God's Continual Peace, Pt. 3

In Jesus, we may have peace; in the world, tribulation; but praise the Lord, He overcame the world. The key to peace is a relationship with Jesus.

God's Continual Peace, Pt. 3

"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me."

(John 14:1)

There is a good possibility that today you will have something happen to you that will try to upset you and cause you anxiety. Living in this fallen world of sin makes us all vulnerable to such occasions. But what if even in the midst of the hard circumstance you are encountering right now, you could not just survive but thrive as God's peace engulfs you? You simply can't control some of your circumstances, but in everything that happens, you still can have God's continued peace, security, and tranquility, no matter what is happening.

In John 14:27, Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." There is a difference in His peace and the world's peace: "My peace," Jesus said, "I give to you." His peace is not as the world gives. Dr. Stanley said that wealth, prosperity, fame, success— there is no peace in these things; in fact, those things can make you less peaceful. What is this peace of God given to those who follow Jesus? This godly, heavenly, and practical peace does not come and go with the circumstances of life. It overrides everything you face; it is not reasonable because it passes understanding. If you are a believer and are not enjoying this peace Jesus gives, it may be because you disagree with God; you are doing what God does not want you to do. When you and I are out of His will, then there is no peace; when we violate His will and become angry with Him, there is no peace. He is the source of peace. Ephesians 2:14 says, "For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation."

In Jesus, we may have peace; in the world, tribulation; but praise the Lord, He overcame the world. The key to peace is a relationship with Jesus. We can have all the world's wealth, travel the world, and participate in all that the world has to offer, but there is only one Source of peace, and that is Jesus. I agree completely with Pastor Stanley's teachings on this subject of peace. I have seen it in people I know who are very successful and wealthy, but they have no real peace, because they are looking for complete satisfaction and joy in the wrong people and things. Only Jesus satisfies the heart and soul. He created us and died to redeem us, so it only makes sense that He is truly the only One who can give us peace.

All the pleasures in this world cannot satisfy the heart and soul of mankind. As Augustine said, our hearts are restless until they find their rest in God. But followers of Jesus, we cannot enjoy this perfect peace if we choose to sin and not trust God. Stanley said we can't live in dissidence to God and have peace; other things simply will not satisfy. I love his quote about God's peace, "It is beyond our understanding but not our experience."

What is keeping you from peace? You know the Lord, but something in your life is depriving you of peace. Take some time and ask the Lord to show you what is causing you to have a lack of peace. When God shows you, ask for forgiveness. Give your worry or concern over to Him.