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 night before his appointment with insults, torture and death, Jesus is full of peace. Abundant and calming—as He faced death’s door—he generously gave to his disciples what they would need, before they even knew what they needed—peace. A well of peace so deep, never to run dry. Not the temporary peace of this world, but the permanent peace of the Prince of Peace. Christ’s peace is His gift, peace for all who receive Him. Christ calms calamity and clears confusion. Like a feather swirling in the wind, peace is allusive to the proud, but easily grasped by the humble.
Peace with The Past – Jesus gives us the ability to make peace with the past. Past sins. Past mistakes. Past guilt. All are covered by the grace and love of God. No more shame for walking away in anger and fear. No more guilt for wishing you could have done more or should have done less. The past may try to disrupt your dreams with hurtful memories, but you can be freed by faith in the peace of Jesus. Accept His forgiveness for hurting others and extend His forgiveness to those who hurt you. Peace from the past is a present from your Savior-the fruit of God’s amazing grace-peace.
“For Christ himself is our way of peace. He has made peace between us Jews and you Gentiles by making us all one family, breaking down the wall of contempt that used to separate us” (Ephesians 2:14, TLB).
Peace for Today – The world has run amuck—wars, rumors of wars, incurable diseases, poverty, starvation, crimes, dictators and natural disasters. Ripped apart by power, greed and lust, the lost world can only throw a bone of peace, to be quickly gnawed to pieces by a society sucked dry of peace. But God gives a permanent, abundant peace in His son Jesus and unlimited comfort in His Holy Spirit. Live in the moment and you can access the peace of God in your momentary afflictions. C.S. Lewis says it well: “God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing” (Mere Christianity).
Peace in The Future – Fear stalks us into the future, so we soon cease to fear God and are obsessed by “what if’s”. What if I run out of money? What if I am alone? What if I suffer an extended illness? What if I die? Similarly, our Lord faced a future full of suffering, but never lost faith in His heavenly Father’s will for His life. Your life is in the hands of your sympathizing Savior. He gives you wisdom to plan well, grace to cover what you forget and trust in Him for a peaceful tomorrow. God’s grace will get you to where you need to go, with the fuel of peace filling your heart. Receive Christ’s peace as an ongoing gift—thank Him, praise Him, love Him. He is your permanent peace.
“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, TLB).