“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
Next to salvation and eternal life, peace may be our greatest gift from God. When you are at peace, you are healthier, happier, and able to think clearly.
But peace can be hard to find in a hurting world.
Peace in Hebrew is shalom.
Shalom means more than the absence of trouble. Shalom means peace, health, security, completeness, wholeness, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquility, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord, and prosperity in the best sense.
Not as the world gives, Jesus said. The peace He imparts is through a relationship, not resources, negotiations, truces, nor human efforts to find “inner peace.”
To enjoy a healthy, intimate relationship with God is to know peace.
Sar SHALOM, the Prince of Peace, is one of the biblical names describing the ministry and purpose of the Messiah (Isaiah 9:6). He came, He died, and rose again to life to give us peace.
In moments of anxiety, fatigue, heartache, and world-weariness, we pray for and long for peace in our hearts and minds.
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled,” Jesus said.
But that can be so hard, Lord, when there is so much that stirs up our hearts, from the daily news to our families and loved ones.
“Do not be afraid,” He exhorts us.
I can’t do that on my own. I don’t want to be afraid, but I need help to battle the whispers in my mind that tell me there is indeed much to fear.
That’s when we can pray and know that peace is exactly what God wants to give us. He sent the Holy Spirit to comfort our hearts and empower us to handle what makes us anxious and afraid.
He invites us to "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).
“Peace is such a precious jewel that I would give anything for it but the truth.” —Matthew Henry
Shalom,
Pastor Ray Bentley
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