In our world today it is near impossible to experience continual peace during the many storms and trials that we face without a firm foundation anchored in the Scriptures. To the average person, without a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ, peace in this crazy world, is not only difficult to imagine, but impossible to obtain. For someone once said: “No Jesus – No Peace. Know Jesus – Know Peace!
When it comes to understanding the concept of peace I really like what Pastor John MacArthur shared: “The biblical concept of peace does not focus on the absence of trouble. Biblical peace is unrelated to circumstances; it is a goodness of life that is not touched by what happens on the outside. You may be in the midst of great trials and still have biblical peace. Paul said he could be content in any circumstance; and he demonstrated that he had peace even in the jail at Philippi, where he sang and remained confident that God was being gracious to him. Then when the opportunity arose, he communicated God’s goodness to the Philippian jailer, and brought him and his family to salvation.”1
To this thought Alexander MacLaren adds: “True peace comes not from the absence of trouble, but from the presence of God and will be deep and passing all understanding in the exact measure in which we live in and partake of the love of God.”2
And one more quote that helps us get a full picture of biblical peace is from J. I. Packer: “There is no peace like the peace of those whose minds are possessed with full assurance that they have known God, and God has known them, and that this relationship guarantees God’s favor to them in life, through death and on forever.”3
When we know Jesus and know that Jesus knows and loves us, peace is something that should literally floods our souls, as we meditate on how our great God works all things for our good and His glory. Scripture tells us how to obtain this special kind of peace as follows: “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3). Keeping our minds focused on our eternal security in Christ, on God’s wonderful plan for our lives, on just how special we are to God, and that God works all things together for good, in my opinion is a wonderful recipe to live and walk in continual peace here on earth.
My friends when anxiety and circumstances seem to steal away our peace may I close with the best advice I have ever heard on how to get back in the center of God’s amazing peace: “Be anxious for nothing, 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 through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
2 Alexander MacLaren Quote: “True peace comes not from the absence of trouble, but from the presence of God and will be deep and passing all understa…” (quotefancy.com)