My Peace I Give to You (John 14:27)
If any human had the right to be in turmoil of mind, to be troubled, afraid, and maybe even despairing, It was Jesus in the last few hours of his life. He knew he was facing death and he knew it would be inconceivable suffering that would precede it. Yet, here he was calmly telling his disciples, 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.
Clyde Kilough:This account is in John 14 verse 27, today's scripture of focus. Is your heart ever troubled? Mine surely has been many times over the years. In such challenging times, nothing is more treasured than to be able to find peace of mind. That's what Jesus was promising.
Clyde Kilough:He wasn't assuring his followers their lives would be void of any disruption. In fact, he told them later that night that in the world, you will have tribulation, and that it could go so far as the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers god service. And in the next few hours, he himself would face so much stress that he would sweat blood and cry out to god to take it from him. Yet, he would also show what it meant to have a peace that settles the heart and cast out fear. And here, he offers that unique peace of mind to us as well.
Clyde Kilough:I say unique because it truly is one of a kind. He differentiated it from anything that is given by the world. When god is not in your life, the only sources of peace are what you or others in the world can try to come up with. Various ideas, maybe psychological tricks, humanistic or religious philosophies, or even just being in a peaceful setting, like quietly sitting by a lake watching the sun go down. But if your heart is troubled, even the most peaceful place cannot give the inner serenity you need.
Clyde Kilough:No. This this piece is something directly from God. And Jesus spoke in the previous verse about the source. In verse 26, he tells us, the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the father will send in my name, it will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Jesus promised his disciples would have opportunity to receive the spirit of god, the power and mind of god, that which provides us a totally different outlook on life, that which leads to peace.
Clyde Kilough:As Paul described it, god has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. God's spirit roots out human fear through the power of sound understanding of the things of god and having the love of god. And god's sound mindedness gives peace, the same peace with which Jesus dealt with life. You remember when Jesus was sleeping on the boat and a severe storm arose, threatening to capsize them, When the terrified disciples woke him, it says Jesus arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Clyde Kilough:The same god who has the power to create the earth and sea and wind and to control them, through his spirit working in us, can also easily calm our mental and emotional storms of worry, and doubt, and fear, and human reasoning. He can give us that peace and stillness through his spirit. Now, it's a developed ability, this learning to trust God, to trust his timing, to give our lives into his hands, to say as Jesus did, nevertheless, not my will, but your will be done. That doesn't come naturally to us. It requires developing a relationship with God through talking to him and listening to his voice revealed in his word, the Bible.
Clyde Kilough:It requires loving and living God's way. As David wrote, great peace have those who love your law, and nothing causes them to stumble. It requires fighting the negative tendencies to see only the physical circumstances when we can't see the spiritual. It means fighting Satan's influence to try to inject the spirit of fear in our minds. But God's spirit works in us to weave all of these elements together.
Clyde Kilough:And it results in what Paul described as the peace of God, which surpasses understanding, guarding your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ. What is your battle? What are your troubles? What threatens your peace? Take it to god.
Clyde Kilough:Talk to him. Cast all your cares upon him, as we are told in his word. Go to his word, search out his promises to you. Ask for his spirit to guide and direct your steps, your thoughts, and you can find the peace that no one or nothing in this world can give to you. You can own the same peace Jesus had.
Clyde Kilough:My peace, he said, that he would leave with us.
Kevin Scarbrough:If you've been enjoying Verse by Verse and want to help the show grow, here's what you can do to get the word out. Wherever you're listening, make sure to subscribe. If you're on a platform that accepts reviews and ratings, those can both make a big difference in helping other people find us. Verse by Verse is a companion podcast to the daily bible verse blog, which you can find on the life, hope, and truth learning center. Check out the show notes for more.
Creators and Guests
