After Jesus’ Last Passover meal with His disciples, He told them He was going away. He also let them know that the Comforter—the Holy Spirit—would come to be with them. The Amplified Bible, Classic Edition spells out Who the Comforter is.
JOHN 14:26 (AMPC)
26 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.
Jesus went on to tell the disciples that He was leaving them His peace.
JOHN 14:27 (AMPC)
27 Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]
Jesus wants us to experience that same peace. We often allow ourselves to become intimidated by situations when the answer to everything we need is in us.
Jesus said in John 16:33 (AMPC), “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence.” In Christ, we have perfect peace. Out of Christ, we have turmoil. Unfortunately, some believers are experiencing turmoil.
If we don’t have peace, we must get back in Christ and in tune with God’s Word. And we need to remind ourselves of what belongs to us as God’s children.
Peace comes when we allow our spirit to dominate our mind. Focusing on Christ—not on what is around us—brings peace.
When others are stressing out, we can have peace because the stress reliever lives inside us.
John 16:33 (AMPC) continues, “[Take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]” Many people are trying to conquer their world when Jesus has already conquered it. They’re asking Him to do something about their situation, but He already did!
When Jesus hung suspended between Heaven and hell, He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Those words let us know that our struggles, tribulations, sicknesses, diseases, and other bad things no longer have the power to harm us.
Declare Peace
When Jesus rebuked the wind and told the waves, “Peace, be still” (Mark 4:39), He gave us an example of how to handle the storms in our lives. In the same way we speak to mountains and tell them to move (Mark 11:23), we can command a trial to stop and rest in God’s peace.
Many Christians have gotten hold of God’s will to heal and prosper us. But many haven’t grasped that Jesus wants us to have peace.
The same Spirit of God Who walked with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walks with us. They ended up in a fire so hot it killed the guards who threw them in. God’s Spirit not only gave those Old Testament saints peace, He caused them to come out of the fire untouched. (See Daniel chapter 3.)
That same Spirit dwells in us. Isaiah 54:17 (NKJV) says, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.” This verse indicates that weapons will come, but they won’t hurt us.
When adversity arises, we can experience peace that passes all understanding (Phil. 4:7). We can walk through the valley of the shadow of death and fear no evil (Ps. 23:4) when our mind is stayed on God (Isa. 26:3). I like what Psalm 91:7 (NKJV) says: “A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you.”
These verses are from the Old Testament. In the New Testament, God’s Spirit is in us. Peace is in us. WHEN OTHERS ARE STRESSING OUT, WE CAN HAVE PEACE BECAUSE THE STRESS RELIEVER LIVES INSIDE US.
When our world doesn’t seem peaceful, scripture tells us how to stay in peace: “You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You” (Isa. 26:3 AMPC). We have to keep our focus on the Word and on Jesus.
Peter walked on water until he took his eyes off Jesus. Looking at the winds and waves caused him to sink (Matt. 14:22–33). Too often, we get our eyes off Jesus. “What am I going to do?” we ask. The answer? Look inside. If we lived life inside out, things would be much better.
If we dwell on the imaginations the devil throws at us, they will become real in our lives. But if we’ll cast them down and lean on the everlasting Rock on the inside, we will experience peace that passes all understanding.
Philippians 4:8 (NKJV) says, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” To have God’s peace, we must dwell on these things.
When the world is caving in around you and it looks as though you won’t make it, know that you are standing on the Rock. Keep your mind on the Lord and lean on the Comforter—the Counselor, Advocate, Standby, and Intercessor. The One Who is your ever-present help will get you through the storm in peace.
Casting Your Cares
First Peter 5:7 instructs us to cast our cares on the Lord. When we do, those cares should be gone. Continually casting a care shows we’re not letting go of it. We’re still trying to figure things out.
When fishing, you can drop your line into the water from the side of the dock. Or you can cast the line. No one is complimented when their line lands two feet from the dock. No, a good cast lands far from you.
When some people cast their care on the Lord, they let it drop too close to them. They’re still looking at it, and it’s still bothering them. Don’t do that. Get that care away from you! Throw the rod in too, if you have to. When you fully cast a care on the Lord, you trust Him completely to work it out.
Author
Craig W. Hagin
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