“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusts in Thee.” Isaiah 26:3
Dear Ones:
When the Scriptures speak of the peace of God, they take us to another realm, one where God is the very essence of that peace, and the only giver of it. Jesus made this clear when He said, “Peace I leave with you: My peace I give unto you: not as the world gives, give I unto you.” (Jn. 14:21) This peace of which Jesus speaks is from heaven, from God Himself. The Apostle Paul, in speaking of the fruits of the Spirit, those specific manifestations of the nature and presence of God, writes that His peace is a manifestation, and characteristic of His nature, to be known and revealed in the life of the believer. Paul also wrote to the Thessalonian believers that God is, “…the very God of peace.” He is the source and the giver of it. But what does it mean, this “peace of God?” To answer this question, we must first realize that this peace of God, from Heaven, by the Spirit, “…passes all understanding.” (Phil. 4:7) We are so limited in our understanding of it, and yet, as we look at the Lord Jesus when He walked on this earth, we catch a glimpse of its meaning and significance. There was a blessed calm about the Lord Jesus, even as he faced his enemies and was tempted by the devil. We see also this peace, in a very picturesque form, when Jesus comes walking on the waves in a storm at sea. The disciples are filled with fear and anxiety. However, Christ’s majestic calm dominates the whole scene. Not only would His peace be felt by His presence, but his very words would calm the tempest of wind and waves: “Peace, be still.” So, why do we study, or seek to understand this matter of God’s peace? It is simply because He has ordained that we should not just know about it intellectually, but experience the reality of it.
There is a very practical aspect of knowing this peace of God. Yes, God gives it, for one can only know it if He does so. Isaiah wrote so very long ago: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee.” (26:3) We discover here that God moves and works in answer to a certain attitude of man towards him. In this case, the believer “stays, or fixes, his mind on Thee.” What does this mean? When David wrote Psalm 16, he said: “I have SET the Lord always before me, because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.” (v.8) Here is a believer who has made the deliberate choice to fix his gaze, heart, and affections on the Lord Jesus. Why? Isaiah continues: “…because he trusts in Thee.” Here is the key to “practicing the peace of God,” gazing by faith upon the Lord Jesus as our peace, and the giver of it. A perfect example of this is seen when Jesus bid Peter to get out of the boat in the storm, and come to him. This Peter did, obeying the Lord’s command. But when Peter began to see the waves, and feel the wind, his gaze turned from the Lord Jesus to look at the elements of the storm. Fear replaced faith, and there was no longer the experience of the blessed calm and power of Christ in the storm. If we would know the peace of God, that which Christ gives by the Spirit, then we need to fix our eyes on Jesus, trusting in Him alone, and for all.
There are a few other aspects of practicing His peace. Isaiah writes that we are to be “…led forth with peace.” (55:12) Paul writes that “the peace of God” is to RULE in our hearts, being like an umpire of discernment. Lastly, God’s peace is to “…keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:7)
Dear Father, Open our eyes to see that the Lord Jesus is our peace, and the giver of it. Strengthen us to fix our eyes on Him, because we trust in Him alone. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Love, Dad