Purpose and Peace in the Last Days預覽

The Lord of Peace

As you wrap up this reading plan, I have a question for you:

Are you experiencing peace today?

We live in a world where peace is hard to find. People long for peace. They look diligently for peace, but sadly, they so often look in all the wrong places.

Peace is in a person; His name is Jesus. Peace comes from Him alone. It comes when we are right with Him. But here’s the sad truth: many of us, as believers in Jesus, don’t experience peace like He wants us to experience it.

Every Christian knows the Lord, but not every Christian experiences the blessings of the Lord, especially His peace. This is not because God is keeping us out. It is because we are not entering in.

Surely, we would all agree that we we’re living uneasy, tenuous times. The Thessalonians also lived in a time when things were very uneasy. So much so that they heard a false message that they had missed the rapture. Some of them believed they were in the day of the Lord and subjected to His wrath. They thought everything was falling apart.

They believed these lies because it matched their circumstances.

So as Paul closes his letter to the Thessalonians, he shares this encouragement that we find in today’s reading:

The Lord of peace Himself wants to give you peace.

There are two primary words used for peace in Scripture. There is the Hebrew word shalom and the Greek word eirene. Both terms speak of an inner calm and tranquility of heart. Things might be falling apart around you, but inside you have peace.

God wants you and me to have shalom and eirene. He wants us to have peace. So, let me share with you three truths about the Lord’s peace from today’s reading.

Truth number one: The Lord is the source of peace.

The Lord Jesus is our source of peace. In Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah tells about the coming Messiah. He calls Him “the Prince of Peace.” That means He’s the captain of peace. He’s the master of peace. He’s the owner of peace. He’s in charge of peace. That’s who the Lord is.

Truth number two: The Lord wants to give you His peace.

Jesus told His disciples in John 14:27 that He was giving them His peace. He said, "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, nor let it be fearful.” What an incredible gift!

The Lord doesn’t want our hearts troubled. He doesn’t want our hearts fearful. He wants us to keep our eyes fixed on Him – to cease striving and simply trust Him. The Lord says in Psalm 46:10, “Cease striving (let go, relax) and know that I am God.”

His peace is a gift for those who follow Him. It’s not some prize that only a few can attain. He offers it to anyone who will follow Him, trust Him, and walk in the light with Him.

There is peace for you in any circumstance. You see it throughout Scripture: There was peace for the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace, peace for Daniel in the lion’s den, and peace for Peter and Paul when they were in chains. There is peace for you today, no matter your situation.

Truth number three: The Lord wants you to keep your peace.

The Lord wants to give you peace only when you receive His grace.

When you read Paul’s salutation in his letters in the Scripture, every time he writes a letter to a church or to an individual, he always says, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father.”

He uses those two things, grace and peace, and he always uses them in that order. Grace to you and peace. Never do you read, “Peace to you and grace.”

You may think, Well, what’s the difference? It doesn’t really matter.

It matters a lot. You can’t experience God’s peace until you first experience God’s grace. So, grace always precedes peace because there is no peace unless you first receive God’s grace.

As you finish this 7-day plan, I pray you are encouraged in your walk, and feel better equipped with a greater understanding of how you can please God in our post-modern world as we await the promised second coming of Jesus Christ.

I pray you’ll also be filled with boldness to share the gospel with those who do not yet believe that they may also experience the thrill of victory when Christ returns.

May you be strengthened in your prayer life and given a new sense of purpose in your work, and above all, may the grace and peace of our Lord be with you always.

2 Questions:

1. How have you experienced the peace of God in your life, especially during trying times? Thank Jesus for giving you His perfect peace as you follow Him.

2. What is an area where you’ve struggled to experience peace? Ask God to comfort you and help you release that worry and anxiety to Him while trusting Him for the peace you need.

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