Lord, our true home is with You. That is where we find peace. You came as a man to be with us, to bring us peace. Then when You left to go to heaven, You sent The Holy Spirit, who lives in us so that we can remain in peace.
Your Word tells us “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
We don’t necessarily interpret peace as it truly is, and what brings perfect peace. We look for it in being free of problems, having all the material things we need (eh, want), in quiet times, in relaxing.
That’s not necessarily what You intended. You explain “I do not give to you as the world gives.” You tell us—we will have peace “in You.”
Jesus reconciled us to You so that once again we can live in peace with You. The chasm between us is mended. And The Holy Spirit ensures it, allowing us to be in Your Presence at any time and in any place.
But You didn’t stop there. You want us to experience peace in our daily lives. But to attain it, we must first experience it with You. The more time we spend with You, the more it carries over and soaks the other parts of our lives. It brings peace in circumstances that ordinarily unravel us. It frees our mind from worry as we trust You and Your plan. It moves us to restore relationships that are broken or need attention. It opens our hearts to help the poor, needy and struggling. It fills our hearts with gratitude and contentment. That is true peace.
We humbly pray, “Peace be with us.”
In the Peace Making and Giving Name of Jesus we pray.
Amen.
