Pointing to Jesus

John 14:27- “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.”

Peace is the third fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galations 5:22. Peace is a byproduct of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives.  It can be defined as a state of tranquility or quiet and as the presence of calm in the midst of chaos.

The Hebrew word for peace is shalom, which means well, healthy, happy, friendly, or wholeness. The Greek word for peace is eirene, which means quietness or rest.

We are living in a time on earth where evil is running rampant. Chaos seems to be all around us. We not only have the things that are happening in the world, but also in our personal lives, our families, our jobs, and our relationships. All of these can cause our hearts and minds to be filled with worry, anxiety, unrest, sorrow, sadness, anger, etc.  How can we experience peace with all of this going on? God tells us how in His Word. God wants us to have peace, and we can’t have true peace without Him.

1. We can experience peace by keeping our thoughts and trust in God. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” How do we keep our thoughts and trust in God? We talk to Him (pray), we read His Word (the Bible), we go to church where we worship God, fellowship with others, and hear the Word of God preached; we listen to Christian music, watch a Christian movie, listen to a Christian podcast, read a Christian blog. Do whatever it takes to get your thoughts turned to God. The closer you get to God, the more peace you will experience.

2. We can experience peace when we love God’s law (the Bible). Psalm 119:165 says, “Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.” How do we learn to love Gods Word? From my experience, the more I read and study the Bible, the more I want to. The more I read and study God’s Word, the more I love God’s Word.

3. We can experience peace when we pray. Philippians 4:6,7 says, “do not be anxious about anything, 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 in Christ Jesus.” Talk to God about anything and everything. Ask Him for your prayer requests, and thank Him.

These are only a few of the ways we can experience God’s true peace. God wants to fill us with His peace, and again, the closer we are to God, the more true peace we will experience.

Shalom, Shalom,

Desiree