Mensa Otabil - Surrounded With God's Peace (11/05/2025)
This week we’re looking at God’s peace, and we’re trusting Him to keep us in peace. So we go to John chapter 14, verse 27: «Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.» Peace! What a wonderful word! That’s the way the people of Jesus’s time, the Jews, greeted each other. They spoke words of peace to each other. For the disciples of Jesus, this peace was not just something they spoke as a greeting, but peace was personified in Christ Jesus. He was their peace. When there was trouble, He was peace. When they had trouble in the sea, He would be the one walking on the water to give them peace. When the boat was sinking, He was the one who rebuked the wind and the storm and gave them peace.
Now Jesus says, «I’m going,» and so the disciples are wondering what happens when you are away. Jesus says, «I’m not leaving you; my peace I leave with you,» and that is so comforting to know that although He is not physically present with us, His peace is ever present with us. Those words Jesus spoke to His disciples 2,000 years ago are still relevant to us today. He’s the same Jesus Christ yesterday, today, and forever. The peace that He gave in the past, He still gives to us.
So when we go through the challenges of life, we know that although we may not physically interact with the Lord Jesus Christ, His peace has not been taken away from us. We have His peace, and He says it is my peace. It is His peace-the peace that He affords, not the peace that somebody else gives to us, not even your pastor, your friend, or your spouse, but the peace that Jesus gives. We should be glad that Jesus did not take His peace away.
Then He described His peace in very remarkable ways. He says, «Not as the world gives it.» In other words, My peace is not the peace of the world. The peace that Christ gives to us is not the same kind of peace that the world gives us. And what is the kind of peace that the world gives to us? You know, many times when people say, «I want to enjoy peace and quiet; I want a peaceful life,» what do they mean? They leave all the troubled areas, the noisy areas, and go to a nice, quiet area. Maybe they go to the beach, go to a mountaintop, or live in a remote area. But peace means removing yourself from all the troubles and being alone-that’s the world’s way of peace. Take yourself out. Unfortunately, there’s so much trouble in the world, there’s nowhere to go now. But Jesus says, «That’s not the peace I give to you. I’m not taking you away from the trouble, and the tribulation, and the trials. You’re going to be in it, but My presence will be with you.»
So the peace that Christ gives does not remove us from the realities of life; the peace keeps us in the realities of life, but God’s presence is with us, and that is the peace that He gives to you. You don' t have to travel; you don’t have to go to another part of the world. Wherever you are, the peace of God surrounds you, and that is the peace that Christ gives to us. Wherever we are in our trouble, He’s there.
Then He says, «Let not your heart be troubled.» He stills every troubled heart, and it’s a message that is still resonating today: «Let not your heart be troubled.» Yes, there is trouble all around, but don’t let it get inside of you. Don’t let it get into your heart. It may be in your world, but it must not be in your heart. Let Christ be in your heart. Let His peace be in your heart and walk in the victory that Jesus Christ gives to us.
Let’s pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, I am safe in You. Thank You for surrounding me with Your peace. In Jesus' name, Amen and Amen.»