Peace, Perfect Peace!

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Isaiah 26:3 NLT.

It was in the year 1875 when Edward H Bickersteth heard a sermon on the verse above. That same afternoon, he visited an elderly dying relative who seemed troubled. He wrote the words of this hymn as a source of comfort for his relative. Today as I also ponder over this profound verse in Isaiah 26, I can’t help but reconcile our current world with the questions asked in this hymn. I asked myself these questions too. What is perfect peace? What does it take for us to get it?

Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin? The blood of Jesus whispers peace within.

Peace, perfect peace, by thronging duties pressed? To do the will of Jesus—this is rest.

Peace, perfect peace, with sorrows surging round? On Jesus’ bosom naught but calm is found.

Peace, perfect peace, with loved ones far away? In Jesus’ keeping we are safe, and they.

Peace, perfect peace, our future all unknown? Jesus we know, and He is on the throne.

Peace, perfect peace, death shadowing us and ours? Jesus has vanquished death and all its powers.

It is enough: earth’s struggles soon shall cease, and Jesus call us to heaven’s perfect peace.

These are the thoughts I would like to indulge you in today. You don’t need to look far to realise that our world needs peace. Switch on the news, and you have to fight within yourself to maintain your inner peace. Indeed, the after effect of surviving COVID is a world around us, devoid of peace, as everyone tries to get . If you are like me, and you have enjoyed the benefits of working from home for this length of time, the thought of going back to a work environment and settling into an old routine can be hard to reconcile. Despite all these, God is calling us to perfect peace.

In my search for perfect peace in God promises, I’ve found out that attaining this will require a bit of loss of self. To gain the perfect peace of God will mean that we are not clinging to our desires and wishes. By relinquishing control of ourselves, we give our minds room to be emptied and filled with all of God. Perfect peace arises when our minds are solely on God. The distractions will come all right, but a focused mind knows how to fix and rest in the Father. Drivers are cautioned to keep their eyes on the road when driving because any form of distraction could lead to misfortune. Likewise, for us to journey safely and successfully through life, we must learn to stay focused on The One who set us on the journey in the first place. When you get distracted by all the events around you, you will find yourself stagnant or out of control.

One of my favourite people in the Bible is Simon Peter. I love Peter because he left us so much to learn from his walk with Jesus. Simon had the confidence and boldness to join Jesus on the high waters, and he was successful at defeating gravity when he kept his gaze on Christ. He only ran into problems when the storm arose, and he shifted his attention to his environment. I have been a victim of losing focus because I saw a storm around me that I couldn’t shake off.

Jesus is the emblem of perfect peace. As the perfect lamb of God, the Prince of peace, He knew how to live His life in total peace. He faced everything you and I would ever have to face: confusion, frustration, rejection, disappointment, exhaustion, you name it. Jesus called twelve boisterous men, and with all their diverse personalities, he walked and communed with them. Amongst his twelve, he knew the whole time, one was going to betray Him, yet still, He lived in peace with Judas. He knew that one of his core three was going to deny him in his most vulnerable time, yet still, he drew Peter in repeatedly. He knew what it meant to see the storms and chaos and still walk in peace.

I was reminded of this childhood song as I wondered about the source of Jesus’s peace. Not by might, nor by power but by my Spirit says the Lord. Jesus relied on the Spirit of God to walk in peace. And you and I can also overcome and make it when we trust in the Spirit of God. Paul says in Hebrews 12:2 NIV, ‘…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God’.  Jesus had unending faith in His Father; God is inviting you and me to come to this level of trust.

How do we come to this unwavering type of trust? Jesus showed us that it’s not by might nor by power nor by our intellect but by the Spirit of God. We must allow the Holy Spirit to empower and guide us. Like all the people in the Bible and others who have gone before us, there are times you will feel weak, tired, and worn out, and it’s ok to feel these things; it’s ok not to be ok. The most crucial thing in those seasons is what you do with those feelings. When you face such moments, you run to the Father, who will remind you of who He is and who you are. He will fill you up again with His abundant peace. He doesn’t want us to live our lives devoid of peace because we are worried about the future. Matthew 6:34 NIV says, ‘Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own’. God knows what the future holds for us all, and He wants us to trust Him with it. We shouldn’t try to fix something God is working on. He wants us to enjoy the present. The present is called the present because it is a gift to us. When we spend our time worrying about the future, we miss all that the present offers.

So I present this acronym for PEACE to you, which I trust will be a blessing and a reminder for you as you journey through this world.

 Person of Jesus Christ became man

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Throughout His ministry, he was never fazed by obstacles, but He walked in peace. The peace He had, drew all men to himself because they felt safe around him. His peace came from a deep trust in the Father who had sent him on earth. He constantly referred to the Father as the source of his work. On several occasions, we found him going away by Himself to pray. God is asking us to make communing with Him a part of ourselves so that our trust in Him will deepen and we can receive all He is offering us as Jesus did.

 Endured the shame and hurt to make us whole

Jesus’s ministry wasn’t an easy one. Right from the start, He was rejected by many, even people from His birthplace. The Pharisees were out to get Him because they couldn’t define and constrain Him. His disciples had their squabbles. Then finally, He was given the most shameful death so we can be called children of God. Paul said it was the reward of bringing us all to the Father that kept Him going. Now God is calling you to focus on Him in all situations. The trials and temptations are all a part of the journey, so they shouldn’t take our peace away. Look to Jesus as Paul say and let His gaze on the Father keep yours on Him too.

 Ascended to the Father

Mostly when people are on their deathbed, they give away their treasured possessions. It is no surprise then that peace, which had sustained Christ throughout His life on earth, was what He left His disciples. ‘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’, John 14:27 NIV. Jesus left His disciples with detailed accounts of His ascension and the promises of his Father in John chapter 14. In His ascension, the Father gave Him the throne and crowned Him with glory and honour.

 Comforter came to be our source of strength

Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit, who will be our strength and Comforter. ‘But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.’,  John 14:26 AMPC. Through the empowerment of the Comforter, the scared and timid followers were transformed into influential apostles who changed the world and birthed the church. Just as he the Comforter was with the apostles, he is still here with us and guiding us. We must let him in and let him do what only he can do best. Indeed we can do all things through him who strengthens us.

 Everlasting peace from God, guides us

‘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’, Philippians 4:7 NLT. The Father of peace is pouring His peace on us because we can overcome all in His peace. ‘When you pass through the waters,I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze’, Isaiah 43.2 NIV. Our heavenly Father is perfect and everything that comes out of Him is perfect. From everlasting to everlasting, He pours His perfect peace on us.

Finally

Christ, our redeemer, is the emblem of peace, and today He is calling you to a deeper trust in the Father so your peace cup will never run dry. Take this step of faith and let your gaze on Him remain steadfast in all situations; then, you will see His perfect peace come alive in you.

Prayer

Father, I pray that you will give us the grace to trust in You in all circumstances. Let us not waver in stormy seasons but help us by your spirit to stand firm in your peace. Fill us up with peace that surpasses all understanding until all we feel and experience around us your perfect peace that washes our worries away. Please help us to daily surrender to you so you keep refilling our peace tank. In the name of Jesus, we pray, Amen!

May you be filled with the Fullness of God and the Power of His Love!