“Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]” [John 14:27, AMP]
Do we even know what ‘Inner’ peace means? Is this what we all are searching for? Do we make this quest far more difficult than it is? Is this, ultimately, individually defined?
I’m not certain that everyone would describe their search as a journey to find inner peace, but whatever one calls it, I do believe we all are on a journey to find our place of rest and refreshing. Sadly I think many miss the answer. To me, the answer is someone that we can trust, that has the answers to all our questions. That someone is Jesus. Everyone (John 6:37) can come to Him and find a companion that will never leave, that we can place our confidence in and find that place of rest. But… is ‘rest’ sufficient? Are rest and peace interchangeable?
Rest: Biblical rest is not only something we do for our body, soul, and spirit, but a form of worship and a way to experience more of Jesus’ love for us. Deep rest is when we completely trust the sovereignty of God and lean into His Holy Spirit even in the midst of the craziest situations.” [https://justdisciple.com/bible-rest]
Peace: It can be defined as “tranquility, harmony, or security.” Depending on the situation, it could mean “prosperity” or “well-being. ,,, Peace is directly related to the actions and attitudes of individuals; but it is ultimately a gift from God (Isaiah 45:7; Leviticus 26:6; John 14:27). The presence of peace indicates God’s blessing on man’s obedience (Isaiah 32:17; Malachi 2:5) and faith (Isaiah 26:3)”. [https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-peace.html]
Those 2 definitions can help us understand the manifestation of each of these words – similar but not the same. I don’t believe we strive after either of these ‘states’ but they are available for all Believers. But to get an even better understanding, consider if you were a disciple when Jesus spoke those words. Could you imagine being ‘better off’ with the Lord not present? Would you, like them, be deeply concerned about – what comes next?
“You heard Me tell you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming back to you.’ If you [really] loved Me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going [back] to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.” [v. 28]
How would you have heard those words? Would they have created a sense of ‘peace’ in you? Probably not. This would be the moment that your belief, your trust would be tested. And later, when the Risen Christ appeared to all, the joy, the relief. That should have been a moment of great confidence building in everyone about Who Jesus was and is, Who you are, and the … what comes next.
Once you experience and taste of the Lord’s peace… nothing will ever dissuade or defeat what and who you believe. Also, there is nothing that will ever satisfy your need or desire for peace except the Lord. Like His love… it never wanes, it never varies, it is always – present.
