The God of Peace
It's no cliché to say that peace is one of the most precious gifts anyone can have. A person rich in material goods but poor in peace is experiencing the greatest poverty. That's why Jesus set the pace for my battle when he said in John 14:27:
"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."It is only because we can easily allow our hearts to be troubled that Jesus needed to speak these words. It's amazing how many times when the Lord's angel appears to people in the Bible, he introduces himself with two greetings - "Peace be with you" (Shalom) and "Do not be afraid".
In John 16:33, Jesus makes a similar statement:
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."I noticed a couple of things in this verse. Firstly, Jesus said that the peace is found "in me". Secondly, "in this world" we will all experience trouble (my battle with cancer is but one example). So here I am, so to speak, in two locations:
- I am in the world
- I am in Jesus
Even when I experience trouble in this world, it is in Jesus that I find peace. Which location will I choose to define my life? Only when my attitude to life is defined by being "in Jesus" rather than simply "in the world" will I discover the peace that is in Jesus.
Romans 15:13, which I quoted yesterday, explains how this works:
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."Put Romans 15:13 and John 16:33 together, and we discover that the peace that is found in Jesus comes from a trust in him.
God is often called "the God of peace" (see Romans 15:33; Philippians 4:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 13:20). One of the "fruit of the Spirit" is peace (Galatians 5:22). But this peace that is found in God is activated by trust in God. That's why Philippians 4:6-7 says:
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."I'm entering a brand new day with the Lord today. I don't know what trouble I may face, but one thing I do know - I'm not just living "in the world" but I am also "in Jesus." For that reason, I take hold of the truth of Paul's salutation in 2 Thessalonians 3:16:
" Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you."The secret to this "peace at all times and in every way" is, once again, the Lord of peace being with me. True peace is not based on the absence of battle, but rather on the presence of the God of peace. That's why Romans 16:20 says:
"The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet..."
posted by David A.Collins @ 4:39 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
hi paster collins,
from the morning service this morning i wrote down the address of your blog.
and it wasnt before i read your entries...but long before on previous sundays..that you are such a blessing. although you probably dont know who i am, i think youre talks are so God inspired...truly and that you are such a kid of God whose always really hungry for Him. and i think God is definitely using you!!=)
its amazing to know that you are excited about this challenge. ima gunna keep praying for you! cya later*
jess from morning service (not your daughter btw, but i know her a bit)
Yesterday, my kids were squabbling about the most stupid things. I had enough and pulled them aside to tell them that there are more important things in life than Nintendo DS, X-Box & flash movies. So, I told them about you. I told them how you have touched so many people's lives in such a short time with us at ECC. I told them how you found out you have cancer and how you know God wants you to fight the battle. I told them about how you were more concerned about others' reaction to your news than yourself. I told them that to live life is to live a life like yours. Guess what? For once, they did not have the last word...
My eldest (11yo) insisted on coming with us to visit you this afternoon because he wants to pray with and for you. My second (8yo)relunctanly stayed home (to keep a friend company) but insisted that his brother send his regards. Although my youngest (5yo) is still too young to understand what is happening, I have no doubt his 2 older brothers will take every opportunity to educate him!
David, I want you to know how you have touched all of us. God is using you to touch every person in our church...even the very young...especially the very young...
hi, i'm just a random american blog surfing. deep stuff. thank you. God is amazing. how he uses the internet is so cool. what you have written has touched me deeply.
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