Our nine year old likes to sit on the couch and watch the evening news with her daddy. Some days I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. Diseases that were a world away are suddenly knocking at our door. Headlines blare about serial killers and beheadings. Armed men threaten our country and encourage others to join their crusade. You don’t have to look far to find a reason to fear.
But Jesus came to bring us peace.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)
Jesus gives us peace. In the New Testament, peace is more than just the absence of conflict. Peace is the blessing and wholeness we only find in the presence of God. When Jesus gives peace, it isn’t the kind of peace the world gives–transitory, fleeting. It’s not peace that is held by military might or a king’s command. No–our Prince of Peace brought us peace in the truest form. Gospel peace is reconciliation between God and man. It is holiness and harmony, the blessings of living justified, sanctified, and made righteous before the Lord. It is peace that is established by the Savior, not circumstances. When the world goes crazy, we have peace in Him.
It’s a promise, but it’s also a command. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
We have a choice: fear or faith. Whose voice do you key in on? Whose words ring loudest in your ear? In that moment of crisis, who do you choose to believe? Will you believe those who tell us destruction is inevitable, that we need to protect ourselves, bar our doors, and prepare for the coming calamity? Or will you listen to the voice of the Savior who was and is and is to come?
When fear knocks at the door, we have a choice. We can choose to believe that it’s all up to us. We can believe that it falls on our shoulders to fix the problem and keep our families safe. Or we can believe that our sovereign God reigns and his kingdom cannot be shaken. We fix our eyes on Jesus, knowing that our future is safe in his nail-scarred hands. God is good. Nothing separates us from his love; nothing takes us out of his hands, and he is with us.
We have peace when we choose to believe that God is who he says he is. We put our faith in him, and the peace of God rides sentry duty around our hearts. He gives us a peace that transcends circumstances; the kind of peace that lets us slumber in the midst of the storm.
Today, choose peace. Choose to believe. The Prince of Peace has given us peace, and he never leaves us alone.
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1 comment
Leigh, I love remembering that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He has all authority and power in the world, and He chooses to give peace to our hearts. One day all things will be set right in the world’s affairs. But until then, we are held in the palm of God’s hand, and we have work to do! Thank you for your post!
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