God’s Peace



Scripture:

2Th. 3:16 ¶ Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with all of you.

Observation:

Paul wraps up this letter with a benediction for the followers in Thessalonica.  It is in this prayer that he specifically desires for them to understand the peace that can come from Christ.  Jesus is “the Lord of peace.”  The only way that we can comprehend the peace of Christ is to know Christ.  His peace is not the peace that the world understands, but it is a part of his nature which is beyond what we would normally describe. 

The simple beauty pageant answer of seeking “world peace” is not the peace of Christ.  We tend to describe peace as the lack of disruption and yet to know peace is to know Christ.  Knowing Christ doesn’t necessarily result in a lack of disruption in this world.  Instead, remember that Christ said, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”  When we know Christ and we are participating in him we discover his peace, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that there will be no conflict in our lives.  Instead, knowing the peace of Christ makes us realize that the things of this world, and even the world’s description of peace, will never be adequate. 

Paul wanted his followers to know Christ and the depth of peace which comes from being united with him.  This is far beyond the world’s understanding brings about a peace in the depth of our being which allows the disruptions of this world to become meaningless in light of him. 

Application:


The great focus of our lives must be on knowing Christ.  It is in knowing Christ that we become truly united with him.  We get to know him and his peace in ways that we never would have thought possible.   It is in the midst of the storms of life, the big disruptions, that we are blessed to know the Lord’s peace.  It is that moment when he sits down beside us, weeping, and holding our hand when our heart is breaking and simply showers us with his love. It is that moment when we don’t understand and we have no words to describe the unbearable pain and yet, he is there and his peace washes over us and gives us the simple and quiet confidence that we can go on.

God’s peace.  More than we could ever want or imagine and he extends it to us today and every day.  No wonder this was Paul’s prayer for his beloved friends then and always.

Prayer:

Lord, may I live in your peace today.  Amen.




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