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In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 14:27
This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Peace.
It’s something I think everyone wants.
We would like peace in our lives.
We want peace to abide within our families and amongst its members.
We pray for peace to be evident in our communities, our nation, and our world.
So why is there such an intense desire for peace?
Because we often see where it is absent in so many places.
In other words, we see our lives, the lives of others, and our communities, nation, and world lacking in peace and see the dire consequences that result. And these consequences are usually grounded in chaos, the antithesis of peace.
With this, how do we counter the bedlam and turmoil in life, finding not only peace but a perfect peace?
The answer is found in the word of God as we will see in today’s scripture verse from John 14 and another from a separate book of the Bible.
First, we look at the 27th verse of the 14th chapter of John’s Gospel. You may recall we have been looking at Jesus’ final words of wisdom, encouragement, and guidance after He shares His last Passover meal with His disciples. In less than 24 hours, He would be crucified, dying while nailed to a cross on Calvary’s hill. Jesus knew His abrupt departure was going to throw His faithful followers’ lives into chaos and so as we see in this verse, Jesus seeks to put them at ease and lead them to a place of peace. Look again at His words here:
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27
Yes, Jesus was leaving but as you’ll recall, He wasn’t leaving His disciples abandoned and forsaken. Rather, as we saw in yesterday’s message, Jesus promised that God was going to send an Advocate in the way of the Holy Spirit who would lead and guide the disciples after Jesus ascended to sit at God’s right hand. The Holy Spirit would step into the gap where Jesus once was and ensure the disciples were given direction and cared for.
This granting of the Holy Spirit was a gift from God, just as much a gift as Jesus had been. Nothing in the world could give to the disciples as God and Jesus had given, and as the coming Holy Spirit soon would give. The world could not provide for their physical and spiritual needs at the same time and Jesus wanted them to remember this, lest they try to turn to the world after He departed.
In the end translation, Jesus wanted His disciples to rest easy in the assurance of His promises. He was leaving them in good hands and had set the stage for them to receive peace in the midst of what could have been chaos. Therefore, there was no reason for the hearts of Jesus’ followers to be troubled or afraid. None whatsoever.
Today, the same words from Jesus apply when it comes to the matters we might face in this thing called life.
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27
The Holy Spirit is just as actively moving in the lives of Christ believers as it was when it descended on believers in Jerusalem during Pentecost more than 2,000 years ago. This gift from God, the Advocate who helps guide and care for those who have chosen to place their belief in His Son, leads us to peace when chaos comes. The same peace that Jesus left His disciples with in that Jerusalem upper room on Passover is available for us to receive today, a peace that heals our troubled hearts and squelches our fears. The Apostle Paul, writing to the Christians in Philippi, showed us the way to the peace Jesus spoke of. Look at these words from Philippians, chapter 4:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Note here that the way to the peace Jesus spoke of - the kind of peace that dispels fear, worry, stress, and anxiety - this way to peace is found only when we trust God unconditionally and without reservation, committing all our needs to His care. Period.
Paul tells us that the only way we can find relief from the chaos in life is to take all the matters causing the chaos and to put them at the foot of God’s throne, leaving them there for Him to handle. We make these trust deposits through prayers and petitions, and with thanksgiving, rejoicing that we serve a God through which nothing is impossible.
Then and only then, when we have taken all burdens off of our shoulders and left them for God to work out, can we find true peace which comes from God Himself. This peace is unlike any other peace, its divine nature exceeding and transcending mere human intellect.
I think the saying goes like this:
Know God, know peace.
No God, no peace.
My prayer today is that you will find peace in the midst of your storms in life by trusting the Lord who possesses the power to calm those storms and move you to a place of perfect peace, a peace unknown by the world, all because you placed your trust in Him, and laid your burdens at His feet.
For Jesus wants all those who have believed in Him as Savior to find freedom for their troubled hearts and escape from their fears, gaining peace from God who can do all things.
Are you trusting Him fully and enjoying the blessing of His peace today?
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please
share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com
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