“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:7)
If you have peace in your soul in these evil days, it comes from the Lord, there is no other place that this type of peace can come from. As the verse states, it is beyond even the understanding of those whom the Lord has blessed this peace with. How can we stay in peace when evil is growing exponentially, how can our assurance that the Almighty is in complete control go unchanged as we see evil men causing so much pain and suffering, when laws and decrees are enacted that purposefully cause hardships and unneeded trials.
It would be foolish of me to attempt to explain what God Himself has said is beyond understanding, what we know as a fact that cannot be explained. We know it, we feel it, it is a truth, and we accept that peace in all humility and thanksgiving. Is it constant? No, of course not, if we were to be at peace in this manner at all times, we might become callous to all that is occurring, we might see what is approaching with only selfish eyes, and our heart for the lost might be lost.
“Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.” (Romans 12:15)
“Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:” (Eph. 4:26)
The best my simple mind can explain this peace is in our faith, when your faith in the Word of God becomes a fact, you are at peace. When Philippians 1:21 becomes a life to you, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Then you are at peace. When John 10:28 is more than a truth, but a reason for great rejoicing, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” Then you know a peace that passes all understanding.
No one who is not saved will ever experience this peace, its opposite is the wrath of God, it is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself looking at you and saying, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” (Matt. 25:21) It is the look on Abraham’s face and the feeling in his heart when the Most High called him His friend, when Jesus looked at the apostles and said, “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” (John 15:15)
It is beyond assurance, it is beyond understanding, it is the knowledge without a single doubt that you are part of the family of God and will remain so throughout all eternity.
The price that was paid for you allowed us to know this peace, something we must never forget. “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6) We were His enemies, His wrath was upon us, He gave His life for us, and we received peace.
Analogies are the best we can do, we can experience this peace, but it is fleeting, we get a small taste of it occasionally, and the promise that one day it will never cease, the best we can do is accept it, and continue serving, as He leads us.
I offer you these verses, the closest at this moment that may help you to reflect, to contemplate what cannot be understood by us. “The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:” (Numb. 6:24-26)
Every one of us that has been chosen by God knows frustrations, we know trials, tribulations and temptations, we know grief and sorrow, we see unrighteousness abounding. One small moment of that peace that passes all understanding outshines each of those and makes them as a lite thing.
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)
May God grant you this peace my friends.
