John 14:27
I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s
my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to
being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be
distraught.
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs,
CO. All rights reserved.
The other day, Timothy said,
“We need to have a moment of peace and quiet. Everyone put your fingers
together (touching his third finger to his thumb), close your eyes,
cross your legs – if you can (always a comedian in the group!) – and
hum…Ohm…Ohm.” We have no clue where he learned this – probably from a
movie. But when I read today’s scripture, I thought of this
seven-year-old’s “moment of peace and quiet.” While this is a great way
to relax for a minute and temporarily de-stress…it is far different
from the peace of which Jesus spoke.
The peace of Jesus that is
given to us through Salvation and the Holy Spirit is far more
encompassing. This is the peace of mind that our sins are forgiven…that
we do not have to live under a cloud of dread and fear that we are
destined for the agony of separation from God for all eternity. This is
the peace that the Holy Spirit provides, so that even in moments when
we begin to feel alone, we recognize His presence and are comforted.
This is the peace that allows us to say, “Yes, there are rough days…bad
patches…struggles and challenges – even downright agony at times – but
God’s got this! I will be okay.”
Again I am reminded of the note
my mother made in one of her Bible study journals (and shared with you a
few days ago). You see, my brother and my dad were both sick at the
same time…my brother with liver failure, and my dad with renal failure.
My brother Tim died on September 23, 1998…my dad on October 9, 1999. As
Mother would say, “It was a lot to process.” She spent the better part
of 2 years caring for both of them…and then there was the task of
grieving and regrouping afterward. And Mother wrote, “During the deaths
of Tim and James Paul, I’d often pull myself up and wonder, ‘Why am I
not falling apart?’ Then I’d remember all the people across the country
who were praying for us.”
Who answered these prayers? God!
How did He answer? By filling my mother with peace through the Holy
Spirit who lived in her heart and was her constant Advocate.
The
GOOD NEWS is that you and I can experience this same peace. We can
invite the Holy Spirit to be a permanent resident in our hearts…to fill
the empty spaces and soothe the hurts…to give us wisdom and courage…and
to be well and whole in mind and spirit. This was Jesus’ parting gift
to us. And what a gift it is!
Does the Advocate live in your
heart? Are you embracing Him completely and calling on Him to fill you
with constant peace in all things? Don’t you think it’s time you were?
There is no time like the present. Stop what you are doing and invite
the Holy Spirit to fill your heart and give you peace. Thank God for
sending Jesus…and His Holy Spirit to comfort you and guide you…and be
well and whole this day. You can still close your eyes and cross your
legs (if you are able!) and experience a moment of peace and quiet…but
Jesus is offering you a much more lasting comfort and peace. Won’t you
accept His gift this day and for all the days to come?
©2016 Debbie Robus
No comments:
Post a Comment