Real Peace
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).
In exchange for the anxiety and worry that we bring to God in prayer, Paul says we will receive the peace of God. This is the peace that Jesus spoke of in John 14.
On the night of His arrest, Jesus is gathered with the twelve in the upper room. They have gathered to celebrate the Passover, and Jesus begins to tell this ragtag group of disciples that He is going away to prepare a place for them. This was unexpected. They weren’t ready for Him to go away. They weren’t certain what the future would be, what it would look like without the Master in their midst. It is in this setting that Jesus speaks of peace:
“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).
This peace is not the temporary, superficial peace of the world that ebbs and flows with the latest news or our circumstances. This is an abiding peace that finds its foundation in the Prince of Peace. That is the promise of God’s Word -- that in exchange for our anxiety, we can have His peace.
Paul goes on to describe this as a peace that surpasses understanding -- a peace that exceeds the bounds of our understanding, a peace that will take us further than our limited understanding could ever go.
Finally, Paul says this peace will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. The idea conveyed by guard in this verse is that of a garrison, a place where the troops are stationed in a fortress or town to defend it. When Paul speaks of the heart, he is referring to the whole of the inner man. The picture here is the peace of God stationed in the inner man to defend against the attacks of the enemy and take us further than our understanding could ever go.
If you are feeling anxious or worried, yield your anxiety to Him and allow His peace to rule in your heart.
By Jesse Smith
In exchange for the anxiety and worry that we bring to God in prayer, Paul says we will receive the peace of God. This is the peace that Jesus spoke of in John 14.
On the night of His arrest, Jesus is gathered with the twelve in the upper room. They have gathered to celebrate the Passover, and Jesus begins to tell this ragtag group of disciples that He is going away to prepare a place for them. This was unexpected. They weren’t ready for Him to go away. They weren’t certain what the future would be, what it would look like without the Master in their midst. It is in this setting that Jesus speaks of peace:
“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).
This peace is not the temporary, superficial peace of the world that ebbs and flows with the latest news or our circumstances. This is an abiding peace that finds its foundation in the Prince of Peace. That is the promise of God’s Word -- that in exchange for our anxiety, we can have His peace.
Paul goes on to describe this as a peace that surpasses understanding -- a peace that exceeds the bounds of our understanding, a peace that will take us further than our limited understanding could ever go.
Finally, Paul says this peace will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. The idea conveyed by guard in this verse is that of a garrison, a place where the troops are stationed in a fortress or town to defend it. When Paul speaks of the heart, he is referring to the whole of the inner man. The picture here is the peace of God stationed in the inner man to defend against the attacks of the enemy and take us further than our understanding could ever go.
If you are feeling anxious or worried, yield your anxiety to Him and allow His peace to rule in your heart.
By Jesse Smith
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