Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 3:16

The Source of True Peace

Everybody in the world wants to have peace, saved or lost, without exception.

The world offers something it calls “peace”, but it’s far different from the peace the Lord offers. 

The world’s peace is fragile. It’s contrived. It’s superficial. It’s simply a veneer.

God’s peace is far different from the world’s peace. The Lord’s peace is lasting. It’s deep. It’s unshakable. And it’s not dependent upon circumstances. 

In today’s passage, we read about how the Lord grants you His peace in every circumstance. 

So here’s the question you must ask yourself… 

Are you truly experiencing the Lord’s peace in your life?

In both Hebrew and Greek, the words for peace have a similar meaning. They mean that you have an inner calm. Things might be falling apart around you, but inside you can experience tranquility. 

God wants you to have this kind of unshakable peace. And the good news for you is that God is the source of the very thing He wants you to have. 

Prophesying about the first advent of Christ, the book of Isaiah tells us His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. 

The Lord Jesus is the embodiment of peace. 

Look at His life and you can see this play out because He’s God in the flesh, and God in the flesh is the God of peace. When Christ was walking this earth, He had much to accomplish. He had many people pursuing Him, grabbing onto Him, wanting His attention. 

He had people after Him all the time. And yet He never bites off somebody’s head because He is too stressed out. He never flies off the handle. Sure, He shows righteous anger, but He never lashes out in anger because His inner world is a mess. It wasn’t. He’s always at peace. 

Is there any better picture of peace than when Jesus is in the boat with the disciples as they travel across the Sea of Galilee? He’s asleep in the boat, and a huge storm hits. The wind is blowing, the waves are crashing into the boat, and the disciples are fearing for their lives. They thought they were going to drown and die. And yet through it all, Jesus is asleep! Asleep!? 

How in the world can anyone sleep through a storm like that? Jesus can sleep through the worst of storms because He’s at perfect peace. He’s not worried or bothered about anything. Why? Because He’s in control of everything. 

And if you want to experience His peace, you have to recognize that He’s in control of your life and trust His plan for you. 

When you die, go to heaven, and stand before God, you’ll look at your life from His perspective and say, “Lord, the way you worked in my life, you did it all perfectly well.”

God is in charge and in control. He IS peace, and you can have peace in Him.

1. When have you experienced the Lord’s peace in your life? Take a moment to write down a few experiences that come to mind and thank God for giving you His peace.

2. In what ways might you be seeking the world’s peace instead of God’s peace right now? Ask God to help you turn from temporary peace and take hold of His lasting peace.

Scripture: John 14:27

A Gift to Those Who Follow Him

Do you want peace? 

If you do, here’s a kernel of truth that should bring a great deal of encouragement to your heart. God is not only the source of peace, but He wants to give it to you through Jesus. 

As you read today in John 14:27, Jesus doesn’t wish peace for us or even just hope it… He gives it. 

The Lord doesn’t want your heart to be troubled. He doesn’t want you to be afraid. He wants you to keep your eyes fixed on Him and to walk with Him. He wants you to trust Him, to stop struggling, and be still knowing He’s in control (Psalm 46:10). 

His peace is a gift to those who follow Him. 

It’s not a special prize that’s only given once a year to the cream of the crop. The Lord’s peace is not like that. 

He offers it to anyone who will follow after, trust, and walk in the light with Him. God’s peace isn’t wishy-washy either – it’s available in every circumstance. 

As a pastor, I often speak with people who are going through some really difficult times. People who have lost loved ones and whose hearts are shattered. People who have experienced trauma and they’re struggling to make it through each day. People who are facing bankruptcy, divorce, and life-altering tragedies. 

Maybe you are going through one of those life-altering times right now. 

God has peace for you in this terribly challenging situation. As bad as your current circumstance might be right now, there is peace. There was peace in the fiery furnace for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. There was peace in the lion’s den for Daniel. There was peace in the prison for Peter as he awaited certain execution. When the angel came to deliver him (see Acts 12), Peter was asleep, deeply asleep. 

Why? 

Because he trusted the Lord and was experiencing His perfect peace. 

In every circumstance, you can trust God and enjoy the peace of God. 

If you’re a believer in Jesus and you’ve trusted Him as Savior and Lord, but you are worried and bothered about many things, bring your focus back to Him. Abide in Christ, and He will give you peace that goes beyond all human understanding. 

The Lord wants you to keep your eyes fixed on Him and to walk with Him. He wants you to stop fretting and start resting in His promised provision. 

If you will do it, you will be like Peter and experience a peace that surpasses comprehension, a peace that does not make sense to an unbelieving world. 

God is the source of peace, and Jesus wants to give you His perfect peace as you follow Him and abide in Him.

1. What situation are you facing today that is trying to rob you of the peace Jesus wants to give you? Pray that God will help you focus on Him in that circumstance.

2. If you have never trusted in Jesus as your Savior and Lord, what is keeping you from doing so? Would you be willing today to trust in Jesus, to pray, and ask Him to give you His peace?

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 3:17-18

Grace and Peace to You

So far, we’ve seen that God is the source of peace, and we’ve learned that He wants to give His peace to you. 

Today we’ll explore the third truth. The Lord wants you to retain His peace. 

But there’s a condition. 

We can only enjoy the Lord’s peace when we receive His grace. Today’s reading comes from the end of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians. 

Earlier in 2 Thessalonians, Paul references somebody who had sent a fake letter with his name to the church. In chapter 3, Paul makes it plain as day that the letter they’re reading comes straight from him as it bears his distinguishing mark. 

Then in verse 18, he offers a sort of benediction, a prayer over the church. He prays the grace of Jesus over them all. 

When you read Paul’s salutation in his letters, he does this every time. He always writes some form of the phrase, 

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father.”

He uses those two things: grace and peace, and always in that order. Grace to you and peace. Never do you read, “Peace to you and grace.” 

You may think, Well, what’s the difference? It doesn’t really matter.

It matters a lot because you can’t experience God’s peace until you first experience God’s grace. Grace always precedes peace, because there is no peace unless you first receive God’s grace. God’s grace is what allows us to be saved and enter into true peace. 

You read in Ephesians that you have been saved by grace through faith. We can’t earn it. Instead, salvation is a gift from God. 

Grace is, as the acronym poignantly states, God’s riches at Christ’s expense. Grace is what opens the door to salvation. And just as grace precedes salvation, grace also always precedes peace. 

You’ve probably seen the bumper sticker that says: NO Jesus, NO peace. KNOW Jesus, KNOW peace. 

There cannot be peace without Jesus. There cannot be peace until you first receive God’s grace. The good news is that grace and peace are abundant in Jesus Christ. 

God lavishes His grace upon those who respond to Him. He doesn’t dole it out with an eyedropper. God just pours it out freely and without measure. If you need His grace, God says to “come boldly before His throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” 

The Christian life starts by grace through faith, and it continues in the same way. To walk with God, we need to keep trusting the Lord every single day. He has abundant grace to help us in our time of need. 

And as He pours out His grace upon you, He also pours out His peace upon you. 

His grace allows you to enjoy and retain His peace. His grace enables you to have the Lord of peace living inside you. And that’s the greatest blessing of all!

1. How have you experienced God’s grace in your life recently? What difference has this made in how you faced difficult situations?

2. The Bible encourages us to come boldly before God’s throne to ask for mercy and grace. Pray today and ask God to pour His grace and peace upon you.

Scripture: Psalms 55:22

God Will Sustain You

I realize that many of you may struggle with fear and worry. I struggle with them too, and so did the apostle Paul – after all, we are human beings living in a fallen world. 

People often come to my office, and they’ll talk to me about a problem they are having, and it’s a big burden. Most of the time, it’s not made up. It’s a real thing. It weighs heavily on them, to the point that they can’t sleep, can’t eat, and can’t concentrate. 

Maybe that’s where you are right now. And if so, I want you to know the Lord tells us to cast our burden on Him, and He’ll sustain us. He’ll never allow the righteous to be shaken. 

I have this big book on my desk. It’s a book about Egypt, and it probably weighs about 15 pounds. It’s a large, heavy coffee-table book. Let’s say this book represents your burden—this thing that’s eating your lunch, interrupting your sleep, and stealing your joy and peace. 

You have it on your back, and it’s weighing you down. You’re not able to endure it. Here’s what the Lord wants you to do. He says … 

“You need to give that burden to me.”

You may say, “Well, I’ve done that, but I’m still worried. I’m still bothered.”

That’s because what you’re really doing is showing the Lord your burden. You are not really casting your burden on him. The common scenario looks like this: 

“God, this is my burden. It’s just too much for me. I need You to take it from me.” (Sounds good so far, right?) 

But before you even say amen, you take up your burden again. Sure, you’re showing the Lord your burden, maybe you pull your hands back for a second, but you’re not really letting go. You’re like a boy trying to show his mom how you can ride a bike without holding onto the handlebars. 

“Hey, mom, quick look at me,” and then his hands are immediately back on the handlebars. 

I want to encourage you to try this instead. Cast your burden on the Lord, trust Him to sustain you, and then leave that burden there with Him. Claim His peace, the peace He promises to you in His Word.

When you find yourself worried about a burden you’ve already given to God, you know it’s because you’ve picked it up again. So when that happens, just pray, “Lord, I’ve taken this burden back. I don’t want this. I’m going to trust you instead. I’m leaving this burden at your feet and taking hold of your peace.” 

Even if you have to pray that prayer one hundred times a day, do it. Keep giving that burden back to God. When you feel worried, stressed, and bothered about it, treat that like an alarm, reminding you to get back on your knees and prayerfully return your burden to Him. 

As you train yourself to keep giving your burden to the Lord, you will find that one hundred times a day turns into fifty times… and then twenty times… and then two or three times. That is precisely how you will learn to cast your burdens on the Lord and leave them there with Him. That is how to experience peace in the midst of a storm. 

God is the source of your peace. He wants to give and help you retain your peace. He wants to sustain you when you struggle to remain in His peace.

1. What burden is weighing heavily on you? Pray and ask God to take it away and give you peace to release it fully to Him.

2. How can you help others find the peace of God for themselves? Write down three ways that come to mind, and ask God to show you someone with whom you can share the peace of Christ this week.