LEARNING DAILY

John 14:27, 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, neither let it be afraid.  Jesus

Jesus has told His disciples “Let not your heart be troubled” before (verse 1 of this chapter). He wanted them to instead have peace, His peace, even when they were going through trials and times of the unknown. Those times when facing the unknown can certainly be challenging. They seem to come out of nowhere, causing terrible uncertainty. Contrary to all those preaching that life has no problems and there will be great prosperity and wealth when one gets saved, walking with Jesus does not mean that all life’s circumstances become better.

Jesus is preparing them for what is about to happen to Him; He is also preparing them for the difficult days ahead when they will be faced with the trials and temptations they will face as they spread His gospel. The peace He is giving to them is not the peace the world continues to seek but never finds. The world’s peace is only temporary and is disrupted easily. All anyone needs to do is look around to see fear is all around. It is almost laughable to hear that a peace settlement in the Middle East can be made through man’s agreements. There is certainly no peace in the United States – there is division everywhere; there seems to be no solution to the many problems in this country and in the world.

The New Living Translation of the Bible has written John 14:27 this way, “I am leaving you a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” The journey His disciples (and Believers today) would be taking would not be an easy one. Trials, temptations, misunderstanding, ridicule, persecution, and worse are part of the narrow way.  Believers today, must sort out what is deception in order to not be misled. Do not be fooled, this deception is strong and only by being in the Word of God, the Word of Truth can one know the difference. There are times Believers try to live moral, godly lives in their own strength, in their own power, without God and His Word. That leads only to frustration, and at times giving up. The peace that Jesus is giving is a peace that goes beyond a fallen world; it is permanent, guaranteed, and eternal.

His promise of sending the Holy Spirit to teach and remind them of what He had taught them is significant. The Holy Spirit encourages believers to remember the times the Lord has been with them in the past, bringing them through difficulties and trials. That is an encouragement to not allow my heart to become fearful, and to believe the situation I face is hopeless. Jesus, when at the tomb of Lazarus, saw those who were there mourning; He was deeply moved in His spirit and greatly troubled (John 11:33). His “spirit” is disturbed at what is happening here; He understood suffering. But, in His heart, He knew what He was going to do. He had no fear, and there was no despair. Understand the difference.

The peace Jesus gives watches over the hearts of Believers. Colossians 3:15 is important to know. “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which you were called in one body; and be thankful.” That is almost an obligation for Believers to allow God’s peace (His promises) to rule their lives. The other option is to choose to rely on themselves and reject the peace He offers. The world will continue to have wars and conflicts. Individuals will continue to choose to rely on themselves. This will continue until Jesus returns to establish His kingdom on earth. God will give His peace to those Believers who choose to walk with Him on the narrow way, trusting Him by being obedient to His Word.