Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. – John 14:27
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No matter how tough we are, how removed we are, how indifferent we are, or how protected we are, there are real threats to our peace of heart and peace of mind. In this world, we will have troubles. But Jesus entered into our world of troubles so we could have our peace restored, both now and forever. That’s what He offers us … peace with God made possible because He died in our place, and the peace of God made possible because we believe in Him. In fact, to the degree that we trust that He rules and reigns over our lives for good, we will experience a depth of heavenly peace that comes when there is no earthly reason for it. Trust in the heart unseats and undoes trouble in the heart no matter what is happening in our lives, for Christian peace does not come instead of problems, but in spite of them. That doesn’t mean that we should be unconcerned or naïve about the realities of the brokenness around us, but rather we should face them with absolute confidence in the presence, promises and provision of Jesus. He has overcome the world, is with us as we live in the world, provides all that we need in this world, and promises to come back to deliver us from this world! So, today when you get that call, diagnosis, news, task, opposition, stress, roadblock or thing that troubles you, remember Who Jesus is to you and what Jesus promises to you. If you trust that He’s powerful enough, loving enough and wise enough to handle sin, death and Satan to give you eternal life, then trust that He can also help you through all the issues you face in everyday life until He gets you home. As you do, nothing will be able to take His peace away from you.
