Empowered peace!
Verse for Today: Friday, September 06, 2013
John 20:19 – On the first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”
In a dangerous, chaotic and fearful world of ours, and as we lock ourselves out and dwell in hopelessness, Jesus comes to give us peace. When we try to escape from our fearful situations, God’s peace comes after us in and through the Prince of Peace. When ten fearful disciples gather together and hide, their fear would naturally increase tenfold. Every sound or look culminates in moments of fear, anxiety and sigh. But our God will not forsake us in such pinnacles of hopelessness in His presence and through His Spirit on the wings of His promises. He appears to us in His power and glory to take our fears away and fill us with His peace that passes all understanding. It is interesting to notice that Jesus didn’t take His fearful and anxious disciples out of their hopeless situation, but helped them to face it boldly. When the disciples were filled with His Spirit and peace, they faced their detractors courageously. His presence, peace and power took their fears away and filled them with holy fearlessness as they found hope in Jesus and His power. They received His peace as He pronounced it and bestowed it upon them. His power was once again demonstrated openly just as He opened the tomb of Lazarus and created the world through utterance. But Jesus wanted His disciples to appropriate His peace in their lives and live in dependence on His power. Today Jesus comes to our fearful and hopeless situations to pour His peace into our hearts and lives and take us through our tumults victoriously.
Hello, dear friend, are you going through tumultuous situations in your life lately? Are your days filled with fear and anxiety about how your situation might engulf you? Is an air of hopelessness pervading your horizon and taking away your joy in life? Today Jesus of Nazareth wants to come into your tumults no matter what they are and fill you with His peace which will drive away all your fears and anxiety. He is able to take away your fears about financial difficulties, joblessness, loneliness, friendlessness, family conflicts, health concerns and stigma about your past failures and losses and give you unexplainable peace. Are you burdened with sleeplessness, business failure, rejection in your family or social circles or threats in your place of work or ministry? If you allow Jesus to fill your hearts with His glory, there won’t be space left for your situation to clutter your mind. When the world offers you therapy for sleep, Jesus gives you sleep and rest as you cast all your cares upon Him. His peace helps you to be joyful in spite of your cumbersome situations. The disciples of Jesus were faced with threats to their lives, but Jesus filled them with His concerns. They had ministries to undertake and so they filled their hearts with things related to Jesus rather than their fears. Their lives were much less important when compared with the challenges Jesus posed in their affairs. They received His power which enabled them to circumvent the strategies of the enemy in their lives. They lived to bear witness to the promise of God to enjoy peace in all situations. Today we are challenged to allow Jesus to fill us to overflow with His peace to govern all the days and affairs of our lives.
John 14:27 – Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you not as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Thought for Today
God’s power drives out every fear and anxiety when we trust in His promise of peace.
Prayer for Today
Dear Lord Jesus: Help me today to appropriate Your gift of peace that You have invested in my heart and life in spite of situations and circumstances. Amen!
______________________________