Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Isaiah 26:3 NKJV You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.
God has a plan for peace in your life that will keep you in every circumstance or situation.
- Do you have experiences in your past that rob you of the peace that God gives?
- Do you feel that the events of your past control you and the things you want to do?
- Does your past still come to mind and destroy your peace?
His peace covers your past, present and future.
God’s peace covers your past.
The peace that the Lord gives covers unresolved issues in your life. His peace covers your failures and your weaknesses. His peace guards your heart and mind.
If you want His peace, you must bring everything to God.
He knows how to handle your past.
His peace is not just good over your past, it also helps you in your present situations in life.
His peace remains when circumstances are uncontrollable and when people are unchangeable. He gives peace when problems are unexplainable and when troubles are unwavering.
How can we have that kind of peace?
Jesus was speaking words of comfort to His disciples.
John 14:27 NKJV Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Here is the problem with many people.
Some people want a religion that requires them to work everything out on their own. They depend on their ability to make peace with their past and present.
Christianity is different because we put all our trust in Christ.
When we put our trust in Christ, He gives us His peace.
He gives peace that is more than a subjective feeling. He gives His peace that is a result of a transformed mind and a justified life. His peace is the cessation of conflict with God. His peace comes from a right standing before God our Father. This lasting peace does not expire when tribulations, trials, sickness or death comes. He gives a peace that becomes part of our character and nature. We have PEACE because the Prince of Peace is with us and is dwelling in us.
John 16:33 NKJV Jesus said: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Peace is an integral part of the renewed mind.
When we have the mind of Christ, we have peace. The mind of Christ is a mind of peace.
The book of Romans gives 11 references to this peace that comes from Christ.
- This peace comes from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, (Romans 1:7).
- It is peace that comes from God’s righteous work through Christ, (Romans 2:10).
- It is peace with God that is a result of being declared just and righteous by faith, (Romans 3:17).
- It is peace that comes from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, (Romans 8:5-9).
- It is peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, (Romans 14:17).
- This peace is accompanied by hope and joy in believing that we may abound by the power of the Holy Spirit, (Romans 15:13).
- This is God’s peace that remains with you, (Romans 15:33).
- The peace that He gives will crush Satan under your feet shortly, (Romans 16:20).
Do you see how different this peace is from the transient peace that comes from a tranquil and solitary life?
Have you ever been in a wonderfully beautiful garden? People said it is so peaceful and quiet, but you were troubled in your spirit and mind. You can be alone and in perfect quietness and not have peace.
Real peace must transcend our mind and spirit.
When Jesus gives His peace, He gives us a new mind and a new heart. He renews our mind and fills it with His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. He renews our mind by putting off the former way of life, (Ephesians 4:22). Our renewed mind is transformed by the Spirit of God.
From that renewed mind flows this peace that Jesus gives.
Jesus’ peace is normal for the child of God. Living in turmoil, worry, anxiety, fear, and frustration is abnormal. It is abnormal for the child of God. God does not want you to live in that state of mind.
God has given you His peace.
He has given you His very own peace. He has given you the necessary help and protection so you can live in peace.
- This peace is great enough to handle all of your past failures, disappointments, and distresses.
- This peace is sufficient to see you through all of today’s trauma and drama.
- This peace is strong enough to help you face tomorrow.
- His peace will keep you in every facet of your life.
Without mentioning peace, Psalms 91 talks about the effect of this peace in your life.
Psalm 91:1–3 NASB95 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!” For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper And from the deadly pestilence.
He is our shelter and that gives us peace.
Psalm 91:4–6 NASB95 He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark. 5You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day; 6Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
Whatever we face, He will cover us and that gives us peace.
Psalm 91:7–9 NASB95 A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But it shall not approach you. You will only look on with your eyes And see the recompense of the wicked. For you have made the Lord, my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place.
Even when you observe the reward of the wicked, you will dwell in safety and peace.
Psalm 91:10–12 (NASB95) No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent. For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, That you do not strike your foot against a stone.
God’s angels will be dispatched to accompany and defend you in all of your ways.
Psalm 91:13 (NASB95) You will tread upon the lion and cobra, The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.
Can you see how this is made possible? Since the Lord is keeping you, you are safe. No evil that comes against you will prosper.
Psalm 91:14–16 (NASB95) “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name. “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. “With a long life I will satisfy him And let him see My salvation.”
Do you need peace in your life?
When you call on the Lord He will come with comfort and peace.
Are there areas of your past life that are stealing your peace?
You do not have peace when you are constantly making excuses or decisions based on what happened. You do everything that you can to shield and cover, dodge and block anything that may bring back that circumstance.
In your present experiences, are you living in the peace that God gives?
Are your present thoughts, actions, and feelings filled with His peace?
Looking at your future, do you have peace?
Are you so filled with anxiety over your past and present that you cannot face the challenges of tomorrow?
God wants to help you where you live by giving you His peace.
The path to personal peace finally involves trusting God’s loving care.
Philippians 4:6-7 NLT Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Do you believe this?
Why can people like you and me trust God?
It is not just because God knows what is best.
We can trust God because He has already done what is best.
Think this through with me.
If we trust God to take care of us forever after we die, why shouldn’t we trust Him to care for us before we die?
The path to personal and perpetual peace involves trusting God’s love and care… now.
What is the effect of this peace in our lives?
The impact of God’s peace brings a state of tranquility and rest, even in the storms of life. With this kind of peace, we can put away worry and anxiety. As a result of this peace, we can face the most severe situations in life with calmness. A peace that is based on circumstances will fluctuate with the conditions and tides of life. Storms control your emotions and your faith if you do not have this kind of peace. Battles will destroy your position of victory in Christ without this quality of peace. In the storm, you will understand the depth and power of this peace.
Hebrews 4:9–11 NKJV There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.