May 21, 2004

THE PEACE-GIVER

"Peace is my parting gift to you, my own peace, such as the world cannot give. Set your troubled hearts at rest, and banish your fears" (John 14:27, NEB).

In His last will and testament, Christ bequeathed to all His followers the most precious gift in the world. It was not a gift of silver or gold, real estate or personal property. It was the treasured gift of perfect peace. Touchingly, the peace-giver declared, "Peace is my parting gift to you; my own peace."

The peace that Jesus gives is more than the absence of war. It is an inward, abiding peace and security in spite of war. It is the product of Christ's justifying and reconciling power (see Romans 5:1). The peace that Jesus gives eliminates the gnawing sense of guilt. It imparts inner certainty and assurance. It puts the rainbow of hope in our hearts and replaces our anxieties about the future with implicit trust in a benevolent and all-powerful heavenly Father.

The peace that Jesus gives is the gift of Himself. Real peace, the kind that "surpasses all understanding" (Philippians 4:7, NKJV), is what Christ calls "my own peace, such as the world cannot give" (John 14:27, NEB). This brand of peace no science can bestow. Wonder drugs cannot produce this peace; wealth cannot purchase it; politicians cannot legislate it; education cannot generate it; psychology cannot induce it; fame cannot secure it. The peace that Jesus gives has no generic substitute. Only the peace with heaven's trademark is potent. "This peace is not something that He gives apart from Himself. It is in Christ, and we can receive it only by receiving Him."--The Ministry of Healing, p. 247.

My Prayer Today: Lord, thank You for sharing Your very self with me as your peace gift. I accept this gift with all my heart. Amen.