Luke 2:13- 14. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!
The holy angles were proclaiming peace on Earth, we hear this and we often think of the Christmas song based on this Scripture. It is recorded in the Scriptures for more than just a song, God was speaking to us, Peace on Earth, good will toward men. The good will was coming from God toward men. The good will is here. We can have this goodwill because man has been reconciled to God. Let’s receive it!
I realize that it is easier to tell somebody to be at peace than it may be for them to actually receive it, yet God’s Word is telling us there is peace on Earth. We have been made to be at peace with Father God.
Jesus said in the Gospel of John…
John 14:27. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
He is giving us something that the World can not give us. He is giving us His peace.
Let me ask you a question. Is your heart troubled? Are you full of fear? Then there is help for you in the person of Jesus Christ.
Col:3:15- 16. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
God’s Word is telling us to do something, let the peace of God rule in your hearts. So let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Then it goes on to say let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. We know God is just and He wouldn’t tell us to do something that was not possible for us to do. So how do we let the peace of God rule in our hearts? Well lets find out from God’s Word.
Revised Standard Version
Phil:4: 6-8. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
God’s Word is telling us to take some steps in order for us to get His peace. We too often want to have the God kind of results, but not have to follow God’s instruction book. His instruction book, the Word of God, or the Bible, gives us specific instructions. When we follow His instructions, we get His results. When we don’t follow His instructions, we don’t get His results. Its that simple. Lets break it down and see exactly what we have to do.
1.) not to have anxiety about anything, That means not to worry or fret. If your faith is in God and His Word then you will not be worrying.
2.) but in everything by prayer, That is going to the Father in Jesus name.
3.) and supplication, That is another way of saying to petition God with your needs.
4.) with thanksgiving, Thanking Him that He hears your prayers, thanking Him for the answer
5.) let your request be made known to God. His Word even tells us what to pray, we are to pray according to His will, or His Word.
1Jn:5:14-15. And this is the confidence which we have in him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him.
His Word is telling us to request His will. We have to know His will before we can go to Him praying according to His will don’t we. His will is His Word, It is the written revelation of His will toward us. It is Gods will to supply all our needs. It is Gods will to bless us. His Word tells us that it is His will to give us good things. So we can pray with confidence because we know that we are praying according to His will, and since we are praying according to His will we know that we have obtained the request made of Him.
You might say, that is easier said than done. Yes it is, but when we have God’s Word to go on, we know we can have God’s results. We can have confidence that we have obtained the requests made of Him. We don’t have to worry or fret or have any anxiety, but we can have full assurance that He is going to meet our needs. We should put our full assurance in our Father God, and know that He cares for us much more than we are capable of knowing.
Peace is an incredible gift, but if we don’t put our trust in God and His Word, then how can we have that peace? If we have worry or fear in our lives then there is no peace. Peace comes only after we learn to put our trust in Him. Now after we have followed God’s instructions in Phil:4: 6. then and only then do we get God’s results which are in the 7th verse.
7. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Notice that it doesn’t say the peace of God might keep your heart and mind, it says it will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Then, we are given the assurance of peace. You must realize this is not some kind of magic formula, this is a principle laid out for us in the Word of God, and if we walk in it, we will see His results. He is faithful to always carry out His Word. We are the ones that fail by not following His instructions, and too often we blame Him for the bad results, or at the very least get discouraged. Let’s have confidence in His Word, and in His love for us. Then we can walk in the peace of God.
Isaiah 55:11. So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
God’s Word goes on to say in Ph.4:8. how to continually walk in that peace.
8. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Begin to think on the Good things of God and as Jesus Himself said: Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Confession for Peace
My heart is not troubled, I am not afraid, I trust in God, I look not at the circumstances, I put my trust in the Word of God. I know I have the petitions that I ask, because I pray according to God’s will, and because I pray according to God’s will the peace of God rules my heart and mind. I give you thanks Father for meeting all my needs. I thank you for loving me and sending your Son Jesus to die for me on the cross, so that I might have eternal life. Eternal life is the greatest gift that anyone could ever have, and I am eternally grateful. Thank you Father, in Jesus name.
If you haven’t already taken the first step, and you would like to have this peace, the peace that passes all understanding, the peace that only can come from being reconciled with God, then you need to take the first step to receiving the Lord’s wonderful free gift of eternal life.
