At the Last Supper, The Lord Jesus knew it was time for Him to give His life for us to set us free from sin and death. He told His Disciples many things that night, but one of the greatest was that He was leaving them His peace. He said: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled , and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
The Lord was clear on how peace is ours. When He said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid”, He was saying we get to decide if we are going to let our hearts be troubled, or if we are going to let ourselves be afraid. He said, “My peace I give to you.” But it is up to us to choose to receive it.
It is the same as choosing to receive Salvation through Him. The Lord Jesus has provided it, but we must receive it into our hearts through faith in Him.
One of the most horrible things to deal with in this walk appears to be anxiety. Most likely all of us have had to deal with it from time to time, but there are brothers and sisters in my life that have anxiety so badly it causes them physical pain. It robs them of the ability to enjoy the good things in their life. If we can only remember what the Lord Himself told His disciples, and what the Holy Spirit said through Peter instructing us to cast all of our anxiety on Him, we can rid ourselves of this thing that is from the evil one. Jesus said, “DO NOT LET your hearts be troubled.” Cast your cares on Him!
Peter goes on to say, “Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” 1 Peter 5:8.
Let us mediate upon this truth. The only way the enemy can devour someone is if they do not resist him, because they are not standing firm in their faith in Christ. If our hearts are troubled, if we are anxious and afraid, that means we have allowed peace to be replaced with thoughts of fear of what ‘might’ happen. Let us not allow that thought. Let us stand up to that thought in the power of He who is in us. Let us capture that thought in the power of the Lord. Paul said, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have DIVINE POWER to demolish strongholds . We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10: 4,5
Let us take captive thoughts of anxiety, and fear, and cast them – throw them to Jesus- like throwing Him a ball. They are too hot for us to handle, but He has a place for them. The pit of the abyss.
The Lord gave us His peace. Let us take it into our heart by believing it is ours. Let us walk in it every day because we choose to. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. What a gift of love.
May you be blessed in all things, and all ways, God’s Beloveds. You are greatly loved.
Poppa B.