September 13, 2021 THE PEACE OF GOD
John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Colossians 3:15 “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.”
Philippians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpassed all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Having the peace of God in the heart and mind is one of the hallmarks of Christianity. Yet, peace of mind and heart is a rare quality, or reality for many, even for professing believers. We act as though if we can just get to a certain place in life-a bigger income-a certain promotion- a nicer home-better health-being free of problems and trails-and whatever, we will finally be at peace. However, peace is not arrived at by personal effort and pursuit; peace (the peace of God) is a gift from God; the peace He gives is not affected by circumstances, but is constant. We do need to understand that even though we cannot attain peace by self effort, we can lose the sense of peace by not walking according to the ways of God. Note that in Colossians 3:15 we are admonished to “let” the peace of God rule in our hearts. The peace of God is just that-the peace of God; it is a gift to us, BUT we must let it rule-that is the crux of the whole issue. Do we let our thoughts and viewpoints rule and set the tone of our life, or do we die to our ways-our thoughts and our ways, and let the ways of God rule in our hearts and minds. The word of God-what He says-is to be our foundation; our thought patterns and our actions are to be directed and formed by the word of God. There are times when we know that God is directing us to do a certain thing, but we do not want to do it or do not ‘feel’ like doing it. THAT IS THE BATTLE GROUND. Our way or His way? For example, if we need to forgive someone and we do not, we lose the peace of God; if and when we forgive, we immediately sense the peace of God once again ruling. We can also lose a sense of peace by having a world view that is not in keeping with the plans and purposes of God; we may fret over all the turmoil and all that is wrong and we may conclude that the world ‘is going to hell in a hand-basket.’ Letting ‘all that’s wrong’ mold our emotions and our thoughts is a sure way to not let the peace of God rule. Seeing life, and the world as a whole, as God sees it, is a necessary component of peace. It is a fact-we live in a fallen world where things are broken, and we face our personal trials, and circumstances are not always like we like. However, we must know (we may not understand) in the deepest part of our being-not just in the mind-that God IS ruling and His purposes are being fulfilled, and He is using even the ‘bad things’ for good. That is where faith comes into play; and we are to live by faith-not by feelings or how we see things; having a sure and unwavering faith in God and His faithfulness is to have the peace of God. So, even though things may not be what we want, and even if we do not understand why things are the way they are, let us let the peace of God rule in our hearts and minds. He is watching over us.
Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace those whose mind is stayed on You, because he trust in you.”
Romans 8:6 “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”
Blessings, Buddy
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