PEACE OF THE LORD

Text: Isa 9:6, John 14:27, John 16:33

Peace is an occurrence of harmony characterized by lack of violence, conflict behaviour hostility, retribution, turmoil and war. It is freedom of fear, anxiety, quarrels and disagreement. Peace connotes harmony, tranquillity, rest, pleasantness, joy and comfort. Peace of the Lord is peace coming from God through Jesus Christ. The Bible says in Isa 9:6 that, ”Jesus is the Prince of Peace". God is peace and the peace He gives is not the kind the world gives (John 14:27). God nourishes peace in men through Jesus Christ and Jesus dwells in you with peace. It is only when we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ that we can experience the true peace of mind. God has peace in abundance and He can send it to you like a river (Isa 66:12). He is capable of speaking peace to your situation and to still the storm of your life (Mark 4:39).

The Bible says in Ps 29:11, "God blesses his people with peace”. Are you His? If yes, expect Him to bless you with His peace. When Jesus sent out His disciples in two's to be spreading the good news and to be healing the sick, He told them that when they enter a house they should first say, "Peace to this house" (Luke 10:5); "If a man of peace is there your peace will rest on him, if not it will return to you." This means that Jesus is a carrier of peace and He passed it to His disciples. The peace flowing through His disciples can flow through anybody that belongs to Him.
 

Peace is a gift from God, it is unquantifiable. It cannot be bought. It is one of the legacies Jesus passed unto us when He said in John14:27, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give. I do not give to you as the world gives." He also said to His disciples in John 20:21, "Peace be with you!" And Jesus is still saying same to you. Everybody wants to have an experience of and enjoy the peace of The Lord but alas! Do we all have the Prince of Peace? You can only enjoy real peace when you have the Prince of Peace. Romans 5:1 says, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. In John 16:33, Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart. I have overcome the world." In Jesus, there is peace and when you come to Him, He dwells in you with His peace.

 

Phil 4:6-7 admonish us not to be anxious about anything but to come to God with prayer, and petition with thanksgiving, anxiety robs individuals of peace. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit which a believer should have and exhibit is peace. It is one of the attributes of a true Christian (Gal 5:22). The Bible also enjoins you to be at peace with all men. Brethren, you need peace of The Lord in all spheres. Peace within, in the family and at home, in the church, in the community and environment, in the country and in the world at large.

 

Apostle Paul's letters of encouragement to the believers always start with "Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and The Lord Jesus Christ." Paul knew that peace is with Jesus and His Father. His final greetings to the Thessalonians (2 Thess 3:16 reads, "Now may The Lord of Peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way." It is only God that can give you peace in the heat of battles, in the middle of trials and in the centre of crises and at all times. Are you worried, troubled, anxious, fearful, disturbed or lack peace? The Prince of Peace is knocking on the door of your heart, allow Him to come in and His peace will rest upon you and flow through you like a river and calm your spirit, soul and body.

Let us consider some people in the scriptures who experienced the peace of the Lord in times of storm, trials, tribulations and persecutions: Stephen, Paul and Silas, Daniel and the three Hebrew men.

Stephen – Acts 7:55-60. Stephen had a sense of peace when he was been stoned because he knew whom he believed and what awaited him. Verses 55 -56 say, "But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Look, he said, "I see heaven open and the son of man standing at the right hand of God. Verses 59-60 say, “While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my Spirit. Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord do not hold this against them."

This connotes that when you have Jesus, you will have His peace and His peace will enable you to be calm in the centre of crises and have tranquillity in the midst of trials. If not for the peace of The Lord upon him, he would have reacted differently. I pray that the peace of The Lord rest on you and flow through you always in all situations and circumstances in Jesus Name. Amen

Paul and Silas – Acts 16:16-40. Paul and Silas were severely flogged and imprisoned because Paul cast out an evil Spirit from a slave girl. She had a Spirit by which she predicted the future and used it to earn a great deal of money for her owners. Paul and Silas were on a missionary journey to Macedonia when the girl with the evil spirit kept announcing that they were men of God. Paul knew the girl was a source of distraction and he had to cast out the evil Spirit in her. The owners were not happy and hence tortured Paul and Silas and put them in the prisons. Despite this experience, they prayed and sang hymns to God at midnight. They were neither downcast nor frustrated. They demonstrated that when you have the peace of The Lord you can sing hymns and pray through days of sorrow or in any challenging situations. You can still spread the good news and preach Jesus in tribulations as long as His peace is with you.

 

The three Hebrew men (Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego) – Daniel 3:17-21. In the land of the Chaldeans, King Nebuchadnezzar gave a decree that his gold graven image should be worshipped and whoever does not bow down will be thrown into a fiery furnace. These men believed in the God they served and said, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from your hand; O king; But even if He does not, we want you to know O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." The King was enraged and ordered them thrown into the furnace heated seven times hotter than the usual temperature. In the furnace, they were at peace with themselves, unruffled, unperturbed and were in harmony with God and enjoying the peace of The Lord. The Bible recorded, according to the Kings’ testimony that there was another presence (like the son of God) with them in the furnace. When they were brought out of the furnace, the bible recorded that not a strand of hair on the body was burnt. These men really experienced the peace of The Lord and they demonstrated it.

Everybody needs the peace of The Lord that transcends all understanding however the scripture says in Isa 48:2 "There is no peace for the wicked." For you to enjoy the peace of The Lord you must:

• Accept the Prince of Peace. Isa 6:9
• You must not be wicked. Isa 48:22, Isa 57:21
• You must adhere diligently to His command. Isa 48:18
• You must be righteous. James 5:16
• You must have contentment. 1 Tim 6:6
• Let your ways be pleasing to The Lord. Pro 16:7
• Be moderate in all things. Phil 4:5
• Never be anxious. Phil 4:7
• Make efforts to live in peace with all men. Heb 12:14
• Do not harbour bitterness. Heb 12:15
• Be a peace maker. Matt 5:9
• Pray and ask for the peace of The Lord. Matt 7:7

Prayer
Father in Heaven; deliver me from all forms of peace-lessness.

Prince of Peace, rest upon me and let your peace flow through me like a river.

I pray for peace within, in my home and family, in the church and community, in the country, in all spheres and in all the nations of the world in Jesus name I pray. Amen.

 

Shalom.