God's Peace

Give peace a chance. Who wouldn’t?

Name me one person who wouldn’t give peace a chance—

In their marriage

In the workplace

With their children

With their parents

In their lives….Peace of mind.

Of course we want to get peace. Everyone wants it. If we could get it as a commodity, the Peace Store would be packed. We would all be customers buying our peace. But money doesn’t get it. It isn’t as though the very rich can get it. In fact, the more money the more peace slips away. Peace isn’t really available to everyone although everyone wants it. Some people have tried marijuana or even heroin. Some people have tried yoga. Some people meditate.

But when it comes down to the crunch, when you need it, when you want to make a withdrawal on it, you can’t. You can secure some elevated state and call it peace for a time, but it disappears. You still get angry on the highway, annoyed with your kids, furious with your spouse, bitter about your job or mad at your friends.

No peace.

People say “peace, peace“ but there is no peace. It’s funny we don’t have it. We do want it, but what is it?

There’s heaven itself, the place and heaven on earth. Heaven on earth is the eternal works and deeds established here that will not end but remain in heaven forever. Heaven on earth is peace on earth. Peace not as the world gives—it’s God’s peace in a man. It cannot be moved or shaken. It isn’t of this world. Every earthly man’s peace can be shaken or taken from him. For the unsaved man—the one who doesn’t call God friend —peace is in circumstances or people or property. Circumstances of power or favor or authority which give a man peace for a time can change.

Circumstances change. People change—they leave—they die.

Property can change ownership—or is simply left behind when we die.

Power and Favor and Authority are temporal. They all end at some point.

Only God doesn’t end.

Only God doesn’t change, go away, or die.

God alone is good.

All the time.

So it is Peace from Him that doesn’t diminish, depart or expire. The saved person has the Peace of God in him.

What is the difference between the saved and the unsaved? Well, the saved are saved right now and forever. Saved by God, made safe, given life forever. Removing the period mark of death and giving forever life to His people. As in the beginning in the garden, the perfect life without spot or blemish, no sorrow, no sighing, no tears, is Heaven. The saved have the peace of God in them from the top of their head to the bottom of their feet. God’s peace; resting in God. Circumstances can and will change for better or worse, but our peace is not in our circumstances. People will come and go: they may deceive you or betray you or even bless you, but our peace does not rest in them. Our peace neither comes nor goes with people who bring blessings nor with people who betray.

Judas the betrayer of Jesus didn’t steal God’s peace. Jesus wept. He struggled in the garden, yet was so willing to obey His Father that He desired to bring His human will into alignment with heaven’s plan. It wasn’t just death He agreed to. He agreed to separation from God; He bore the utter desolation of being separated from the Father when the sins of the whole world fell on Him. He secured a permanent peace for us who do not have to bear separation from the Father. And when Jesus returned, risen from the dead, His first greeting to His disciples was “Peace be unto you.” Jesus purchased peace that can never be bought or sold in this world. Those who belong to Him freely receive of it. Many seek it, many long for it. Some think they have it. But the peace of God is an indelible stamp, a burning lamp, an unquenchable wick. It can never be taken from us. It is an eternal gift that will pass from earth to heaven in our possession. It is a part of heaven we get now.

Lovely Christmas cards are stamped PEACE, but without God; they have nothing to offer. The world has an idea of peace. Some songs proclaim it. Peace will come give peace a chance. But they have missed it. Peace has come. The peace of God, the Prince of Peace has come.

And gone

And He will come again

And He has given us of Himself.

Do think about it, when you are maligned or condemned by others. Think about it, if you don’t go along with the crowd. Think about it, when you are tempted to do wrong because everybody else is “doing it.” You have a peace that passes all their understanding. You possess it. You do not have to give it up. You have something they may spend their whole life pursuing. Millions of people do. Lots of people have money to spend pursuing their peace of mind. There are many solid middle class families with money and many wealthy, rich people. But you—Child of God—have something their money can’t buy. You are rich. You have the Peace of God in you.

Everyone wants it—you have it. Don’t give up your birthright. It is yours as the heir of God. It is your inheritance. Your portion with God in the land of the living, Peace.