenity are sorely lacking. The world does not know the way to the green pastures and still waters described in Psalm 23, leading to constant restlessness and running to and fro among those estranged from the King of Peace. Those without the Good Shepherd suffer under the cruel authority of this world's ruler, focused on survival, competing for resources, and always striving without peace. In contrast, the sheep guided by the LORD have confidence they will not lack for anything of true significance, though this could be a point of contention for any not fully submitted. True restoration of the soul comes only through a relationship with the Shepherd, not through worldly distractions like retail therapy or temporary pacifiers that deplete life further. Yet, at times, resistance to seeking Him arises because it might mean giving up something not yet surrendered, indicating an incomplete death to self. The challenge of finding stillness and peace is formidable as technology enmeshes every area of life, pulling attention away from hearing the Shepherd's still, small voice. Comparing God's work in one's life to another's can rob peace, making one a slave to circumstances rather than to God, highlighting the need to focus on personal spiritual walk over perceived unfairness.