Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27
The first six words of John 14 pulled me in, “Let not your heart be troubled…” Without intentionality, a troubled mind is my default. My thoughts race forward, constantly plunging into hypothetical scenarios. I’ve been familiar with this chapter in John since childhood, mainly because of verse 3: “…if I go and prepare a place for you.” Hope, instilled deep. Someday, it’s all going to go away. Someday, it’s all going to be better. Someday. But as my soul has searched for a way to find His peace in exchange for worry, I have discovered much more hidden in John 14.
Here and Now
Jesus’ words are for the here and now. Hope for the now when it hurts, when loss presses, and you don’t feel like you can go on, heavy. Endurance when life is just so mundane that you’ve almost forgotten how to breathe, numb. Peace, where the prince of this world is the ruler of everything evil. This is what these words of Jesus are for—The here and now.
Abide
In this very moment, He promises the Comforter to abide forever. He promises the Spirit of Truth to give us wisdom and discernment in such confusing times. The here and now, where peace seems impossible, is where Jesus promises to meet us. I daily cling to these words of Jesus tucked away in John 14—His words have become my anchor, my lifeline, my breath prayer. He is teaching me to abide in all things.
While I can’t wait for Jesus’ return, I don’t want to miss the present because of being solely focused on the future. Jesus taught us to pray for His kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven. This can only happen if we are filled with His presence and bring heaven to earth now, not just in the future. We can live in His presence today if we believe in His words. These lessons in John 14 are changing everything for me!
As we move into the new year, I want to remind myself and encourage you, while looking forward, not to overlook the present. This is where God wants to meet with us to grow our roots in Him and establish our faith. He prepares us here in the now to walk through whatever the future holds with His peace. Jesus already promised it to us; it’s up to us to believe Him and to receive.
Invitation
I invite you on a 31-day discovery with me as we enter 2024. January has 31 days, aligning with 31 verses in John 14. Begin by reading John 14 once daily for the month and focusing on the subsequent verse each day. Strip away any preconceived ideas and let God’s Spirit teach you (John 14:26). I can’t wait for you to discover a fresh perspective of His peace through this daily reminder. Living in this messed-up world with heavenly peace is possible because of Jesus!
More Reading
Here are links to related previous posts:
Can We Live Today Like Heaven Came Down?
Treasure Hunting:
Psalm 91:1,2 Hosea 6:1-3 Isaiah 43:1-5 Isaiah 61:1-3 Matthew 11:28-30 John 17:15