Peace That Makes No Sense

Who vs What

Because the source of our peace is God, peace is not determined by the circumstances.

Hebrews 13:20–21 (NLT) “Now may the God of peace— who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood— may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.”

Isaiah 9:6 (NLT) “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

The God of Peace equips us through the Prince of Peace with all we need to do everything pleasing for Him. ALL and EVERYTHING. Peace comes from being with the one Who does it ALL.

The God kind of peace transcends our daily lives and circumstances. Worldly peace is reliant on peaceful circumstances, attitudes, and behaviour.

The world’s peace says, “I will be at easy (peaceful) once/when ______.” Future, circumstance driven

God’s peace says, “I am a child of God, so through Jesus I have peace in ________.” Now, relationship driven

John 14:1, 27 (NLT) “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me… I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

It’s easy to miss the fact that when God says, “don’t let your heart be troubled” it means that the things troubling us were allowed by us.

What are we allowing to trouble our hearts?

The person in office

The # in your bank account

The housing market

The Stock Market

The person your child is dating

If your heart is troubled, you are not living up to your belief. - Oswald Chambers

Who is the Prince of Peace

If we want peace that makes no sense, we need to know the God and Prince of peace. In the 23rd chapter of Psalms, we see who our Prince of Peace is. He is our shepherd, the GREAT shepherd of the sheep.

Psalm 23 (NLT) “A psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”

We have peace because He is with us.

He leads us to peaceful springs.

Following Him leads to peace.

He shows us the right way to go.

Regardless of the circumstances on our path, He is with us.

Sin-cursed-world or self-made

He guards/protects you.

1 Peter 2:25 (NLT) “Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.”

His love pursues us.

Isaiah 40:11 (NLT) “He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.”

He never stops pouring out His blessings on us.

Philippians 4:19 (NLT) “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”

Because God is our source of peace, the reservoir never runs dry.

If our peace is dependent on anything or anyone other than God, it will be finite.

Philippians 4:6–9 (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. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

Peace comes not from the absence of trouble, but from the presence of God. - Alexander Maclaren

Because God is with you, have peace… be still.

Regardless of the circumstance, you can have peace.

Isaiah 26:3 (TPT) “Perfect, absolute peace surrounds those whose imaginations are consumed with you; they confidently trust in you.”

Tell story about Levi’s ear test in the hospital.

Psalm 94:19 (NLT) “When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.”

1 Samuel 30:6 (AMP) “David was greatly distressed, for the men spoke of stoning him because the souls of them all were bitterly grieved, each man for his sons and daughters. But David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord his God.”

Psalm 116:7 (MSG) I said to myself, “Relax and rest. God has showered you with blessings…”

If God be our God, He will give us peace in trouble. When there is a storm without, He will make peace within. The world can create trouble in peace, but God can create peace in trouble. - Thomas Watson

Mark 4:39 (NKJV) Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.

Where do you need to speak God’s Word in your life and command the situation, thoughts, or circumstances “Peace, Be Still?”