For thought and meditation

[rl69]

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you… JOHN 14:27
There are times in our lives when our peace is based simply on our own ignorance. But when we are awakened to the realities of life, true inner peace is impossible unless it is received from Jesus. When our Lord speaks peace, He creates peace, because the words that He speaks are always “spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). Have I ever received what Jesus speaks? “…My peace I give to you…”— a peace that comes from looking into His face and fully understanding and receiving His quiet contentment.
Are you severely troubled right now? Are you afraid and confused by the waves and the turbulence God sovereignly allows to enter your life? Have you left no stone of your faith unturned, yet still not found any well of peace, joy, or comfort? Does your life seem completely barren to you? Then look up and receive the quiet contentment of the Lord Jesus. Reflecting His peace is proof that you are right with God, because you are exhibiting the freedom to turn your mind to Him. If you are not right with God, you can never turn your mind anywhere but on yourself. Allowing anything to hide the face of Jesus Christ from you either causes you to become troubled or gives you a false sense of security.
With regard to the problem that is pressing in on you right now, are you “looking unto Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2) and receiving peace from Him? If so, He will be a gracious blessing of peace exhibited in and through you. But if you only try to worry your way out of the problem, you destroy His effectiveness in you, and you deserve whatever you get. We become troubled because we have not been taking Him into account. When a person confers with Jesus Christ, the confusion stops, because there is no confusion in Him. Lay everything out before Him, and when you are faced with difficulty, bereavement, and sorrow, listen to Him say, “Let not your heart be troubled…” (John 14:27).

[USMC87]

Amen and thank you for a great lesson.

[Pine Baron]

"Let not your heart be troubled…"
Amen.

[Blackwater]

Wow! Now THIS is "heavy meat!" It has been very common for mankind, through the centuries, to shout out, "Peace, peace," but there is no peace. There is no peace because of our rebellious natures. And amidst our rebellion, we seek peace, but are unwilling to do the things that bring peace to our lives. We doubt, attemptedly secretly sometimes, but it's doubt nevertheless. We follow our appetites instead of our Master's good and wholesome direction and advice. So, how CAN there be peace when we try to exist with one leg in belief, and the other in doubt???? It's impossible. And this is why we have heard "Peace, peace" so often, and seen it whiddle away as it is spoken.

Friends, there is NO way to attain real inner peace except that which Christ outlined for us. There's no peace unless we submit ourselves to the directions and advice He left us. So if we find ourselves wanting to cry out "Peace, peace," we can be sure that somewhere in us, we have left God behind, and followed Satan's ways and temptations. If we follow Christ's direction, we will have peace, even when facing our own deaths. If we follow anything else, we inevitably wind up amid the desperation that always ends up being our reward for our own disobedience and haughtiness in trying to follow two courses at once.

It's long been a joke that people often think, "How much can I get away with and still go to Heaven?" The answer to that should be self-evident. It's one of those very dumb questions that new and inexperienced believers may ask themselves, in their ignorance and innocence of what God and faith truly are. And they're cheating themselves out of real peace and tranquility, and great satisfaction, that comes with following God, and living as He directed. We all have errant natures, even the most devout among us, and Satan has learned through the centuries how best to deal with a true believer, and trip him or her up despite their faith. But experienced, mature Christians just stick with what Christ taught us, or tried to, and they are the ones who know true inner peace and tranquility, and the greatest satisfaction that exists in this earthly realm. "Blessed be the peacemakers." Do we serve a wonderful and loving God, or what?