I am leaving you with a gift

​Good morning everyone, today we will continue on the topic of peace.
John 14:27
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
Before Jesus left His disciples, He gave them a gift, a gift of peace, a different kind of peace from what we can try to find in this busy world in which we live. He gave us His peace.
What is the biblical meaning of the word peace? In short, peace is knowing that the Lord of the universe is by your side and resting in that. It's not just knowing, but it is also living it out. Peace is sitting in comfort and knowing that God is next to your side no matter what.
The Hebrew word for peace is Shalom, which also is used as a greating. But the shalom that Jesus gives here, is one of peace of mind and heart. And of course, whenever the heart is referred to in the bible, it means our soul.
Of all of the things that can distract us from finding peace, our mind has to be the number one culprit. Things that go on around us can rob us of our peace, but once we walk past the noise , it usually fades away and we can, once again, find the temporal peace that we can muster up.
But if the noise is in our minds and then reaches our hearts, then it becomes more difficult to ignore. We can allow one issue to rob us of our peace and it can last for days, months and even years. This, in turn can steal away our joy.
But, if we focus on Jesus and ask for the Holy Spirit to fill us with the peace that come our Lord, we can find that peace!!! One sure fire way, of resting in His peace, is to pickup the Living Word of God and read it. Look up verses on peace, meditate on them, and also read verses on the neverending presence of God.
Just realizing that God is always with you, in the good and the bad is enough to bring a level of peace to your mind and soul, and in it, you will find rest for your weary souls. This is another reason that Jesus died for us and after He left this earth, gave us His Spirit, and through the Holy Spirit, Jesus lives in us, and because of this, everything He is (Jesus )is at our disposal. EVERYTHING!! All that we need to do, is call upon His Holy name, believe it and receive it and then live in it. This is key, we need to walk in everything that we receive in order for it to reach its maximum effect!
So call upon and rest in the shalom that comes from Jesus when the noise in your mind and heart get so loud that you cannot bear it. It is a gift, given by love, one not meant to sit and collect dust, but one to open and enjoy.
Blessings
Pastor John Oakley