"The Prince of Peace"
"For unto us a Child is born… the Prince of Peace"
(Isaiah 9:6)
We might think that deliverance from danger - whether real threats or perceived - would be the basis for peace. The Bible teaches otherwise, revealing that relationship rather than relief provides the tranquility of our hearts.
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee… There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear"(Isaiah 26:2; I John 4:18).
A day comes when God will remove His trusting children in Christ from the perilous realm in which we presently live. This will be peace in its fullest sense when we will see the Prince of peace "face to face" (I Corinthians 13:12). For now, we must know our Lord's assurance in a world whose spiritual, moral, and physical condition cannot offer still waters of the spirit to anyone. We all do our best to protect ourselves from threats, and we may have some limited success. Difficulty comes nevertheless. "Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward" (Job 5:7). Thus, we must find, access, and experience peace where it seems it could not be. We must know the Prince, the Prince of peace, in the very cauldron of turmoil and on raging seas of circumstance that tempt us with fear.
"Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness. He is gracious and full of compassion and righteous" (Psalm 112:4).
Christ is Himself the peace of our hearts. Christ known, trusted, and obeyed in the power of the Holy Spirit is peace realized and accessed. Nothing else qualifies as peace. Indeed, if we could cleanse from our hearts every perceived threat, danger, and sense of insecurity, we would not settle our hearts. Only relationship with the Lord who "is our peace" accomplishes such blessedness within us (Ephesians 2:14). Let us then settle the matter. Let us build the altar within our hearts whereupon we sacrifice any notion that anyone other than the Lord Jesus can lead us upon the still waters of the spirit. Or let us revisit an altar already built. Christ is peace. Peace is Christ. Nothing more. Nothing less. Nothing else. His "perfect love casteth out fear." Nothing else does. Nothing else can. In this moment and forevermore, the Prince, the Prince of peace offers His peace regardless of circumstance, condition, or situation…
"Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me. For I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
(Matthew 11:28-30)
"Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 4:6-7)
Weekly Memory Verse
"Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me. For I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
(Matthew 11:28-30)
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