September 20 – Peace Like a River
Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of God’s love within it. Like a river, peace flows—not static, not fragile, but moving, alive, carrying us forward. Howard Thurman
Gregg’s Reflection
Standing in a mountain stream, I’ve learned that peace is not the same as stillness. The water rushes past my legs with force, yet beneath the ripples there is a steady current that holds everything together. Life is often turbulent at the surface, but the Spirit of God moves like a deeper current, carrying me even when I cannot calm the waves.
The old spiritual, I’ve Got Peace Like a River, captures this truth. Peace is not fragile or fleeting—it is strong, steady, and moving. It flows within, even through seasons of loss, conflict, or uncertainty. I’ve felt this peace while wading midstream, casting into water alive with motion, and realizing that God’s presence steadies me more than the surface chaos can shake me.
When I let go of resistance and stop trying to control the river, something shifts inside. Peace becomes less about grasping and more about trusting. I am carried, not by my strength, but by the living stream of God’s Spirit flowing through my life.
Thomas Merton says when we meditate, imagine we are at the bottom of a stream watching thoughts as boats floating down the stream of consciousness. The key is to let them go. When I find myself getting into the boat with the thought, I visualize dropping off the boat and sinking into the calm depths.
Scripture
I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream.
Isaiah 66:12
Ancient Quotes
Peace is not found in external things, but in the deep interior where God dwells. There, like a river, the soul is borne along by the Spirit, whatever storms may rage outside.
—attributed to Augustine
He is rest for those who labor, calm for the troubled, and quiet for the agitated.
Gregory of Nazianzus, Oration 40
Modern Quotes
Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of God’s love within it. Like a river, peace flows—not static, not fragile, but moving, alive, carrying us forward.
Howard Thurman, Meditations of the Heart, p. 106
Journaling Prompts
- Where do you notice turbulence in your life right now?
- How have you experienced God’s peace even in the midst of storms?
- What would it mean to stop resisting and let the Spirit carry you?
- How might you become a channel of peace for others this week?
Go deeper into this week’s theme:
Read the full Week 38 Reflection: River/Divine Flow