Do we feel much peace these days? If we are disciples of Christ, we should. This daily devotional looks at God’s peace and Jesus’ peace and the benefits that we receive.
Nuggets
- One of the gifts God gives His people is peace.
- We get peace because of our relationship with God.
- Living in harmony with God is a good thing, which brings many good results.
This year, we are looking at self-discipline. We are using Vincent’s The Lesson of Ripeness sermon to look at the need to grow in our relationship with God. We morphed learning enough to be a teacher into determining some areas we need to grow so we can be mature disciples.
Vincent made a comment that really struck a chord with me. He wrote, “And time ought to have ripened faith in the sense of restfulness. We count it strange if natural manhood does not bring with it increased composure, tranquillity, balance. Shall we count it any less strange if, with the lapse of time, Christian manhood does not become better poised, more restful and quiet, less easily thrown off its balance?”
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We’ve looked at composure. Tranquility has different aspects, so in the last series we looked at contentment. Now, we are going to look at peace.
Devotions in the Peace Leads to Tranquility series
Let's Put It into Context
We’ve talked about peace several times. Peace is an inward tranquility or composure of the mind resulting from a balanced life with spiritual order, equity, and truth.
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Peace isn’t just the absence of conflict. It is a positive condition.
God wants disciples of Christ to experience peace in the midst of conflict. We can do that when we put our faith and trust in Him.
Let’s dig a little deeper into what peace is.
Peace Is a Gift
“The LORD gives his people strength; the LORD blesses his people with peace” (Ps. 29: 11 CSB)
We just talked about what a gift is. We said a gift was something that communicates the sentiment and love of the giver while bringing pleasure to the receiver.
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One of the gifts God gives His people is peace. Seeker states that God made us to search for peace. Everyone — believers and non-believers alike — want to have peaceful lives.
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But peace only truly comes to God’s people. “… the LORD blesses his people with peace” (Ps. 29: 11 CSB).
Let’s break that down, starting at the back end. While the New Testament disciples were generally called children of God or the elect, they – and we – are still God’s people. He has special blessings set aside for those who admit their sins, believe in Jesus as their Savior and Redeemer, and confess Him as Sovereign Lord.
Glossary
There is an alternate meaning to blessing than that of which we normally think. Blessedness means we have been perfected. The perfected state indicates spiritual wholeness or completeness.
Glossary
So, being blessed with peace is all wrapped up in our repenting of our sins, accepting the gift of salvation, being regenerated, and progressing along the Sanctification Road.
Did I mention peace comes from God? It is a gift — just like grace and faith are.
I thought that it was interesting that strength preceded peace in this verse. Bridge wrote this about strength He wrote, “How needed this is, for sin has made man weak. He tries to hide his weakness, but in vain. Nor can he heal himself. And after he is converted he still needs God’s strength, “who giveth power to the faint.” He would certainly fall and perish without it.”
Bridge went on to say that peace came from strength. I can see that. We have to have strength to withstand the onslaught of Satan. “… Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (I Pet. 5: 8 NIV).
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We get that strength in our relationship with God. The strength prepares us for the peace. If we don’t have a strong relationship, we don’t have strength, meaning we don’t have peace.
The gift of peace is all tied up in our working out our salvation on the Sanctification Road. We definitely need God’s strength to help us from being blown off course or taking scenic route by way of the exit ramp.
Christ’s Peace
“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don't let your heart be troubled or fearful” (Jn. 14: 27 CSB)
John 14: 27 is one of my favorite verses. But have we ever really sat down and though about what all Jesus’ peace means?
Melvill wrote about that. He said, “The peace of Christ — enjoyed by Him, and bequeathed to His followers — was not a peace resulting from a sense that sin was forgiven, for He had done ‘no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth.’ It must have been the thorough harmony which there was between His will and the Divine, His perfect acquiescence in every appointment of the Father, His undeviating confidence in His protection, and His imperturbable assurance of His love.”
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Oh, did you think that Jesus was going to say the peace was because sin had been defeated? He didn’t mean that.
Jesus didn’t even mean the peace was because sin had been forgiven. Remember, peace isn’t just the absence of conflict.
We get peace because of our relationship with God. It is about being holy and separated — at the throne of the Father.
I want to hammer this point home. We aren’t just separated from the world. We are united with God.
We can’t make a profession of faith and not let it change us. We don’t get peace if we do that.
Uniting with God is the turn we are supposed to take when we repent. Repentance is expressing sorrow for breaking God’s laws and commandments by making the commitment to changing ourselves through obedience so that we no longer do the wrong things.
Once we totally submit to God and start weeding sin out of our lives, God gives us His peace. “And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful” (Col. 3: 15 NLT). The “… rule in your hearts …” part is the relationship. Resource
What Does Peace Do for Us?
I know. I know. We always want to know what is in it for us — especially when when we are talking about submitting to God.
Peace is one of the fruits of the Spirit. Those are the nine areas that cause us to live in harmony with God.
Living in harmony with God is a good thing. It brings many good results.
It also helps us to live in harmony with others. We are held in high regard by those around us. Many respect us.
Parsons noted this peace should produce gratitude and devotedness. This gratitude stems from the results of the peaceful life.
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Isaiah 32: 18-20 says, “My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. Though hail flattens the forest and the city is leveled completely, how blessed you will be, sowing your seed by every stream, and letting your cattle and donkeys range free” (NIV).
We may not be owners of cattle and donkeys these days, but we can appreciate what it is saying.
- Our homes won’t be war zones.
- We will be safe.
- We will get our rest.
- Even in the chaos around us, we will be blessed.
Making the Connections
We probably don’t get an accurate picture of what His peace will be like because we filter it through our human nature lens. We would truly know what the peace is like if Adam and Eve hadn’t sinned.
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Making the Connections to Self-Discipline
Peace is an attitude. We can discipline our attitude.
Remember, God said we can’t do self-discipline without Him. We have to discipline our attitude by seeking Him.
Searching for and Seeking God
Hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17).
Reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3).
Praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16).
Studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11).
Meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2).
Memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11).
How Do We Apply This?
Parson’s called peace “… a sweet and delightful composure of mind, which arises from the sense of reconciliation with God.”
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That verifies that peace is an attitude. We choose to put our trust in God because of the strength of our relationship.
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We choose to feel peaceful in the storm of the trial.
Parker said, “There cannot be peace where there cannot be passion.” If passion is a barely controlled emotion, what are we supposed to be passionate about?
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We are supposed to be passionate about our Heavenly Father.
Melvill told us what that passion looks like. He wrote, “If the peace of God reigns in your heart, you will have a consciousness that sin is forgiven; an ever-growing earnestness in striving after holiness; a tranquillity undisturbed by the calamities of life; a hope superior to the terrors of death.”
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See, peace gives us tranquility. To get that tranquility, we need to commit to God. We need to submit everything we are to Him.
In return, we get a peace that passes understanding. Not a bad deal.
Father God. We submit ourselves to You. We long for Your peace. Help us to feel sheltered in the palm of Your hand when this world throws its chaos at us. We give You our love. Amen.
What do you think?
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