November 19
. . . Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be
with you!” John 20:19
How could the apostles possibly feel peaceful? Still grieving the loss of their best friend and teacher, here they were huddled together in a darkened room, frightened of being found by the Jewish authorities, and out of nowhere Jesus appeared to them! Seeing Him, they are exhilarated in His presence and overwhelmed with joy; such a dichotomy of emotion! Any of us who have lost a loved one can only imagine the mixed feelings they had as they ecstatically rushed forward to greet Him! Yet, the first word He speaks is the command to be peaceful; that peace that He spoke of constantly and lived by example while on this earth. The ability to calm themselves first, was essential in their comprehension of His presence with them. Later that evening after receiving the Holy Spirit, the apostles were filled with God’s peace, enabling them to face with courage all that was ahead of them in their effort to bring God’s love and light to the world.
It may be unlikely that any of us in this life will ever encounter such a profound experience as the apostles, but we all face times in our lives when challenges and fears and even over-excitement can disrupt our peace of mind. In discord and confusion, accomplishing what is necessary becomes most difficult. Chaos creates distraction and weariness. On the other hand, in a peaceful state of mind there is stability; thinking is more clear and focused; motives are more easily identified; and we are further in tuned to the stirrings of our hearts, God’s tugs at our spirit. The peace that we yearn for,through prayer is .
As Jesus said, “. . . and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will be with you.” (Philippians 4:7) For it is in peace, God will open our hearts to Him. Although there are some who may not understand our apparent state of peace in whatever circumstances we are in, we know from Whom it came.
In every situation, may our spirits be filled with your peace, oh Lord!
Copyright© 2013 Kathleen A. Matson
. . . Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be
with you!” John 20:19
How could the apostles possibly feel peaceful? Still grieving the loss of their best friend and teacher, here they were huddled together in a darkened room, frightened of being found by the Jewish authorities, and out of nowhere Jesus appeared to them! Seeing Him, they are exhilarated in His presence and overwhelmed with joy; such a dichotomy of emotion! Any of us who have lost a loved one can only imagine the mixed feelings they had as they ecstatically rushed forward to greet Him! Yet, the first word He speaks is the command to be peaceful; that peace that He spoke of constantly and lived by example while on this earth. The ability to calm themselves first, was essential in their comprehension of His presence with them. Later that evening after receiving the Holy Spirit, the apostles were filled with God’s peace, enabling them to face with courage all that was ahead of them in their effort to bring God’s love and light to the world.
It may be unlikely that any of us in this life will ever encounter such a profound experience as the apostles, but we all face times in our lives when challenges and fears and even over-excitement can disrupt our peace of mind. In discord and confusion, accomplishing what is necessary becomes most difficult. Chaos creates distraction and weariness. On the other hand, in a peaceful state of mind there is stability; thinking is more clear and focused; motives are more easily identified; and we are further in tuned to the stirrings of our hearts, God’s tugs at our spirit. The peace that we yearn for,through prayer is .
As Jesus said, “. . . and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will be with you.” (Philippians 4:7) For it is in peace, God will open our hearts to Him. Although there are some who may not understand our apparent state of peace in whatever circumstances we are in, we know from Whom it came.
In every situation, may our spirits be filled with your peace, oh Lord!
Copyright© 2013 Kathleen A. Matson