Peace

Shalom ... peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Are you the one that I am supposed to bring peace to your heart and mind today?  Are you troubled by something bigger than you alone can handle?  Well ... you're not alone if you know Jesus.

"Let not your heart be troubled" ... meaning agitated.  Jesus spoke these words right after He said, "my peace I give unto you," in John 14:27.

The word peace means ... "a quietness and rest in your heart, peace to set your mind at one again, so your thoughts will no longer be scattered by fear."

You have heard the expression, someone is "scatter brained."  That's what is meant here ... the thoughts in your mind are all over the place, you're agitated, upset, perhaps from worry over a problem you can't fix.  If you could fix it you would, but it's something beyond your power or ability to do so.

Agitation means you are stirred up inside, you have a uneasy nervous feeling in the pit of your stomach because you're unsure about what is going to happen.  These are the normal feelings of the flesh ... usually without any feelings of peace with them.

In times of trouble, the flesh will never bring you any real peace.  So you cry out to God and pray the greatest prayer ever prayed, just like Peter did when, after walking on water he started sinking.  The greatest prayer ever prayed went something like this ... "Lord, help!"   Why is this the greatest prayer ever prayed?  Because it was prayed with sincere desperation and need of His hand.  

We've all been there ... needing help.  And there is nothing wrong with needing help.  Who better to turn to, then Jesus.  I've cried ... "Dear Lord, help!" ... many times.

Do you know what starts the help coming your way?  By believing what God said is really true.  By saying within your heart ... "I'm going to give this problem to my Lord and trust Him with it.  It may be bigger than me, but it's not bigger than Jesus."

I am writing these words, that you might have peace.  That sounds like something Jesus would have said.  Well look at this, He did ... "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."  (John 16:33)

The peace Jesus is speaking of, is not just meaning a calm, tranquil, serene, peaceful and untroubled experience for a day or two.  Jesus is speaking of those times in life when it seems as though, not only nature ... but hell itself ... is trying to destroy everything you hold dear in life.  Your kids get sick, a bad accident happens, your house burns down; cancer, a death of a loved one; you lose your job, and on and on, etc.

Not all, but some of these things have happened to me in the past.  And yes ... for a moment or two ... I lost my peace.  So I cried out, "Lord, help!"  And He showed up and ushered in His peace.  His peace brings a calm and a rest to your heart and mind.

Psalms 27:5 ... "For in the time of trouble He shall hide me ... He shall set me upon a rock."  The word hide means ... to cover over, to protect.  The rock is the sure footing and foundation of the Word of God.  You can build your house of faith on that.

Psalms 37:39 ... "The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: He is their strength in the time of trouble."  The word salvation here means ... rescue, deliverance, help, safety.  The word strength means ... a fortified place, a fortress, a rock.

God's peace is not an abstract.  It is more than just a feeling or a nice thought.  The world's peace may be an abstract ... something "not having a physical existence."  But we are not dealing with the natural world.  God is in a different dimension. 

God works in the realm of the spirit, with faith.  Faith is not material ... but according to Hebrews 11:1 ... "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."  I believe God's peace is also in the same realm as faith.  It's something real that the Holy Spirit can pour into your heart and mind. 

Colossians 3:15 ... "Let the peace of God rule your hearts ..."  Paul is saying, do not allow problems to govern or prevail over your peace.

In Ephesians 2:14, Paul flat out tells us what our peace is ... "He (Jesus) is our peace."
 
I conclude therefore, that whatever the problem or situation you may find yourself in, the Lord can bring the peace of God that quiets your heart, mind and soul, bringing you rest.  How can you rest if you are troubled or worried?

I will close with this little jewel from Karen Cooper who is, the "KingdomMom."  She said once, when the storms of life came her way, she asked herself ...

"Who am I feeding?  Who am I agreeing with?  Who am I going to believe?  I made a choice to believe God's Word.  To stand on what I know is true.  Bad reports will not choke out the Word of God in me.  God rules over the storms of life.  Not man.  He calms.  He protects.  He provides.  So I think I'm going to go take a nap."

Now that's rest!  

Shalom ... peace dear ones.