O Precious Prince of Peace, I am so glad that You have allowed me to experience Your peace. For when You left the earth You said, “Peace I leave You, my peace I give you; not as the world gives, give I to you.” There was something special in Your gift of peace and the end result is a deep and lasting state of rest that comes to those who believe in You. Unlike the peace of the world which tries to remove conflict, Your peace gives me confidence that I will prevail and prosper, regardless of my circumstances. With Your peace, there is no need to fear or worry about the present or future. If I feel that my life is becoming filled with stress, I must seek and submit to Your peace. When I am shaky and seemingly falling apart, it is Your peace that possesses the power to calm me and pull me back together. As I go about my life, sin, uncertainty, doubt and worry are at war with me. It is Your peace that moves into my heart and life to restrain these hostile forces and offers me comfort in place of conflict.
When I think of peace, I also think of mercy. Your mercy reassures me that no matter how far off base I get or how deep my needs become or how much suffering I endure … Your mercy will take care of it all. Your mercy, being filled with love and compassion, offers me relief from the struggles I endure. It takes the burden off of me and shifts it to You when I find myself incapable of dealing with it. Your mercy cannot be bought and nothing I can do will ever repay you for dispensing it to me. In Your mercy, I am able to find peace and rest for my spirit, mind and body. For in Your mercy, there is freedom from guilt and the weight of the punishment due for my sins and failures. Through the mercy of Your blood, I am reconciled and at peace with Your Heavenly Father. I know that as I embark on each new day, mercy (and its associated peace) will be poured over me as I become more obedient to Your will. As I grow and mature in Your nature and character, I will abound in the wisdom that will lead to peace and goodness.
You’ve said in Your Word, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called sons of God.” As Your child, You expect me to share Your peace with others. Surely peacemakers have a special place in Your heart as they … strive to eliminate conflict … share Your goodness with others … help others find the confidence and rest that are found in Your teachings … and, help others learn to “let go and let God”. To help me find and share Your peace, You’ve given me the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is through His nurturing and teachings that I find the basis for peace in my life. His words comfort me when I experience sorrow and encourage me when I feel weak and discouraged. He takes my hand to guide me when I feel lost and confused. I know that Your desire is for me to turn from evil and do good … to seek peace and pursue it. I must not believe that peace will come to me without effort. I must strive to make peace with all and seek closeness with the One who is my peace. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
John 14:27 Peace I leave you, my peace I give you; not as the world gives, give I to you.