Peace of Heaven

This post started as a devotion I gave for a small group. The topic was peace.

As I stayed up one evening preparing, I was surprised and excited to learn all the Bible says about peace and all we seem to gloss over. It’s not this unattainable, abstract thing. Culturally we seem to give peace adjectives. “Inner” peace. “World” peace. In the 1990s, there were even studies on “negative” and “positive” peace. God’s instructions are just for peace.

1. Peace is a work of God.

First, we see from Romans 8:6 that peace is a work of God. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. Other translations instead of “governed” use “controlled.” Peace also doesn’t start in our feeling but our minds. The mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. Peace is not an emotion. Temporary peace is not peace. Peace is a work of God, a by-product of allowing the Holy Spirit to renew and control our minds. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, and peace (Gal. 5:22).

True peace involves focusing or setting our minds on what the Spirit desires. What does the Spirit desire? Thankfulness. Self-control. Selflessness. Acts of worship and love. Righteous words. Kindness. Compassion. Forgiveness. Ephesians 4 is full of ideas.

2. Peace results from trusting God.

Second, we receive peace by trusting God. Peace is a gift. C. S. Lewis once noted that God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself because there is no such thing. Peace comes from God. In the words of Isaiah 26:3, “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” A mind that is focused on God results in peace that’s intended to be lasting. The NET uses the words, “maintain their faith” (“You keep completely safe the people who maintain their faith, for they trust in you”).

God’s peace is also rooted in His Person. The very next verse (Is. 26:4) describes God as our Rock eternal. Our minds can be steadfast because He is steadfast, and we receive peace trusting Him.

3. Peace comes with following Jesus.

Many Christians are familiar with John 14:27: “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.” Jesus is the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:2); He is also the Author of our peace. He does not give as the world gives, and because He is sovereign, we need not be troubled or afraid.

A lack of peace often stems from the desire but inability to control. Yet peace comes not by striving but giving in and trusting Christ, not through a change of circumstances but a change of heart. As John Owen commented, “See in the meantime that your faith brings forth obedience, and God in due time will cause it to bring forth peace.” The question is not, “How can I get peace?” but “How can I follow Christ?”

4. Peace is a taste of what is to come.

In the words of Isaiah 32:18, “My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.” Peaceful. Secure. Undisturbed. Peace is not something we can manufacture, but full peace is coming. In the meantime, we see from Isaiah 32:17 that the fruit of righteousness is peace and “quietness and confidence forever.” Sometimes we can think of quietness and confidence as opposites. I used to. If someone is quiet, we usually don’t think of them as confident. Yet peace and righteousness and quietness and confidence go together. We have peace and confidence, or security, because we trust God’s sovereignty. At the same time, the peace we experience now is just a taste of what’s to come.

5. Peace stems from a singleness of heart.

Part of the work and blessing of God is that He gives His people “singleness of heart and action” (Jer. 32:39). Missionary Amy Carmichael echoes this in saying, “Blessed are the single-hearted, for they shall enjoy much peace. If you refuse to be hurried and pressed, if you stay your soul on God, nothing can keep you from that clearness of spirit which is life and peace.” Worry and anxiety are natural; peace is not. Yet when we bring our requests before God, in thanksgiving, our hearts become filled with His peace (Phil. 4:6-7).

Trusting something or someone else, striving for control, or allowing something unworthy to take a bigger place than it deserves is often what steals our peace. Peace must be protected by protecting where we put our trust. If we look elsewhere, we will be disappointed. I say this to myself as well. Knowing God and bringing our requests and cares before Him is central to knowing peace. As one author quipped, “No God, no peace. Know God, know peace.” Simple but true.