Yeshua also told His disciples that His peace is not dependent upon
circumstances, but is founded upon the promise of His presence.
These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world
you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world (John 16:33).
The Messiah tells us to expect tribulation and challenges in this present sin-tainted
world. He warns us of problems to come that He allows and are intended to drive
us to find rest in His powerful arms. He wants us to respond to the “big” problems
of war, persecution, world terrorism and other seemingly insoluble problems
by learning first to trust Him and thereby experiencing His shalom!
He wants us to have a similar response to the problems we face, whether they
be financial, challenges with children, grandchildren or parents, or the variety
of health issues we face day in and day out… No matter what the difficulty
might be—He wants us to have His peace by learning to trust Him.
As the prophet Isaiah promises,
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he
trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3).
Clearly, the Rabbi Shaul, the great Apostle Paul, writing in the New
Testament, understood this as well. He writes,
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
comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philipians 4:6-7).
I want to assure you that we have a sovereign God who wants us to enjoy His peace
in every circumstance. One day, our Messiah will come and conquer the enemies
of God and of Israel. Then He will reign on His throne of peace in Jerusalem.
I look forward to the day when authentic and lasting world peace will come,
don’t you? But, like our storytellers, we do not need to wait for His return to
experience His peace. It is available today.
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