“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.” – John 14:27

One of the ironies of the naming of hurricanes and tropical storms is the fact that a number are named Irene. There were tropical storms named Irene in 1947 and 1959, and hurricanes named Irene in 1971, 1981, 1999, 2005, and 2011. The irony is that Irene comes from the Greek word “eirene” – the word for “peace.”

You remember that Jesus showed His disciples that it is possible to experience peace in the face of a storm. When a major storm came up as He and the disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee, Jesus “arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm” (Mark 4:39). 

Storms and squalls of all kinds arise in our world. They are all around us. Jesus told His disciples that they would experience trouble in this world – this is normal – but He also assured them that He had “overcome the world” (John 16:33). He promises us the same.

We can have peace and calm in this world knowing that Jesus gives us His peace and He has overcome the world.  If you’re feeling overwhelmed with something today, trust the Lord and ask Him to take the chaos and replace it with His peace.

Author John Blanchard once wrote: “Faith that goes no further than the head can never bring peace to the heart.“