Do we have peace in our hearts or does fear, worry and anxiety grip our heart relentlessly? Can we have wonderful peace in our hearts even during these troubled times? God in His goodness promises peace so let’s examine in more depth this awesome promise from the Bible. The fourth characteristic of the goodness of God revealed in the covenant redemptive names of Yahweh is set forth in the book of Judges.
Judges 6:11-16 (American Standard Version):
And the angel of Yahweh came, and sat
under the oak which was in Ophrah, that
pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and
his son Gideon was beating out wheat in
the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
And the angel of Yahweh appeared unto him,
and said unto him, Yahweh is with thee thou
mighty man of valor.
And Gideon said unto him, Oh, my lord, if
Yahweh is with us, why then is all this befallen
us? and where are all his wondrous works
which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not
Yahweh bring us up from Egypt? but now
Yahweh hath cast us off and delivered us into
the hand of the Midianites.
And Yahweh looked upon him, and said, Go
in this thy might, and save Israel from the hand
from the hand of the Midian: have I not sent thee?
And he said unto him, Oh, Lord, wherewith shall
I save Israel? behold, my family is the poorest in
Mannaseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.
And Yahweh said unto him, Surely I will be with
thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
Joshua had successfully led the children of Israel into the promised land of Canaan and instructed them before His death. He advised them to love the Lord God and know in their heart and soul that not one good thing that God had spoken concerning them had failed to come to pass. He told them to cleave unto the Lord and serve Him with sincerity and truth, and warned them of the consequences of serving other gods. Joshua wrote all these words in the book of the law of God and made a covenant with Israel that they chose to serve Yahweh. He sealed this covenant with a great stone that he set under an oak tree as a witness to Israel of their promise to God. After Joshua died, it was not long before Israel forsook the Lord, forgot this convent, and began to serve Baal, Ashtaroth, and other gods of the surrounding nations. This dramatically weakened Israel spiritually as a nation, and they could no longer stand against their enemies. When Israel became greatly distressed and cried out to the Lord, He would send a judge to deliver them from the hand of their oppressors. But once the judge died, they fell back into running after false gods to serve and worship them.
In Judges chapter 6, Israel had forsaken the Lord again and pursued their evil way of life, cleaving unto the powerless gods of their enemies. This new generation of Israelites had forgotten that only the Lord was Yahweh Jireh, who provided for every one of their needs; that only the Lord was Yahweh-Rapha who healed them in every way, and that only the Lord was Yahweh-Nissi, who brought them victory and protection from their enemies. The Midianites rose up and gained a stronghold in their country and oppressed Israel for seven years. Midian and her allies, which included the Amalekites, swarmed like locusts down on Israel with great hordes of men and animals and destroyed their crops and animals, bringing great impoverishment on Israel. The Israelites were hiding in dens and caves in great fear of their lives, without food and supplies to survive. They cried out in desperation to the Lord again and in great mercy and love, He moved greatly to help His people and reveal to them another magnificent aspect of his goodness.
God sent His angel to seek out a very simple man from a poor background to deliver His people from a massive and powerful enemy who was laying waste to the promised land of Israel. At that time, Gideon was hiding in the winepress, threshing some wheat so he could eat and survive. Yet God had other plans for Gideon, as He sent his angel to announce to him the awesome things He was going to do in his life and for his country. God called Gideon “a mighty man of valor” and “a valiant warrior” as God saw Gideon for what He would become when Yahweh worked in his life. God saw Gideon’s potential as a victorious warrior, a fearless leader and a future judge of Israel. God took a man who was behind closed doors in fear and exalted him to the position of valiant warrior, giving him the privilege to lead God’s people into victory and peace.
Judges 6:22-24 (American Standard Version):
And Gideon saw that he was the angel of
Yahweh; and Gideon said, Alas, O Lord
Yahweh! forasmuch as I have seen the
angel of Yahweh face to face.
And Yahweh said unto him, Peace be
unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.
Then Gideon built and altar there unto
Yahweh and called it Yahweh-Shalom:
unto his day it is yet in Ophrah of the
Abiezrites.
Gideon finally accepted the call of God on his life and built an altar calling it Yahweh-Shalom, which means “the Lord our peace.” God showed him that he can have peace, even in the midst of life’s most difficult circumstances. The fourth characteristic of the goodness of God revealed in His name is peace. In Hebrew, the word for peace, shalom, means: wholeness, completeness and soundness; it’s a harmony and unity of heart and soul because of a restored relationship with God, our Father; it is an inward and outward tranquility, a quiet assurance and a complete well-being where nothing is lacking or broken. Peace is the symphony and harmony of life, in which you enjoy all that is good because of your right relationship with God. It’s the freedom from being disturbed, agitated, stressed and troubled. It is the absence of discord, strife, and anxiety. It is to be at ease and calmly unaffected by circumstance. Peace is the highest measure of contentment, joyfulness, happiness, and satisfaction in life. There is absolute security, safety, and victory at the center of peace. It is the absence of inward conflict, condemnation, and torment, but rather a state of rest, calmness, and quiet confidence.
True peace is oneness and complete unity with Yahweh-Shalom, where there is a wonderful mutual sharing of the enjoyment of that bond and relationship. Yahweh-Shalom is the origin and source of all peace and we have and enjoy peace because of our relationship and oneness with Him. His peace is our peace. His wholeness is our wholeness. His soundness is our soundness. His completeness is our completeness. No man or woman can ever have peace without a vibrant, living fellowship and right relationship with Yahweh-Shalom. You can’t buy peace, you can’t medicate peace, and you cannot manufacture peace. You cannot produce peace from some mental gymnastic exercise or self-help book or seminar. It is impossible to have peace apart from Yahweh-Shalom. There is and never will be true peace for the unbeliever.
Isaiah 57:19-21 (New Living Translation):
I will comfort those that mourn bringing words
of praise to their lips. May they have abundant
peace, both near and far, says the Lord, who
heals them.
But those who still reject me are like the
restless sea, which is never still but continually
churns up mud and dirt.
There is no peace for the wicked, says my God.
Isaiah 59:8 (NIV):
The way of peace they do not know; there is
no justice in their paths. They have turned them
into crooked roads; no one who walks in them
will know peace.
To the unbeliever who rejects Yahweh-Shalom, his life will be like a troubled, restless sea. There is no calmness, no rest, no quietness, and no tranquility of heart and soul to those hostile toward God Almighty and His goodness. Picture in your mind a rough and raging sea, as the waves crash all around and the sea rises violently up and down, churning up all the muck and mire of its bottom. This is a vivid illustration of the heart of someone who does not know Yahweh-Shalom. His heart is a continual state of unrest and instability, tossed around by the raging waves of circumstances, troubles, and problems, contaminated by the muck and mire of sin. But when a man or woman turns to God and gives their heart and soul to Him, Yahweh-Shalom brings comfort, rest, healing, and abundant peace, as He calms the furious seas of a person’s soul.
The peace of God is where the stillness, calmness, and quietness of God reign unbroken and undisturbed. Picture a beautiful serene lake that is perfectly still with only a gentle breeze and crystal clear water. The lake is calm and tranquil, with the sun glistening off the waters. This is a vivid illustration of the heart and soul of someone who has the peace of Yahweh-Shalom in their life. Yahweh-Shalom is the way of peace, as He provides the direction and road to travel in life, in order to accomplish His purposes and have abundant, cleansing peace. The wicked follow a crooked path that only leads to frustration, anxiety, and unrest, as it never leads to peace. God wants us to know and experience His awesome peace from the morning sunrise until the evening ends. Nothing is more refreshing, healing, and exhilarating to experience than the peace of God.
Psalm 29:11(Amplified):
The Lord will give unyielding and impenetrable
strength to His people; the Lord will bless His
people with peace.
Isaiah 26:12 (New Revised Standard Version):
O Lord, you will ordain peace for us, for indeed,
all that we have done, you have done for us.
Jeremiah 29:11 (Amplified):
For I know the thoughts and plans I have for you,
says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and
peace, and not for evil, to give you hope in your
final outcome.
We, as God’s children, have the blessing of His peace, and He has ordained the path and way of peace for each believer’s life. God wants us to live and abide in His peace in everything we do. His refreshing peace should be a vital, living reality in our daily walk with Him. The peace of God should penetrate our thoughts and actions as we build our lives on the foundation of His peace.
Psalm 72:7 (God’s Word to the Nations):
May righteous people blossom in his day.
May there be unlimited peace until the moon
no longer shines.
Job 22:21: (New King James Version):
Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at
peace. Thereby good will come to you.
God wants you, as His beloved son or daughter, to blossom and flourish in life like a beautiful flower, and be filled to overflowing with His unlimited peace. There is no boundary or limit to the peace of Yahweh-Shalom. God does not want a speck or a brief flurry of peace for you, but desires His boundless peace to permeate every fiber of your being. The peace of God should be our lifestyle and our way of living. We must acquaint ourselves with our Heavenly Father and build our intimate relationship with Him, in order to live and abide in His peace. The word “acquaint” in the Hebrew means: to know intimately, to show harmony with, to cohabit with, to come home and to be familiar with. The essence of the word is to know and experience such a close and personal relationship with someone, that we cherish and treasure everything about it. God wants us to come to Him and know Him in an intimate, close, and harmonious relationship, where we feel completely at home in His presence. God wants us to cherish and love Him deeply, and as our relationship grows with Him, then our lives will be at peace and all the goodness of God will flourish in us. God’s goodness flows out of our union with Him. When we learn how to live and abide in His peace, then the goodness of God will be manifest in our thoughts and actions. The goodness of God and the peace of God are intertwined companions and cannot be separated by any earthly circumstance or power. The peace of God rests on the foundation of His goodness.
Isaiah 26:3 (Amplified):
You will guard him and keep him in
perfect and constant peace whose mind
[both its inclination and its character] is
stayed on You, because he commits
himself to You, leans on You, and hopes
confidently in You.
Gibbs :
God keeps him in perfect peace whose
mind is union with Him through loving trust.
When our mind is in union with God and we lean on Him, commit our way to Him, and believe confidently in Him, our lives will be in constant and perfect peace. The word “stayed” in the Hebrew means: to lay, support, lean and rest upon; to sustain and uphold. What supports your thought life? What do you lean your mind on when times get tough? What do you rest your mind upon in your daily living? Our minds as Christians should be sustained, upheld, and supported by being intently focused on God and His Word.
The word “mind” in the Hebrew expresses the whole direction and attitude of one’s life. It is everything we fashion and form in our mind, which includes thoughts, purposes, desires, goals, ideas, considerations, and reflections. Everything we devise in our mind should rest and lean upon God. Our mind should be stayed, focused, and immersed in our loving Heavenly Father. The whole direction of our thoughts, actions, and desires should be firmly supported and established in God. Then God will keep us in the center of His perfect peace. God guards and protects your peace when you are focused on Him, and nothing the world throws at you can rattle or disturb your peace. The words “perfect peace” are shalom, shalom and the doubling of the word emphasizes that it is an absolute truth that God has established; it is even more certain than any natural law like gravity. The word is doubled to show the abundance and completeness of his peace available to the believer who trusts and centers his mind on Him.
Romans 8:6(b) (KJV):
But to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Psalm 119:165 (Amplified):
Great peace have they who love your law;
nothing shall offend them or make them stumble.
Psalm 4:8 (Amplified):
In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for
you, Lord, alone make me dwell in safety
and confident trust.
Life and peace abound in the life of a man or woman who has their thoughts focused on God and His Word. When we love God’s Word, meditate upon it, and hide it in our hearts, great abundant peace will flow through every part of us. Absolutely nothing in the world will cause us to stumble, for we are rooted and grounded in His peace. We have confident trust in the Lord and the complete safety and protection He provides, so every night we enjoy the sweet sleep of peace. Nothing disturbs us; nothing rattles us, and nothing agitates us, for we have His peace.
Psalm 55:18 (Amplified):
He has redeemed my life in peace from
the battle that was against me [so that
none came near me], for they were many
who strove with me.
We can have the peace of Yahweh-Shalom overflowing in our heart in the midst of any battle we will ever face in life. No matter how difficult the circumstance or how hard the problem, we can train our mind and heart so that we live and abide in His peace. We have a quiet assurance and an inward tranquility for we rest in the loving arms of our Heavenly Father who protects, sustains, and shields from every harm, every attack, and every enemy.
Romans 5:1 (Amplified):
Therefore, since we are justified (acquitted,
declared righteous, and given a right standing
with God) through faith, let us grasp the fact
that we have (the peace of reconciliation to
hold and to enjoy) peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the
Anointed One).
No one can have the true peace of God in their life until they are reconciled to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Reconciliation produces the restoration of a relationship of peace that had been disturbed and broken in the Garden of Eden by the high treason of Adam. Reconciliation is to change a relationship of hostility, enmity, and separation to a relationship of love, acceptance, admiration, and friendship. It is a relationship of peace and favor, as we are no longer at war with God or hostile to Him. There is no rejection, no condemnation, no guilt, and no unworthiness in this close, loving relationship. This relationship of peace is more than the mere absence of enmity or hostility, but the invitation from God to come into his presence and enjoy the closeness and loving bond of a relationship with Him.
The peace of God is the legal right and possession of every born again believer. We HAVE peace with God. All the barriers have been abolished between you and God. There is no friction, no uneasiness, no conflict, and no obstruction in this new relationship of peace. It is a complete harmony and unity with Yahweh-Shalom. The word “peace” in the Greek means: to bind or join together what is broken or divided, setting the broken parts as one again. When the broken parts come together, there is nothing between them that would stop the cohesion that has taken place. Once they are joined together they are one, never to be separated again. It holds better than super glue, because they will never come apart. True peace is complete oneness and unity with God where there is a mutual enjoyment of the wonderful relationship of a Father with His children.
The Greek word also carries with it the meaning of the absence or end of strife and denotes a state of untroubled, undisturbed well-being. The word “with” in the Greek means: toward and is an indication of closeness or nearness and could be translated ‘facing’. We stand in God’s presence justified and freed from the penalty of sin, completely made righteous and redeemed with unlimited access to our Heavenly Father, because of the finished work of Jesus Christ. We have made lovely and acceptable in Christ Jesus and gaze face to face into the loving presence of our God, having complete peace and oneness with Him. We are in Him, and He is in us, and in this oneness we have His peace as a permanent possession, because of who we are in Christ. His peace is a part of us, just as much as an arm or leg is part of our physical body. We don’t have to ask God for peace because we already have it. He has given to us all the peace of God to hold and enjoy every moment of our lives. We renew our minds by faith and confess this great sonship right of peace to bring it into manifestation in our lives. We do not want the peace of God to remain dormant in us, but we want to activate it by believing, so it is a living reality in every circumstance of life
What a wonderful truth and message about the peace of God, as it is so magnificent that God calls it the “gospel of peace” in Romans 10:15. The good news of peace that Jesus Christ brings should be declared from every mountain top to every valley, to every city, and to every town. We should just stand in awe of how breathtaking the goodness of God is as He has given us His peace that can never be disturbed, agitated, or broken.
Jesus Christ is the way, truth, and the life to the peace of God. It cannot be found or discovered anywhere else. It does not originate in the mind of man or in some philosophy, religion, or way of thinking. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace, according to Isaiah 9:6, and the word “prince” in the Hebrew means: ruler, prince, chief, captain and leader. Jesus Christ is the captain, the chieftain, the ruler, and prince of the peace of God. If you want the peace of God to rule and reign in your life, you must come to its only Prince, the Lord Jesus Christ. The peace of God is only available in, through, and by Him.
Luke 1:78,79 (New Living Translation):
Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning
light from heaven (Jesus Christ) is about to
break upon us.
To give light to those who sit in darkness and
in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the
path of peace.
Ephesians 2:14(a) (Wuest):
For He (Jesus Christ) himself is our peace…
When you examine this verse in Ephesians in the Greek, the emphasis is on the intensive pronoun autos which means, “He and no other.” In his Word Studies of the Greek New Testament, Wuest states that there is even a deeper meaning from the Greek and that this verse suggests:
Not only “He alone” but “He in His own Person”
made peace. It was not only that peace was made
by Christ and ranks as His achievement, but that
it is so identified with Him that were He away,
it would also fail-so dependent on Him that apart
from Him we cannot have it.
Without Jesus Christ, there is no peace of God available to any man, woman or child upon the earth. Jesus Christ is the light of the world that delivers us from the power of darkness and guides us to the path of peace. The peace of Yahweh-Shalom is absolutely dependent upon what Jesus Christ did at Calvary, for it required His sacrifice on the cross and God raising Him from the dead to restore the peace of God lost by Adam in the Garden of Eden. We cannot enjoy and experience this peace unless we are a new creation in Christ; otherwise peace is a fleeting illusion. The blood of Jesus Christ was shed for our peace.
Colossians 1:20 (NIV):
And through him to reconcile to himself all
things, whether things on earth or things in
heaven, by making peace through his blood,
shed on the cross.
Isaiah 53:5 (English Standard Version):
But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him
was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
The punishment that Jesus endured on the cross was for our peace. He paid the penalty of our sin, and as our Savior, brought us into harmony and oneness with God, where we can rest in and enjoy the wholeness of His peace. Our peace was bought and paid for by the blood of Christ and sealed with an eternal covenant that guarantees peace as part of our eternal inheritance. You are identified and share in everything He accomplished at Calvary, for Christ is in you and you are in Christ. He is a part of you and lives and abides with you always. We can experience as a living reality the same peace Jesus had when he walked on the earth.
John 14:27 (Amplified):
Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I
now give and bequeath to you. Not as the
world gives do I give to you. Do not let
your hearts be troubled, neither let them be
afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be
agitated and disturbed; and do not permit
yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and
cowardly and unsettled.]
John 16:33 (Amplified):
I have told you these things, so that in Me
you may have [perfect] peace and confidence.
In the world you have tribulation and trials
and distress and frustration; but be of good
cheer [take courage; be confident, certain,
undaunted]! For I have overcome the world.
[I have deprived it of power to harm you and
have conquered it for you.]
Jesus Christ gave us His perfect peace, and this is the same peace Jesus had in quality, richness, and measure. It is the peace Jesus had in the midst of a raging storm on the Sea of Galilee, in the midst of the angry crowd at the synagogue in Nazareth, in His quiet prayer times on the mountainside, and in the middle of the hurling accusations of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The heart of Jesus was absolute perfect calmness, even in the midst of the most raging circumstance or challenge. It was a place where no trouble or agitation could penetrate or disturb, and where the stillness and quietness of God reigned unbroken. It was a peace that came from the bond of unity He has with His Heavenly Father, and the harmony and intimacy of that relationship.
The word “give” in verse 27 in the Greek means: to give freely and unforced; to deliver, supply, and commit. Jesus freely and without hesitation supplied, committed, and delivered to us in love His wonderful, awesome peace. It is not a counterfeit outward peace that the world offers, which is unstable, fleeting, and temporary. It was His peace that He lived, breathed, and walked in every moment of His earthly ministry.
The world “troubled” in verse 27 in the Greek means: to stir up, to agitate as water in a pool, to disturb with various emotions, to disquiet and make restless, to cause inward commotion and to take away one’s calmness of mind. The word “be afraid” in the Greek means: to be timid, to be cowardly, and to shrink back in fear.” Both of these verbs are in the passive voice in the Greek, which means the heart is being acted upon by an outside force or power and is the receiver of the verbal action. We are to stop allowing outside influences to disturb, agitate, and trouble our heart, for we have the same peace of God that reigned in the life of Jesus. Jesus Christ never became agitated, restless, or disturbed inwardly, no matter what was happening around him. Even as he hung on the cross for hours in pain and agony, his heart was at complete peace. He did not allow circumstances, people, or relationships to steal His peace.
There will be tribulations, trials, and frustrations thrown at you while you live in the world, but it never need disturb or agitate your inner calmness and peace. In Christ we have perfect peace and confidence, for our Savior overcame every circumstance and power in the world and deprived it of its power to harm us. His complete victory at Calvary gave us his peace so that we can be more than conquerors both inwardly and outwardly in every situation. We never have to shrink back in fear from any person, influence, problem, or circumstance, for we are His and He is ours and we have the peace of God living in our hearts. It is like a ship’s chronometer, which remains perfectly motionless in the midst of the most tumultuous rocking and raging of the sea, and maintains its perfect level when the ship is plunging and careening in every direction. The peace of God in our heart is our chronometer that allows us to be perfectly calm and tranquil, even in the midst of a tempest sea of circumstance and the raging waves of the negativity and fears of this age.
Philippians 4:6,7: (Wuest):
Stop perpetually worrying about even one
thing, but in everything by prayer whose
essence is that of worship and devotion and
by supplication which is a cry for your personal
needs, with thanksgiving let your requests for
the things asked for be made known in the
presence of God.
And the peace of God which surpasses all power
of comprehension shall mount guard over your
hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Phillips Translation:
Don’t worry over anything whatever; tell God
every detail of your needs in earnest and thankful
prayer.
And the peace of God which transcends human
understanding, will keep constant guard over
your hearts and minds as they rest in Christ Jesus.
We need never worry or be anxious about any circumstance or problem we face, for we have a Heavenly Father to whom we can take every need and difficulty to in prayer. In the Greek, the word “worry” describes the state of the mind of being pulled apart and divided by anxious cares and worries. It is characterized by an extreme uneasiness of the mind and a brooding fear about something, and emphasizes a fear of misfortune, failure, disappointment, and disaster. Worry denotes a lack of focus and trust in God and an endless running of the mind in all directions. God says instead of worrying or being anxious, bring the problem to Him in earnest and thankful prayer. We should worry about nothing and pray about everything. That is the lifestyle of the believer.
The word “prayer” in the Greek means: a prayer to God of worship, adoration, and devotion remembering His character, His attributes, His names, His goodness, and who He is. It is a prayer where our heart is focused on His greatness and majesty. It is a prayer where our heart remembers all the great qualities of the goodness of God and overflows with thankfulness. It is from this heart of love that we make specific detailed requests for our personal needs and the needs of others. Then God promises that His awesome, wonderful peace will mount and keep constant guard over our hearts and minds as we rest in our union in Christ Jesus. No fear, no worry, and no anxiety can penetrate and disturb our heart or mind, for the peace of God is guarding our heart.
The word “guard” in the Greek was a military term for the guarding of a city by a military garrison that kept constant watch to protect and secure the city from the hostile invasion of any enemy. This peace of God protects and guards our heart like a military garrison, keeping it calm, tranquil, and without agitation from any outside influence. When we love God with all our heart, seek Him in prayer in all of life’s situations, and walk in our sonship rights and privileges in Christ Jesus, the peace of God will overflow in our heart and act as a strong barrier against every fiery dart of the wicked one. The peace of God is the impenetrable barrier, the unbreakable wall, and the protective watchtower against every device of the devil designed to distract and divide our mind from serving the one true God. The peace of God enables us to live above the fear and anxiety of the world and enjoy our reconciliation with our Heavenly Father, even when the terror of this age rages around us.
Romans 16:20 (English Standard Version):
And the God of peace will soon crush
Satan under your feet. The grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ be with you. .
Wuest:
And the God of the peace will trample
Satan under your feet soon.
Yahweh-Shalom is the God of THE PEACE, and He will crush and trample Satan and all his influences under our feet, because His peace lives and reigns in our heart. The word “crush” in the Greek means: to break in pieces, to shiver, to tread down, to be perplexed and in anguish, to tear one’s body and shatter one’s strength, and to trample on as a conqueror.” When we are in harmony and fellowship with the God of peace and allowing Him to direct our lives in the center of peace, every satanic power, every satanic bondage, every satanic anxiety and every satanic fear, is utterly broken in pieces and shattered by the God of peace. There is nothing that perplexes and causes anguish to the devil more than seeing a born again believer walk and live in the peace of God. Satan cannot rattle, disturb, agitate and control a child of God, who enjoys and claims their sonship right of peace. The peace of God allows us to live with Satan utterly trampled and tread down under our feet. If you want to crush the negative influence of Satan, then you must live, move, and breathe in the peace of God.
Colossians 3:15 (Wuest):
And the peace of Christ, let it be acting
as umpire in your hearts, into which also
you were called into one body. And be
constantly thankful persons.
The peace of Christ should be the foundation of every decision we make in life. This peace should be the umpire in our heart determining the direction in which we choose to walk. I love the game of baseball, and umpires are an important part of the game. The umpire determines whether a pitch is a ball or strike, whether a player is safe or out, and whether a ball is fair or foul. They enforce the rules and make the calls, unruffled by managers or players. The umpire settles differences when there is a conflict in thought and opinion. The outcome of the game is often determined by the call of the umpire.
When we are in harmony and fellowship with God and walking by the spirit, the wonderful peace of Christ will settle every difficulty, resolve every conflict, and enlighten every decision. The peace of Christ will show us what the will of God is in every choice we have in life. The peace of God not only guards our heart, but it guides our heart into the paths that God has chosen for us. The peace of God allows us to move into every situation with total poise and calmness, not upset or perturbed, because we know the God of peace. Every born again believer in the body of Christ has been called to peace, and the peace of Yahweh-Shalom should be a vibrant, living reality in our lives.
II Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV):
Now may the Lord of peace himself give
you peace at all times and in every way.
The Lord be with all of you.
Amplified:
Now may the Lord of peace Himself grant
you His peace (the peace of His kingdom) at all
times and in all ways [under all circumstances
and conditions, whatever comes]. The Lord [be]
with you all.
What a wonderful relationship of peace and wholeness we can enjoy with our Lord, where nothing is broken or lacking. We have the great benefit and blessing of peace, where we are in complete unity with Him and have an inner tranquility and calmness that is unaffected by circumstance. At all times and in all ways, no matter the problem, condition, or circumstance, the Lord has given us His peace to guard and guide our hearts. No trouble, no fear, and no worry can disturb the heart of peace. What an awesome characteristic of the goodness of God-His peace which He has given to every person who has been reconciled to Him through Christ. The Lord of peace lives in our heart, and nothing is more refreshing, more exciting, and more exhilarating than to experience His peace every moment of our lives.
Excerpt from “The Magnificent Goodness of God and How it Will Transform Your Life” by Tim Rowe
