“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.
Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”
John 14:27 NASB
The peace Jesus promises us is not the picture of peace we usually have that comes when everything is going smoothly and it’s a beautiful day.
It’s not the feeling that comes upon us when all chaos is gone and no strife exists.
His peace is this:
“Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.
But Jesus was sleeping.”
Matthew 8:24
Wait. . .what?
What kind of person can sleep when they are aware that they are
in the midst of a life-threatening storm?
Well, you –
if You are His. . .
. . .because He has gifted us with that same peace – that can calm us to the point of wonderful sleep in the midst of a furious storm.
His peace is such that even when things around us seem to be in turmoil and threaten to make our hearts and minds spin in turmoil as well, we can let our hearts not be troubled and not be afraid —
because we are in the loving, protective care of the One who controls the storm and everything around us.
Paul told us to respond to God’s peace the same way the storm responded to Jesus that night on the Sea of Galilee:
“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts….”. (Col. 3:15)
The Greek word translated here as “rule” means “to umpire.”
You’re SAFE!!!
We all know what an umpire does. He declares the way things are.
Whatever he says it is—a ball, a strike, an out, or a run—that’s what it is.
Likewise, whatever Jesus says about a matter, that’s what it is.
It’s settled.
And grabbing hold of this truth, which results in us trusting Him, makes His peace the umpire of our hearts.
Since He loves us and is taking care of everything and promises to work it for our good (Romans 8:38), we can be at peace in the midst of everything
– because what Jesus says about a matter, that’s what it is.
It’s settled.
Think About What You Think About
And as we stay near to Him, thinking about
– what He has said about us
– how He’s promised to take care of us
– the fact that our hurts hurt Him more
– His promise that He is making a way through – or is calming – the storm for us. . .
. . .when we focus on these truths – and on Him –
this confidence settles into peace.
“”The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace,
Because he trusts in You. “Trust in the LORD forever,
For in GOD the LORD,
we have an everlasting Rock.”
Isaiah 26:3-4 NASB
The Hebrew word for “steadfast” in this verse is “camak”,
and it means to “lean upon” something or “take hold of” something.
The idea is grabbing hold of something to rest upon it.
What Isaiah is saying here is that perfect peace comes to those of us who lean completely on God,
those who grab hold of Him and rest upon Him
those who have confidence that no matter how chaotic the circumstances
of our lives look,
God will take us through the storm.
Isaiah understood this peace, and he demonstrates that
when he says later:
“But I said, “I have toiled in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing and vanity;
Yet surely the justice due to Me is with the LORD, And My reward with My God.””
Isaiah 49:4 NASB.
Someone who sees in the natural that it looks like he has toiled in vain
and has spent his strength for nothing and vanity,
– but can have confidence that his reward from God is surely coming –
that’s someone who leans completely on Him,
and is unaffected by the chaos of his circumstances.
This is perfect peace –
this is His peace.