Today’s Devotional is offered by Darcy Drake

“Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful”
– John 14:27

What is Peace? Peace can be thought of in many ways:
the peace after a war is over;
the peace felt when suffering ends;
peace when you leave a loud room and enter a quiet solitude;
the absence of trouble;
that feeling when you finally put the kids in bed to sleep (you know what I’m talking about!).

I admit, I never really thought much about peace in the Bible, so I looked it up. What I found provided a blanket of peace to cover and lead me. So, if you are reading this, I hope you will find assurance in knowing there is more to Peace than merely the absence of trouble or noise.

The source of peace is Christ and peace comes from the Holy Spirit. Once we receive Jesus as our Savior, we can have the peace that our sins are forgiven. Then, the Holy Spirit is present to remind us and instill in us that same experience of peace, over and over, IF we let it. If we remember AND trust this promise then no matter what the external circumstance are (severe hardships or just the simple anxiety of the season’s chaos), we can breathe deeply and calmly knowing that no matter what, God’s got this!

This helps me see peace all around me, especially during this joy-filled, fast-paced, chaotic Christmas season. When we can remember and trust Christ’s peace, we can experience the joy of this season more deeply and thoroughly. So take a breath, pray, and trust for the peace to be with you.

One last very helpful thing (for me) I wanted to share, is this passage I found while reading “The Gift of Peace,” by John MacArthur.

“Do you have a problem, or a decision to make? Let the peace of Christ make that decision for you. If you have examined a planned action in the light of God’s Word—and His Word does not forbid you from going ahead with it—if you can do it and retain the peace of Christ in your heart, then do it with the confidence it is God’s will. But if you find you do not have a sense of peace and God’s blessing about it, don’t do it.

Don’t try to rationalize about your decision; you may find it makes good sense from the rational point of view. But will it rob your soul of rest and peace? Do you have a sense of confidence that God is in this? If you don’t have peace, it is probably the wrong thing to do. Let Christ’s peace be the umpire that makes the calls.”

May God’s Peace be with you always. Amen.