You can't have peace by trying to have peace; it has to come as a result of a relationship with Christ. And with once sentence my study was challenging me to take the whole idea deeper:
"Peace doesn't come with the answer; peace comes with authority."
She went on to say that we do not so often have a knowledge problem (if we only knew what was going on, then we'd be at peace!) as an obedience problem (bam!). And just like that she pinned me to the wall.
Could this feeling of peace be brought about by a sheer force of will action such as obedience? Usually NOT knowing what's going on produces ultimate panic and frantic prayers that God would just show me or tell me what to do. Maybe giving up this need to know, to figure out releases us from the responsibility for directing our lives (and possibly screwing up). Isn't it when we have a leader we trust that we feel relief?
"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation....
He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy."
(Ephesians 2:13 & 14 NKJV; Colossians 1:17 & 18 NIV)