Peace in the Middle East

Woodrow Kroll

Turn on your TV. Any day. Any station. There will be a story about violence in the Middle East. Guaranteed! With peace initiatives every few years and failures each time, you may be asking, “Can there ever be peace in the Middle East?”

I was a young college student when I made my first trip to the “Holy Land.” It was an experience that changed my life. I understood more about my Bible as a result of that one summer than I had in years of reading. I vowed I would return. It was an easy vow to keep. Over the four decades since, I have made at least one trip to the Middle East every year. Folks there know me by name.

Still, people often ask, “Aren’t you afraid? Aren’t you worried about getting shot or blownup or something?” To be honest, there is danger in the Middle East. The tactics of terror that have plunged the world into a constant state of high alert first took root in this part of the world. One would be a fool not to be vigilant, but while vigilance may foster confidence, it doesn’t foster peace.

Each year when I visit the Middle East I spend time in the homes of friends I have known for years. Some of my friends are Jewish; others are Arab. I am at home with both. But having friends in the Middle East doesn’t yield peace for me either.

For the non-combatant, the person who frequents dangerous places as a civilian and not as a soldier, the secret to peace is not found in body armor or military firepower. The secret to peace in unruly places is the hidden strength of faith.

I never go the Middle East alone. I have no bodyguards; I have something better. I have faith in the promise that God will “keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on [God], because he trusts in [Him]” (Isaiah 26:3).

Peace is not the absence of violence; peace is the presence of God.

Even in potentially the most dangerous region of the world, God can keep you in perfect peace if you learn to trust Him and anchor your mind on Him.

Easier said than done, of course, but there is a way to take the peace of God with you wherever you go. Jesus Christ promised all who express faith in Him as Savior, “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).

That’s a significant promise because as people we have been waging a long war against God. It started in the Garden of Eden when our first parents, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God and joined Satan’s rebellion against Him (Genesis 3:6). “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man [Adam], and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).

Our sinfulness brings conflict as a consequence and eventually death. But even in places of frequent conflict, we can enjoy life and peace through faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

How do you receive this gift? Here’s the Bible’s answer: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).

Do you agree you have sinned against God, adding to the sins Christ had to die for? Do you believe that what Jesus accomplished on the cross—when He died for you—is all that God required to pay the full penalty for your sins? Do you believe Jesus rose from the grave proving God had accepted His payment in full? Then you too can have “the peace of God rule” your heart, even when you’re in places of potential danger (Colossians 3:15).

Every time I visit the Middle East I am reminded that this place of so much violence is the same place where God brought peace to the heart. While you may be in dangerous places in the world, you can enjoy an island of God’s peace by expressing faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and claiming God’s promise to keep you in perfect peace.

If you haven’t experienced this personal peace, why not ask God to give it to you right now. Sincerely pray:

Dear Father, I admit I have been at war with You. I have broken Your Law and am guilty. I know I cannot save myself, but I believe Jesus died to pay the penalty for my sins and give me eternal life. Right now I ask Jesus to come into my life, forgive my sins, and give me the peace I so sincerely want. Thank You, God. Amen.

© 2002 - 2006 Good News Publishers. Used by permission.
Translated by permission of Good News Publishers
1300 Crescent Street
Wheaton, IL 60187
U.S.A.