Peace of Christ

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Scripture: John 14:26-27 (ESV)

26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Devotion:

            Jesus, whose prayer we are eavesdropping on in this passage of scripture, is praying for His inner circle of disciples. Jesus knows that they will need help once Jesus has left the earth. Indeed, we read in the book of Acts that they were a pitiful band of unbelieving disciples who believed that their Master and Lord had been taken from them, and they were not sure how to proceed from there.

            We all resemble that inner circle of disciples. We sometimes feel that God has orphaned us and left us to fend for ourselves in a dark and hostile world. We lose all confidence in God and hide in our private upper rooms.

            At times, we lose all sense of peace in this world, and we act as if Jesus never existed and we had never promised our lives to Him. What were the disciples in the upper room and us as current-day disciples missing?

            They needed, and we need, the Helper, the Holy Spirit, to come and encourage us on our journey. Jesus promised the Spirit to all who would believe in Him. Our enemy, the devil, tries every trick he has up his sleeve to make us forget that the power and the peace that flow from God is available through the Holy Spirit. The devil trembles when believers open scripture and read Jesus's beautiful promises about the Holy Spirit.

            The devil and his minions quake in fear whenever God’s children read Acts Chapter 2. He knows the terrible defeat he suffered at the cross and resurrection. But he is perhaps even more afraid of the power the Father has offered believers at Pentecost. The forces of darkness have no answer to the power of the Holy Spirit first revealed at Pentecost. Satan and his forces, try as they might, are never able to duplicate the power of Pentecost that rocked the earth and continues to rock the world.

            As a result of this outpouring of power, believers of all ages need never be discouraged or afraid. Jesus, in our passage today, promises a peace that the unbelieving world cannot know. No matter what the latest news of impending danger or doom found on our news outlets is, we can live in peace with God, our neighbors, and ourselves because Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is with us. Let us pray for that power and peace to fill us again right now,

Prayer:

            Father, grant us a fresh outpouring of your Holy Spirit on your people today. Help us stand firm against all the forces of darkness fighting against us. May we become a people of prayer and spiritual power opposing the evil plans Satan and his minions are devising against us. Fill our hearts with the Spirit and the Peace of Christ. Please help us to be victorious in the battle for our souls. Amen. 

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