Devotion: Seek Jesus' peace
As our normal routines continue to get disrupted, sometimes with pretty dramatic changes, most people are feeling at least a little unsettled and anxious these days; some may be feeling ALOT of that! To encourage us through these uncertain times, we are spending time this week reflecting on peace - specifically, the peace Jesus’ offers us compared to the peace the world offers us.
Jesus shared these words with his disciples in the days leading up to His crucifixion:
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. John 14:27
The peace that Jesus gives Believers is totally different than the peace the world gives. In the world, we experience peace when circumstances are “good”, when things are going our way, when all in the world seems “right.” The peace Jesus gives is not based on circumstances, or feelings, it is based on faith and belief! It is not blind ignorance to trouble; it is profound composure in the face of trouble.
When Jesus said these words, He was encouraging His disciples, because He knew that His crucifixion was coming soon. He was preparing them for what He knew would be horribly troubling for them. He knew that they would be filled with fear. Can you imagine how they must have felt immediately after Jesus’ crucifixion? In those immediate hours, after seeing Jesus brutally beaten and hung to die on a cross, to say they were troubled and afraid might be an understatement.
If they were dependent on their circumstances to experience peace, they were not going to find it… Jesus wanted them to seek their peace, not in the world, but in their faith, trust, and belief in Him.
That is why He had already told them, at the start of this narrative to prepare them for what was to come, to comfort them: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.” John 14:1
If you want to experience peace in your life, understand that it comes in and through Jesus Christ. It comes in your confidence, your faith, your belief in Him - Your trust in Him, despite your circumstances. Your willingness to lean on Him when you are troubled, when things aren’t going so “good” in your life.
You may be far from peace today because life is not going well for you right now. Things are not going your way. Life may not be going so “good” these days. If you are dependent on circumstances to live at peace, you will never truly experience peace in this world. You will be dissatisfied, discontent, generally disgusted with life. Jesus doesn’t want that for you.
What can you and I do? Seek Jesus’ peace, not the fleeting, fickle, circumstantial peace offered by the world!
For much more, click here to listen to Finding Peace When I Don’t Understand.
If you would like to reach out to me for prayer or encouragement, you are welcome to email or call me at joel@mywatermark.org. I, and our Watermark mInistry staff team, are here to serve you in any way we can. This situation will get worse before it gets better; but it will get better! And God is in control!
Blessings!
Pastor Joel
Truth to Ponder
Seek Jesus' peace, not the world's peace.
Am I believing that God is in control or am I worrying about my ability to control my circumstances?
Spend today thinking about God's power. Thank God for granting His mighty power to us who believe. Ask for Jesus' help in specific areas of our lives where we are struggling to release our control. (John 14:27)
