Mercy and truth have met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Psalm 85:10
This time of year, we speak of peace on earth. But there is a better peace – the peace that passes all understanding. It is the inner calm in the midst of the clamor and chaos. It is the peace that only God can bring.
It is a process. The Psalmist talks of the steps that must be taken towards dwelling in peace, or rather having peace dwell in us. The first is Mercy. Our God is a merciful God – he forgives our shortcomings. We should do likewise to the people we encounter, especially our friends and families. When we realize how short we come in measuring up to holiness, it is easier to overlook the speck in someone else’s eye, isn’t it? That breeds tolerance, forgiveness, and understanding instead of harboring grudges, hurt feelings and anger.
Then, with that corrected attitude we can see the Truth. We are sinners, thus we need a Savior. God loves us so much that He not only came down to earth and took on our sins, but He gave us His Spirit to dwell in us so we’d never be without His presence. We see it is because of His righteousness, not our attempts at becoming holy and good, that we have access to Him. He is always there ready to comfort, to guide and to love us. That brings us peace – the peace that is beyond comprehension. The true peace on earth. We have been kissed by the Creator and the warmth of His love fills our souls.