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

I have long been familiar with the reality of the first part of this verse. I experienced an encounter with Jesus wherein He made a specific gift of His peace to me. I have known that peace, and ministered it widely for many years.

Today, I am drawn to the second part of the verse. Jesus tells me He does not give as the world gives. The NIV Study Bible (p 1626) relates this giving to the gift of peace saying, In its greetings of peace the world can only express a longing or wish. But Jesus’ peace is real and present. I can quite see this, for the world is a place where trouble and strife occur and this makes it virtually impossible for the world to guarantee peace. World history illustrates, time and time again, the hope for peace that the world holds to, yet that same history shows humanity’s consistent and unfailing ability to dash such hopes. The world cannot truly offer us an assured peace. But Jesus can!

Another aspect of giving highlights differences between the giving of the world and the giving of Jesus. Almost without exception, the world’s giving carries an ulterior motive. When the world offers anything, one is tempted to ask “Where’s the catch? What will this cost me? What are they after from me?” The way of the world, sadly, is to claim ‘the pound of flesh’. Jesus does not give in that way. Indeed, as far as Jesus is concerned He gave both the pound of flesh and His blood with it. And this was His most perfect gift to us. His very life assured us of eternal relationship with a loving Father, a relationship fully restored by the gift of Jesus.

We may rest fully in the knowledge that Jesus does not give as the world gives. Sure, we must face the up-front realisation that, in order to receive any gifts from Jesus, we need to surrender ourselves to Him as Saviour and Lord, and seek to follow Him as truly as we  are able to, in living to fully serve and obey the Father. When this is my conviction, I move on to seeking God’s will in every area and aspect of my life. I learn to live in God’s will and presence and, as I do so I respond to Jesus’ final remark in this verse from John’s writings: Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Are there times when I allow my heart to be troubled? Sadly, yes! But I think I’m slowly learning to deal with this and release myself more fully to God. For He is the answer! As I seek Him out, press into Him and commit to obey all that He might lead me to, then I truly know the peace of Jesus. Then I can take it into every fibre and pore of my being. And in the fullness of the peace of Jesus, I will find my heart released from any trouble, and I can live my life free of any fear, save that of a respectful reverence of God.

The peace of Jesus is real to me. May it become even more so as I continue to release myself to Him.

Dear Jesus,

You gave me a powerful revelation some years ago when You released me into the reality of Your peace. I thank You for that and pray that Your peace will continue to underpin my life, and my ministry for You.

I do not want my heart to be troubled, nor do I want to be afraid. For these things, then, I bring myself into complete surrender to You. I realise You are the way, and I give myself – more and more – to You that I might truly follow You as the way.

I pray also for greater opportunity to release Your peace into the world. May I show them (the world) how different Your peace is from theirs? Is this part of the reason You gave me such a specific gift of Your peace all that time ago? Lead me please in my walk of obedience to the Father.

As I read Your story, bring me further revelation. Empower me by the promised Spirit to go forth and do ‘even greater things than these’. I ask these things, humbly but believing, in Your wonderful name.                   Amen.