His Peace

 

12/14/2020

John 14:27 “Peace I leave you, My peace I give unto you…Let not your heart be troubled.”

There is a commercial for an audio version of the Bible in which James Earl Jones reads John 14:1: “Let not your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me also.” Every time I hear this verse now, I hear his powerfully deep and calming voice. Jesus said these words to comfort his disciples because He was preparing to leave them. They were confused still, but Jesus gave them hope and a promise. He knew what they were feeling and He knew that things were about to get worse. In verse 27, Jesus says once again, “Let not your hearts be troubled.”

I find these word especially comforting during this time of such turmoil and uncertainty. I read all of John 14, like I read most of the Gospels, as though Jesus is speaking directly to me; after all, isn’t He? He wants me, just as He wanted His disciples, to trust in Him completely. If I am focused on the storm that rages around me, and all the things that can illicit fear, my heart will surely be troubled. However, if I focus on my Savior knowing He is the One Who can bring me comfort in these trying times, indeed my heart will not be troubled. Chambers writes, “Whenever you obey God, His seal is always that of peace, the witness of an unfathomable peace, which is not natural, but the peace if Jesus.”

May the peace of Jesus be with you, dear reader, now and always.