Today’s Bible reading is Isaiah 27 and John 14.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27)
What an incredible promise from Jesus to his disciples… PEACE! His peace. Not like the artificial “peace” built on the shifting sands of a world that has left God out of its thinking. His peace puts tiny troubles and temporary fears into eternal perspective.
“Peace I leave with you.” Those five words stopped me in my tracks this morning. Most of us wouldn’t describe the first half of 2020 as having been peace-full. So what did Jesus leave us? Where is it found? How is it distinct from the offerings of the world, and what difference can it make, even in 2020?
As I thought about those questions, I noticed our daily Bible reading schedule takes us from chapter 14 through chapter 17 of John’s gospel this week… and I’ve got the privilege of preaching this coming Sunday morning. So I’m going to be hunting for answers to those questions above…
What “peace” did Jesus leave us? Where is it found? How is it distinct from the offerings of the world, and what difference can it make, even in 2020? Lord willing, I’ll share what I found on Sunday morning. In the meantime, I encourage you to go hunting with me. Spend some quiet, reflective time in John 14-17 this week. What does the Savior want to give us? How is he able to open our eyes? What impact is he willing to have on our hearts?
“My peace I give to you…” Who among us couldn’t use a healthy dose of that in July of 2020?