If we're honest to ourselves, isn't that what we're all really searching for? Peace. True peace. Think about when we are craving and feeling like we need a vacation, isn't what's underneath, really a longing for peace? I think we've all probably been on vacations where we return even more exhausted and stressed out than when we left. A vacation doesn't mean peace will come.

In those stressful times when we feel like we just need a break, could it be that we are really looking for peace? What about when we awake in middle of night and can't sleep, what are our thoughts then? Isn't cry of our heart really to find peace? When we feel tired, too much to do in too little time; when we can't even find time to think, isn't it really peace we long for?

I don't know what it's like in other parts of world, but I do know that here in U.S., we live (generally) a life filled with way too much. We have too many commitments, too much to do, and we live a very un-natural pace. A very unhealthy pace I believe. At times it feels as if we live in slavery to our schedules. It seems as though every minute of our day is dictated to us, with very little choice. I don't believe it's supposed to be this way, and I believe there's a way out. If you can relate to this, maybe I can offer some hope.

In Isaiah 9:6, Jesus is called Prince of Peace. In Psalms 29:11, it promises that, "God gives strength, and blesses His people with peace." In Isaiah 26:3 another promise is, "He will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusts in thee."

As we focus and think about Jesus Christ, He will put us in peace. Also in Philippians 4:7, "And peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

This kind of peace is NOT an emotion or feeling, but a spiritual force that comes only from Jesus (Colossians 1:20 "and having made peace through blood of his cross, by him to reconcile ALL things unto himself..."

One moment in particular, I experienced this kind of peace when my husband of 13 years left me bascially for another woman. I was left to be a single mom of 2 boys with no job, and no education (I chose to be a stay at home mom). We were poor even with my husband's income, and I had no family to help. I was alone. I didn't know if I could make it. If any of you have experienced this, you will relate to devastation that comes.

Many, if not most times, when we feel this spiritual hunger we are unaware of what it really is. It does bring discomfort and pain, so we look to soothe that pain. We may fill that with anything...drugs, alcohol, any form of destructive habits, obsessive compulsions, eating disorders, sex, pornography, TV watching, list is extensive. Many times we can also fill that same spiritual hunger with things that look more positive; like filling every second of our lives with busyness, people, family, kids, spouse, sports, entertainment of any kind, shopping, reading, work, list is endless. Not that these things are bad, in and of themselves, but could we be using these things to fill spiritual hunger? I'd encourage you to think about what you tend to turn to when you sense those feelings of spiritual hunger. What are those areas of escape in our lives? There are also some who have been so wounded beyond belief that they simply have lost ability to feel at all, thus masking spiritual hunger with numbness and denial.