“MY PEACE I GIVE YOU”
“Peace.” What do you think of when you say this word? Do you think peace is the absence of conflict? When no one is arguing in your house, or when the local news is filled with “happy” news and none of the violence that is typically displayed? This is peace in terms of the “world.” I can remember when my kids were little, conflict often broke out over who had what toy or who was touching who, and who ate the saved cookie that didn’t belong to them. There were days when I can remember saying “I just wish I had a little peace in this house!” What I wanted at that time was peace as the world sees peace.
There is another “peace,” one that is found deep within by the power of the Holy Spirit. This peace is not the absence of conflict but is felt even in the midst of conflict. This peace is the concept of wholeness. This peace is sitting or resting in knowing that the Lord, Creator of the World, is right by your side no matter what. If you are following Jesus, it is the complete comfort in all that He promises and nothing in this world can change where and who you are in Him.
Jesus tells us in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”
This peace doesn’t just “magically” appear though. It takes time. Time spent in unhurried quiet with the Lord. Time to allow your soul to hear His voice. Time to focus completely on Jesus; to let Him join His Spirit with yours. Too often we give Him maybe 5-10 minutes and then we are off rushing to the next thing on our “to-do” list. We may think by reading a devotion that we are connecting to God, but unless we sit in quiet rest as we ponder what we just read and ask God to speak to our hearts in it, really, we are just reading words on a page. Most of the time, we will have forgotten what we read in the morning by noon if we don’t give it time to marinate in our souls.
In Isaiah 26:3-4 we are told “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.” A steadfast mind is a mind that is stayed or focused on God and when your mind is stayed on God, He will keep you in perfect wholeness – peace, no matter what circumstance is swirling around you. He will be your Rock; your place where you can stand firm and not crumble. Imagine this! What circumstance is descending on you right now? There is a peace that is waiting to settle your heart; your soul. Lift your eyes to Jesus and open your heart to Him. Let Him be your Rock! Let Him give you His peace!