Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27

Most of us, when we look back on our lives, can remember a few special moments -- moments that made us proud, or less embarrassed than usual.

Recently, CNN asked a question to people in Berlin, Madrid, Rome, Bangkok, Tokyo, New Delhi, and Paris. CNN asked, "What is humanity's greatest achievement?"

As might be expected, the answers were pretty diverse.

Some said "fire" was the best thing humankind had ever done; others said the "wheel" ought to qualify as our outstanding accomplishment. More than a few said it was the "airplane," or "printing," or "landing a man on the moon," or the "computer."

Then there were other responses, what I think are less obvious answers. Some people said "architecture" or "sanitation" or even "video games" were our highest achievement. That video game man explained his thinking by saying that "video games allow us to live in whatever world we want."

Perhaps the most interesting reply came from a man who said, "Peace . . . peace would be the greatest achievement for all."

Of course, peace is a pretty hard thing to come by -- an even harder thing to keep.

Students of history say there are very few years that don't see the outbreak of a major conflict between nations. Personally, most people seem to be dissatisfied with the way their lives are going.

In truth, peace is a pretty rare commodity.

This is precisely why we need the Savior. Sinful humanity cannot -- on its own -- achieve personal or public peace. It is a dream, a hope, an idea, but without Jesus, that really is all it will ever be.

Yes, we need Jesus. We need Him who gave His life so we might have life. We need His perfect substitution, which fulfills the God's Law and forgives our sins. We need a living Lord because with Him in our heart, we will never be alone.

We need Jesus. We need the Savior who gives us a lasting peace, a complete peace, a peace the world, for all its claims, will never be able to bestow. We need the peace of Jesus, which removes our fears and troubles.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, there are many things that try to frighten us, which will try to ruin our days and our lives. As Christians, we know the world cannot give us something it simply does not have. If we are to be given lasting peace, we will find it only in the crucified, risen, and ever-present Savior. It is in Your Name we pray it. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 113-115    1 Thessalonians 3

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