"I am leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart! And the peace I give isn't fragile like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid" (John 14:27).
A stricken widow stood beside the coffin of her husband. She said to a friend, "There lies my only earthly support, my most faithful human friend, one who has never failed me; but I must not forget there lies also the will of God, and that will is perfect love."
By faith, she saw good and blessing, remembering the promise of God, "I know the plans that I have for you...plans for good..." (Jeremiah 29:11).
As the Prince of Peace, Jesus gives peace of heart and mind, truly one of the greatest and most remarkable gifts we can receive. In the midst of trial and testing, His perfect peace is a supernatural blessing far exceeding even such coveted gifts as good health, for with His inner peace we have everything we need.
How do we obtain that kind of peace? First, it is the fruit of the Spirit. "Love, joy, peace..." As we are yielding to Him and controlled by the Holy Spirit, the fruit of peace is being cultivated in our lives moment by moment, day by day.
Second, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee" (Isaiah 26:3, KJV); "As he thinketh in his heart so is he" (Proverbs 23:7, KJV). It is a fact of life that we become in our attitudes and actions like that which most dominates our thoughts. That explains the dramatic moral spiritual deterioration resulting from the influence of immoral television programming. When the Lord is given His proper priority in our lives, His perfect peace will reign in our hearts.
While it is true that all such blessings are a gift of God and cannot be earned or merited, it is equally true that we can deliberately choose to cooperate with God's Holy Spirit by yielding ourselves to Him and thus cultivating the fruit of peace.
TODAY'S ACTION POINT: By faith I shall claim God's promised peace for today and every day. I shall ask the Holy Spirit to help me concentrate my heart's gaze on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, and I will encourage someone else to do the same.
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