Day 44
John 14:1, 27 Amplified Version
"Do not let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated)…" "Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid- stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled."
Jesus bequeathed His peace to His disciples, indicating that they had authority to maintain peace. He said, "Do not let..." That means the person being addressed has responsibility. We cannot have responsibility where we have no authority. So, it is exciting to know that we have control of our state of being by the authority of Jesus' words.
The centurion said to Jesus in Luke 7:8, amplified version, "For I also am a man daily subject to authority, with soldiers under me, and I say to one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my bond servant, Do this, and he does it." He was explaining why Jesus did not need to do anything more than speak a word to heal his servant. He understood that when one has authority, he exercises that authority with words. Jesus equated this understanding of authority to great faith. We must use our mouths to appropriate and maintain the peace of God. By faith we speak and control our state of being. "Heart! You may not be troubled!" "Peace! Be still!" "Trouble! Go! Calm! Come!" Whatever is applicable or appropriate, we must lift up our voices and fulfill our responsibility of maintaining peace.
"Do not fret or have anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything by prayer and petition [definite requests] with thanksgiving continue to make your wants known to God. And God's peace..... which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds.." (Philippians 4:6,7 amplified version) I Peter 5:6,7 indicates that we are to, in humility, cast all our cares (anxieties, worries, concerns) on God permanently. We must realize that the power of God takes up where we can go no further. There is a human responsibility and a God responsibility. When we are told to maintain peace, and natural circumstances dictate that this is impossible, we must realize that God must take over. We give Him the cares, and we maintain the peace. He invites us to leave the difficulties to Him. We must not struggle with what we cannot change. God has offered to participate with every intimate and minute detail of our lives. Let us let Him do it! Let us face it - a problem to us is not a problem to God.
I will cast my cares on the Lord and use my authority to maintain peace.