Peace That Passes Understanding
“The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.”
- Psalm 29:11
When you think of peace, what comes to your mind? I think of rest, security, contentment, joy, and freedom from worries. Visually speaking, it looks like lying in a hammock by a placid lake in the forest. The grandeur mountain in the horizon is snow-capped, birds are chirping, the weather is ideal, you can breathe easy, and there are no pending tasks.
When you think of the opposite of peace, what do you think of then? I imagine fear, anxiety, stress, restlessness, worry, anger, and trying to control. As a visual, for me it looks like being stuck in traffic while running late for work, the AC isn’t working while it’s the dead of summer, every deadline is missed, and then the back tire is punctured and deflated in the middle of the road.
In Hebrew, the word for peace is shalom and it can mean the following concepts: completeness, wholeness, safety, soundness, welfare, contentment, friendship.
In Greek, the word for peace is eirene. It can mean harmony between individuals, safety, security, lack of war and “the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is” (blueletterbible.org).
That last definition sums it up. Peace is rest for the soul, no matter what happens to us. And what bestows that inner peace? The confidence of our salvation because of Christ’s sacrifice.
Like the Psalm says, we (God’s people) are blessed with the peace of God. We have this blessing unlike unbelievers.
You might say, “I don’t feel peace in my life” or “My life is chaotic; it’s anything but peaceful.” So, how do we continually “access” this peace?
First, you must accept that peace can’t come from the physical world or your circumstances. The peace that we have is inner peace in our souls. Unbelievers do not have access to this type of peace because it is the assurance of God’s faithful love, plan, care, concern, and of our salvation in Him. If someone doesn’t believe in Jesus or let alone, God, they cannot have confidence in a higher purpose for everything. They look for peace in their circumstances. Our identity is hidden in Jesus who will redeem our bodies and circumstances (sometimes on earth) but assuredly in heaven. We can have peace among the worst of situations because our confidence is in the victory of Christ. Our confidence is not in this world, but in the One to come.
Second, we often need to recalibrate our mindsets to experience this peace continually, especially when the rubber meets the road and it feels like everything is falling apart. In Philippians 4:4-7, there are some action steps that we can take. Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 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 understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
He mentions rejoicing in the Lord twice! What does that look like? Rejoicing in the Lord is to find your joy in God. Like I said earlier, godly peace or joy does not stem from your circumstances. Rather, it stems from knowing that you are God’s and He is the only One that can satisfy the void in your heart. Whatever you face in this life, good or bad, you can rejoice in the Lord and His unwavering love for you.
Then, Paul says to let your gentleness (or reasonableness in other translations) be known to all. We have the ability to handle our situations with reasonableness as a result of our identity and peace through Christ.
“The Lord is at hand.” When you continually remember that Jesus is returning, how could you not have peace? It truly makes the things of this world grow strangely dim (as the famous hymn says) because it shifts your mindset from the world to heaven.
Be anxious for nothing! I cannot tell you how many times I have become anxious about something, but it always worked out in the end. I had no reason to worry. Instead of anxiety, we can replace it with prayer and gratitude. 1 Peter 5:7 says to “cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you.” When will we get it through our heads that He knows our needs and will take care of it? It takes practice to continually recalibrate our mindsets to trust in His provision, faithfulness, and goodness.
Thanksgiving and gratitude: when you feel like you are spiraling and losing your inner peace, focus on all the things you can be grateful for. Give thanks for everything. It’s hard not to sense peace when you realize how much you can be thankful for.
As a result of these actions, peace that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts AND minds! To the world, it doesn’t make sense to have peace when your world seems to be crumbling. But, to the Christian, he can rest in Christ. God’s peace will guard you from the anxious thoughts spiraling out of control. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says that “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” The enemy doesn’t want you to have peace, so capturing your thoughts and subjecting them to the Truth is a part of spiritual warfare.
For me, this is a constant practice. I have to continually come back to God with my prayers and thanksgiving to receive His peace again and again. It’s not a one and done situation. It’s leaning on the Lord moment by moment. The more we practice it, though, then the more likely it becomes our default.
Finally, being that Passover began this past Saturday and Easter is coming up, I encourage you to meditate on the peace that you have with God because of Christ. You were once alienated from God through sin, “but now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence” (Colossians 1:21-22). Do you grasp how selfless and astounding that is? You could not make peace with God by your own works; that is why Christ died for you. He lived a perfect life and took the place of your punishment so that you could have peace with Him forever by believing.
Ephesians 2:13-16 says, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees. He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace.”
Take a Moment:
I’ve listed a 5-day application to help you apply the message of this devotional.
Day 1: Reflect – Examine yourself. Do you experience the peace that God blesses you with? Or have you forgotten your identity, thinking that you have to earn your salvation? Secondly, does inner peace characterize the majority of your life or inner anxiety? Are you ready to start the continual process of submitting your anxious thoughts to Christ?
Day 2: Study – Do a search on the word “peace” within Scripture verses and choose one or two to meditate on this week.
Day 3: Pray – Cast all your anxieties on Jesus. Consider writing down every worry that you have to symbolize that it is off your shoulders and Jesus will carry them for you.
Day 4: Worship — Josh Baldwin has two songs: listen to “Prince of Peace” and “Peace”
Prince Of Peace - Josh Baldwin - Lyric Video; Peace (Lyric Video) - Josh Baldwin | The War is Over
Day 5: Memorize — Isaiah 26:3, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
Experiencing peace that passes our understanding is what it means to live by faith.
-Alina