A Different Kind of Peace
ICS Daily Devotions
John 14:27 (NKJV) 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.
It is God’s will for us to have peace in our lives. God has given us His peace which is different from the peace given by the world. God’s peace is present even in the midst of a perfect storm. It is a supernatural and inexplicable peace that surpasses all understanding.
The peace that He gives us is divine in origin. It is a kind of peace that cannot be disrupted by the problems, disturbances, and difficulties of life. It is a peace that will not waiver and cannot be shaken or destroyed. It is God’s own peace. As our covenant partner, what He Himself possesses has been given to us because all that He possesses belongs to us. Therefore, draw upon His peace when you are troubled and anxious, and rest in His love and faithfulness.
Philippians 4:9 (NKJV) The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
Peace comes about when we are aware that God is with us. It is always God’s desire to be with us. Jesus assured the disciples of His presence with them, while we have the Holy Spirit living in us. He is our teacher, helper and comforter and He is always there for us. The Holy Spirit, who is our counsellor, helps us in our time of need, and He is the one who will bring Scriptures in our remembrance so that we can maintain the peace which can be otherwise stolen if we choose to rationalise and worry about our problems. This peace of God is proportionate to how much we allow our circumstances to affect us, and we also need to remember that the devil wants to steal the Word from our lives so that he can rob us of our peace and joy.
Jesus and the Apostle Paul were essentially saying the same thing to us to not be anxious and not let our hearts be troubled. Anxiety, worry and concern will never help us to overcome the problem or situation. Instead, we need to begin to pray and cast our cares, anxieties and concerns to the Lord, and thereafter begin to thank and praise Him.
When we know who we are in Christ, this truth drives out all fear, and the peace of God belongs to us. This foundation gives us the assurance to approach God in faith and the confidence to pray.
Sermon Series: Keep the Peace
