There is Hope: Peace dance with me

Description

My peace, beyond understanding
Quenches the worries of my soul
He stills the Storms all around me
And calms the ever-raging sea

My peace, my certain assurance
There through the doubts and all my fears
when blue bells grow in the springtime
I know that the winter will pass

Peace dance with me
Peace dance with me
Come lead me to the ballroom of grace
Oh, peace, come and dance with me

My peace rests upon my shoulders
And follows me home safe to shore
And walks with me in my sorrow
And dwell in the place of my grief

Dance with me on the waters
when the hurricanes fill my mind
and my body starts to sink beneath the waves
Dance with me when I’m surrounded
By the troubles of this world
Oh peace, come and dance with me

When I watch Strictly Come Dancing, I’m always struck by how someone with little or no dance experience can be transformed in just a few weeks. A clunky rugby player, a stiff politician – suddenly they glide across the ballroom as if they’ve danced their whole lives. Their transformation comes through trust: trusting their partner, trusting the steps, trusting the process.

Finding peace in the chaos of life is often much the same. When we learn to follow the steps set before us—steps of trust, surrender, and faith— to be led onto a ballroom of grace, where we can move with unexpected ease even through the fiercest storms.

In Scripture, one of God’s names is Jehovah Shalom, meaning “The Lord is Peace” (Judges 6:24). God had seen the suffering of the Israelites under Egyptian slavery and led them out through Moses, guiding them across a harsh wilderness toward a land of their own, “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8). It was meant to be a place free from the torment of their past, a land where they could finally breathe.

Yet in time, many turned away from the God who had brought them there. Instead, they embraced the customs of the nations around them – nations that were anything but friendly. These neighbouring peoples raided Israel’s fields, stole their harvests, and brought violence and fear. Peace vanished, replaced by a constant threat hanging like dark clouds over the land.

Into this unrest stepped Gideon. While hiding from the Midianites, he encountered the messenger of God and feared he would die because of the encounter (Judges 6:22), but the Lord spoke words that cut through his terror: “Peace be with you. Do not fear; you will not die” (Judges 6:23).

Those words steadied Gideon’s heart and, through him, brought hope to Israel. In response, he built an altar and named it Jehovah Shalom, a lasting reminder that even in oppression and chaos, peace can be restored when God’s voice is trusted above the noise.

Peace
Peace isn’t found on a beach with a cocktail in Spain or beside a quiet lake with a fishing rod. Those are moments of rest, but not necessarily peace. True peace is not static and not tied to geography. True peace is found in the centre of the storm, in the quiet eye where everything else rages around us. Storms will come. It’s never a matter of if, but when. None of us are immune to this world’s troubles.

When our strength isn’t enough—and it often isn’t—we step onto the ballroom of God’s grace. We come into close position, draw near to the Lord of the dance, and trust His lead.

The apostle Paul puts it beautifully:
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank Him for His answers. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:6–7)
When we follow His steps, we find peace—steady, surprising, and strong enough to carry us through any storm.

Prayer
Lord of Peace,
Thank You for being Jehovah Shalom – the One who brings calm into the chaos of our lives. Teach me to trust Your leading, to follow Your steps even when the storm rages around me. Lead me onto the ballroom of Your grace, where Your presence steadies my trembling heart. Fill me with the peace that surpasses all understanding and help me rest in the assurance that You are with me, guiding every step.
Amen.