August 17

Peace

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be fearful." John 14:27

Is your heart troubled? Jesus knows all about your anxieties and sufferings. He knows of both your own suffering and that of your family. He knows all about each of your loved ones. He knows their names, their needs and their sorrows and he will do exceedingly abundantly for them. He has the wherewithal to take care of every problem that arises in each of our lives. This is the key to finding peace amidst the storms of life: if we are absorbed in our Father's interests, He will take care of ours! We are His top priority. What a great trade off! When we are about our Father's business, He will take care of ALL of our business. Love is the motivating factor in all of this. Think about the examples in Scripture: did not David take care of lame Mephibosheth and all his physical needs because of his love for his father Jonathan? Did not Jesus heal Peter's mother-in-law out of love for Peter? If we will give to God all that is in our life, all that make us anxious, whether it pertains to ourselves or that of our loved ones, He is faithful to take care of the situation because He loves us so. I love the words of F. B. Meyer on this subject, he says we are to, "Transmit and commit! Hand over and then hands off!" That is the only way to finding true and lasting peace: giving our anxieties to the Lord and then leaving them there realizing that He will do what is necessary to see us through. Peace then becomes the sentry to our hearts: when anxious thoughts attempt to intrude upon our hearts, peace arrests them on the spot and sends them packing. Peace can be ours, right here and right now. It is not something we must hope for, some future blessing; it is part of our present inheritance. It is the legacy that Jesus' blood has bought us. Go about your Father's business and be assured that He will be about yours!

 Father in Heaven, thank you for the assurance that you will take care of every aspect of our lives! We do not need to waste time in anxious thought, we need only to give it over to you. Forgive us for our lack of faith. Forgive us when we try to do your job for you and take back our problems. Help us to step away from the situation and allow you to do your work, knowing we will only make a mess of things if we try to help you. Remove from our hearts all anxiety and fear. Jesus, we thank you for leaving us the legacy of peace. We thank you for your example and your sacrifice that gave us this present inheritance! Amen.