Peace
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Luke 2:14
“Let the peace of God rule your heart and mind. Settle yourself down in My love and peace. Just sit there, don’t move. Keep your feet dug in the soil of my presence. Let them get wet for that soil has the nourishment of my Spirit in it. Let peace rule, love felt, allow kindness and gentleness to flourish. Let patience blossom like a flower. It will have a fresh smell of self-control and long-suffering. The fruit of my Spirit will come forth in this process. You will look and smell like Me. The smell of sacrifice is a sweet smelling fragrance to Me. Remember I’m not human, I am Divine. So are my ways, they are Divine.”
Those are words I began to write in my journal after a night of restless sleep because of the cares that were on my heart. I was surely not at peace. As I repented and spent some time in prayer, I felt those words of encouragement come into my heart.
Here I am again with the opportunity to know Him in a deeper way.
“I leave the gift of peace with you—my peace. Not the kind of fragile peace given by the world, but my perfect peace. Don’t yield to fear or be troubled in your hearts—instead, be courageous!” John 14:27
To be Christ-like is to be at peace because His nature is peace. The prophet Isaiah said He was coming.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
Perfect, absolute peace surrounds those whose imaginations are consumed with you; they confidently trust in you. Isaiah 26:3
No matter the situation, peace is a choice. I had to decide to allow peace to rule my heart by submitting to His will, being led by His Word, and settling my soul in the comfort of His presence. I was nourished by His word knowing His desire for me was to be at peace, a peace He had already provided. I just had to step into it.
I like the example of the umpire in baseball. The umpire makes the call on whether a ball was a strike! I have to let peace be my guide (my umpire), as I submit to his will, allow his word to settle my soul and his presence to manifest who he is in my life, my Prince of Peace.
By Pastor Clarice Green