How do we understand the peace of God? Isaiah says it is perfect peace. The apostle John tells us it differs from the peace of the world and Paul tells us it is beyond understanding. Paul gives his Philippian followers the key to finding it.
Echoing the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew chapter 6, Paul tells them to be anxious about nothing. Don’t even open the door. Do this instead he tells them. Pray about everything. Get specific with God. Tell him the details of what is troubling you. Do it with thanksgiving.
A heavy heart can crowd out a thankful one. Talking to God in prayer lifts us to look to Him. Looking to Him gives us many reasons to be grateful even when our hearts are heavy. Knowledge that His ears are open to us because of Jesus, can begin that process in us. The prayers of Jesus Himself consisted of blood, sweat and tears. Those prayers enabled Him to endure the cross for our redemption. We lay our burdens at His scarred feet.
In Romans Paul writes:
“He who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him, freely give us all things?”
The apostle John writes.
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.“
A perfect, peace, beyond understanding, unlike that of the world is God’s provision for His own.
“the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
What a promise!
