Prophet’s Reading Plan: Isaiah 29-31
And the fruit of the
Spirit is… peace…
John 14:26-27 (ESV) 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. 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.
Peace is something offered to the Christian that is
completely revolutionary. It is a peace unrivaled by anything else in this
world. Job questioned God and was met with a torrent of awe-inspiring questions
and declarations that God alone could put forth. When we put God in His
rightful place, we see that He is all-encompassing, eternal and majestic and
unfathomable to our created minds. When this is our God, our worries seem
insignificant. Peace is unattainable without trust. We cannot have the peace of
Christ if we do not trust that He can and will follow through on His word and
carry us through our struggles.
Just asking for something once doesn’t bring immediate
gratification. The persistent widow knocked and knocked until the judge gave
her justice. So we must knock and knock for the development of the fruits of
the Spirit in our lives. Sometimes Jesus, in His mercy, immediately responds to
our cry for peace and stills our hearts in the moment. But that is not always
the case. There is a command in Jesus’ words here: Let not your hearts be troubled or afraid. DO NOT ALLOW fear and
worry to control your thoughts. The peace of Jesus comes as we press into Him
and seek Him for it. We have to actively trust Him by giving our cares over to
Him. And when those cares find their way back on our shoulders, we must hand
them over to Him again, and again. He is gentle and good and He really wants to
carry our burdens.
PRAYER AND MEDITATION
1. What is an area where you need peace? Have you been
seeking God’s peace regularly? Choose to ask God for this peace every day,
starting right now.
2. How is your trust in God evident in your life? Thank Him
for His faithfulness. What is something that you need to hand over to Him
today? Commit that thing to the Lord.
3. Ask God how you can bring His peace into someone else’s
life today. Ask Him for a specific name and how you can bless that person.
