PEACE ALWAYS IN ALL WAYS

Now may the Lord of peace^G1515 Himself grant you His peace^G1515

(the peace^G1515 of His kingdom) at all times and in all ways

[under all circumstances and conditions, whatever comes]. The Lord [be] with you all.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 (AMPC)

Tony Evans explains how to know you are exactly where God wants you:

3:16 You know you’re where God wants you to be when you are objectively in his Word and he subjectively confirms it with his peace. Peace is harmony on the inside always in every way—that is, regardless of your circumstances. (98)

Charles Stanley gives insight into the “unshakeable peace” of God in his Life Principles Bible:

3:16 The peace of God is a gift; it is not something we can manipulate because it is the fruit of oneness with Him. When our relationship with Him is strong and adversity strikes, we do not have to fall apart or give in to anxiety. We can choose to live in steadfast confidence of His love, wisdom, power, and provision. This is the basis of His unshakable peace—not that we are capable of controlling circumstances, but that His help is ever-present and perfect to deliver us in every challenge we face. (99)

As Charles Stanley wrote above, peace “is the fruit of oneness with Him.” Peace is indeed the power of God’s presence within us in the person of the Holy Spirit. The ability to remain calm when all about us is in chaos is, indeed, a powerful position. What is amazing is that God’s peace is His gift to us!  We do not strive to achieve the peace of God because even if we worked really hard at it, His peace would be impossible to obtain on our own. We rest on His promises rather than wrestle with what ifs. Once we are at peace with God by trusting in Christ’s death in our place on the cross, we have access to the peace of God. How do we engage God’s peace when faced with difficulties and even overwhelming circumstances? We talk to the Giver of Peace, God Himself. The word for talking with God is prayer. In Philippians we learned the key to peace:

Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT) Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Do you struggle to maintain composure when everything seems to be falling apart? We do, but when we remember to “take it to the Lord in prayer” as the old hymn says, our peace is restored. Whatever is disturbing your tranquility needs to transferred to the Lord. Let Him handle all your problems.

1 Peter 5:7 (VOICE) Since God cares for you, let Him carry all your burdens and worries.

Father, it has been a stressful week, and at times we were slow in turning that stress over to You. Please forgive us when we fail to remember that we can turn every care over to You. Right now, we choose to rest in the assurance that You are taking care of every burden, every concern, every problem that we have. We are Your daughters, and we know that You as our Father want us to bring all these things to You and let You handle them.

Worship along with Alan Jackson singing “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” which is a reminder to “Take it to the Lord in Prayer”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znWu2HCJ92c