The Peace of God
This peace that is witnessed in so many Christians today is the Peace of God. Jesus made a tremendous statement in His words to the disciples as He was closing out His life here on earth. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27 ESV) Peace can be defined as tranquility, the absence of hostility, silence, stillness, and cessation of strife. Now this action of peace is not what Christian actually live out in the terms of society and the pressures there of. Life is full of emotional storms and turmoil. God never promised that the life here on this earth would be a walk in the garden. What He promises was His peace not ours, that would control the circumstances and outcome emotionally. The latter part of the John 14:27 is the focal point of what Jesus meant for all who believe. There will be times that come where fear can be paralyzing and disruptive to the heart and mind. Storms so great that existence of God may even be questioned because of the harshness and loneliness one may feel during difficult times. God is still there and He will never leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5) He may be silent but it is not the sound of God’s voice only that brings trust, hope and reliance: it is faith, knowing that He is there all the time. (Isaiah 19:12) Silence has sound if you listen deeply and know that God is present in your heart. The reason so many act without peace in their hearts is that they have forgotten faith in their hearts. Yes, the storms of life get that rough and seem never to alleviate the suffering at all. The peace of Jesus will surround you and keep you!
It is that peace the surpassing all understanding (Philippians 4:7) the all must embrace and allow to rule in the heart. This peace comes after the prayer and supplication are presented to God. The “after” effect of prayer and faith mixed together with the knowledge of God. Emotion is part of the nature of a person and can rule the daily thoughts and decisions. That is why His peace is placed in the heart so the emotions will be under guard and balanced through faith, trust and hope in the God of mercy and grace. The heart in fear and the dictation of trouble will in the end rule each decision from a foundation of human wisdom and unbelief.
The danger of certain teachings of men is that it rules out God in the daily life and assumes that God will always keep the storms from getting near. Not true, and that is what causes the problems in faith. If one would read the Word of God for its meanings and the testimonies that were written down that we would learn about God’s character (Romans 15:4) the impressions of false teaching would be erased. The Gospel would be portrayed in its truth and power, not just nationally, but universally. The peace that Jesus gave was His peace which was exemplified through the sufferings that He undertook for our emancipation from sin. He was at peace on the Cross even though He suffered ad horrible death! He knew that the Cross would birth the bride and that He would conquer sin forevermore. What guards your heart is the peace that Jesus has left. He has promised, He has gifted, He has overcome the world! (John 16:33) Yes, tribulation will come but His peace will keep you! Your emotions and characteristics will represent His love and your faith in Him.
Dennis
Remember prayer moves the Hand of God.