Peace // John 14:27

By Mark Jordan ?

Peace. It seems so elusive today, doesn’t it? War abroad. Unrest at home. Trust in our institutions is at an all-time low. Economic uncertainty. Unequal enforcement of the law. It might be easy to slip into a mindset where we think we’re the only ones that have ever had to deal with such blight. That, my friends, is part of our original sin condition, placing us at the center of the universe as opposed to God. Reading today’s verse is a great way to reorient our paradigm. Jesus said that He came to give peace just before he was arrested, carted off to mock trials, tortured, subjected to humiliation, and executed, all of which led to the greatest display of God’s power in Christ’s resurrection. It bears repeating that peace is not the absence of conflict, but steadiness in the midst of it. That is the gift of God past, present, and future. Jesus wants to give you His peace which is altogether different from how the world views it. Will you accept it? I pray you will as we prepare to confront today. The glory of God is our goal. The breath of God is the wind in our sails. The presence of God steadies us along the way. Only God can do that!