Peace • Devotion 2

Not as the World Gives Peace
Pastor Justin Dean

“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

Our world admires peace as one of the noblest causes to strive after. Year after year, we award, honor, and prize people who strive after creating long-lasting world peace. Unfortunately, this goal has seemed to be futile. Our world seems more and more chaotic and violent than ever. The peace our world seeks is an end to hostility, but ultimately, there is more to peace than simply an end to war.

Read John 14:26-27.

It is not just the end of hostility, but the end of longing, emptiness, and falling short. It is a solution to the problem plaguing our lives, the battle with sin and doubt. We have been given the greatest ally in the war that is being waged on our flesh. Unlike the world, Jesus offers us the beginning of a new relationship with a helper, the Holy Spirit. When we realize this and rely on Him to fight our battles instead of trying to fight them according to our own strength, we begin to truly experience peace.

Peace is more than just an end to hostility, it is also a feeling of completeness. Oftentimes, we feel the most uneasiness when we feel that we are in need. For many of us, peaceful is the last word we would use to describe our finances. Jesus has some things to say about the lack of peace we exhibit over things we feel we need.

Read Matthew 6:30-33.

Unlike the way the world offers peace, which is through your own strength and accomplishments, Jesus offers peace through trust that He will provide and care for us. Many times, this is easier said than done because we are people who do not like trusting in things we cannot control. That is where prayer comes in.

Read Philippians 4:6-7.

If we need peace, we should be taking every situation to God in prayer. Taking time to stop and pray in times of chaos and anxiety is one of the simplest ways we can find peace. Our hearts and minds are unstable and shifting things and so, we need the peace of God that is given to us when we seek it to protect them.

Take a few minutes and write down a couple of things that you are worried or anxious about.
• Why are you feeling that way?
• How does worrying in those situations help solve them?
• How could God be using those situations to grow you?

I would encourage you to spend a few moments praying over the list of things you are anxious about and asking God to give you peace in those circumstances. Also, commit to praying any time you feel worried or anxiety starts to build in your mind and heart.

Peace is something worth seeking, and I guarantee you God will give it to you to protect you against the uncertainty that we face in our lives.
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