The Promise Of Peace Series

Here’s what happens when we don’t. If you don’t walk with God, you’ll worry yourself silly. If you don’t trust, you’ll tremble at all your troubles. If you unplug, you will unravel. Make a renewed commitment to live out your faith at home, to plug into a Connection Group and to serve in a ministry at PBC. We will need a lot of additional servants as we make plans to add a third Sunday morning service.

We can rely on the Lord because He is the covenant-keeping God. The name “Lord” here is Yahweh or Jehovah, the self-existent One. He is unlimited and unchanging. He can be trusted to keep His promises. It’s very interesting that once again Isaiah gives us a double dose of a word. It’s as if he can’t find an adjective to describe the awesomeness of the Almighty so he simply repeats himself: “The Lord, the Lord.” This is one of only two times this is done in the entire Bible. Isaiah impresses on us what he cannot express with human vocabulary.

Do you think God is not big enough to handle your problems? You can rely on Him because He is the “Rock Eternal.” It’s one thing to have right beliefs; it’s another to believe that God can handle your hurts and give you peace in the middle of your problems. This is where the hymn “Rock of Ages” gets its theme: “Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee.” God has given us a place to hide and it’s found in a personal relationship with Him.

A year ago we had the privilege of going to Colorado and I was reminded how magnificent and mighty the mountains really are. As we walked around we saw some clefts, which are like indentations, and we saw how easy it is to hide in there. When you cling to a cleft you are protected from the elements and other dangers.

Friends, the only way to find peace, peace is to rely on the Rock of Ages, whose name is Jehovah, Jehovah!

God will keep us in perfect peace…

• When we keep our minds mindful

• When we keep our wills willing

• When we keep our lives living for the Lord

Peace for All?

I would be remiss to assume that everyone here is a full-fledged follower of Jesus. If you do not know Jesus yet through the new birth, perfect peace will be elusive for you. To say it another way, you will be restless until you receive Him as your Savior and Lord. Isaiah 57:19-21: “‘Peace, peace, to those far and near,’ says the Lord. ‘And I will heal them.’ But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud. ‘There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked.’”

If you’re looking for peace today, according to Psalm 34:14 you’re going to have to pursue it: “Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” There are at least four sources of peace to go after.

1. Peace is produced by the Savior. In John 14:27 Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” He expands this thought in John 16:33: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” And Isaiah 9:6 tells us that Jesus is the “Prince of Peace.” Peace doesn’t come from going to a special place; peace comes from knowing a special Person. I don’t have time to develop this but in the Bible salvation and peace go hand in hand.