Praise God that Jesus made peace by the blood of His cross. Ask for the peace of God that surpasses all understanding to guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.
Read Isaiah 9:6
...and his name shall be called...
Prince of Peace...
Jesus is the ultimate royalty. Many are enamoured with studying earthly kings and queens. Many seek to know what is happening in William and Kate’s lives. We are in awe by royalty. But we need only be in awe by 1 who is royal. He is regal, He is majestic, He is glorious, He is magnificent.
He is the one who will bring true and lasting peace to this world. Peace, or shalom, is a glorious word in Hebrew which means much more than absence of war. Shalom is complete healing & complete wholeness. It is the world and your very life functioning the way it was meant to function.
Jesus came to give us two types of peace. He seeks to give us peace with God and the peace of God. The first is objective. While we were Christ’s enemies, yet sinners, yet weak and ungodly, he died for us. He cleansed us. He washed us clean. He took away our sin as far as the east is from the west. And because our sin was made as white as snow, the curtain of the temple was torn and we could come in God’s presence once again. Jesus made peace by the blood of His cross. We were His enemies. God’s arrows were pointed at us, until Christ died, reconciling us to the Father. We now have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We are adopted children. We will never again know the terror of condemnation and wrath that the enemies of God deserve.
We have true peace with God forever. Our hearts can rest. We can be confident there is no judgment for those who believe because Jesus paid it all. He absorbed the Father’s wrath for us. This is the first, solid, objective peace that you must know before you can experience the second, beautiful subjective peace of God in your life.
The second peace is the experiential peace of the child of God. This is the peace that frees you from anxiety and worry and fear. This is a gift from God available to all His redeemed children. Jesus is the Prince of Peace and He wants you to experience the depths of His peace deep in your heart. He wants to cleanse you and free you from guilt and shame to experience true peace.: A peace that surpasses understanding. It is available for you today. In a world given to fear and anxiety, this peace shines bright. The Holy Spirit wants to give you this peace. It is the third fruit of the Spirit. It is available here and now. How does one know this peace?
1. Turn your eyes to Jesus. Take your eyes off of your circumstances, off of the newspaper, off of the world and turn your eyes to the Lord. I like to begin every prayer time just thinking of Him; I seek to dwell on Who He is. I lift my eyes unto the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord the Maker of Heaven and Earth (Ps 121:1-2). Isaiah 26:3 says “He will keep in perfect peace all who trust in Him, all whose thoughts are fixed on Him!”
2. Surrender control. Give it to Him. Anxiety comes when we hold onto our fears and seek to take control ourselves. We take the place of God. 1 Peter 5:7 calls us to cast your anxieties on the Lord because He cares for you. Don’t just worry in God’s direction. If you have a burden, give it to Him. Say “I trust you with this, God’. Leave it with Him.
3. Guard your mind. The world, the flesh and the devil will try to take your thoughts to the worst places. What if??? ‘What if’s’ will destroy your peace. Philippians 4 calls you to dwell on what is true. ‘What ifs ‘ are not true. Take your mind off of these and onto the promises of God’s Word. Never will He leave you or forsake you. Surely He is with you always. He is your ever present help in trouble. If He cares for the flowers and the birds surely He will care for you. Every day of your life and your children’s life is written in His books. He is in control. He will work all things together for the good of those who love Him.
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