And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Ephesians 2: 17, 18, NKJV.
Dear God, we thank You for Your peace that unites us as one. Please help us to abide in that peace, for Your honor and glory! In the name of Jesus Christ we humbly pray. Amen.
Peace is a luxury in our society. It is something we all long for, and yet just a blessed few seem to possess.We speak about it, sing about it, and write about it. Yet it seems to avoid so many. Could it be that we are searching and longing for the wrong thing? Perhaps what we call peace is not peace at all. To make sure that we are talking about the same thing the apostle is referring to, let us listen to what the Savior had to say about the nature of peace: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14: 27).
One thing that stands out is the fact that Christ’s peace is not like the peace of the world. In another devotional we spoke specifically about Christ’s peace. Today we will look at some other aspects of divine peace.
According to our text for today divine peace unites – those who were afar off and those who were near. If we are going to follow the trend of these phrases in identifying the two groups we will conclude that Paul is referring to Gentiles (afar off) and Jews(near).
” . . . For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2: 39). Those who are afar off are called by God to become a part of the fold; a part of the family of God. God peace is inclusive.
“[A]nd the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4: 7). The peace of God is above and beyond our understanding. I know that is true, through my own experience. There are times in our lives, when under normal circumstances, we should not have peace. And yet we live through these experiences – we know not how. God’s peace is an enabler.
Peace, a part of the multiple-virtue-fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5: 22, 23), is the antidote for many of the ailments that plague our society. It is effective in fighting insomnia. It will build your resistance against bitterness, anger, and depression. It will increase your ability to forgive, and forget the pain of the wrongs you have suffered.
God wants to replace your pain, your fears, and your infirmities, with His peace. I encourage you to accept it today!
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Jesus said: “