Just as wonderful is “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:77And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)). This is a peace that comes from submission to His will and fully resting in what He is doing and allowing in our life. It comes from the realization that His timetable is perfect, that He sees the whole picture, knowing “the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:1010Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: (Isaiah 46:10)). It is the result of recognizing that He “worketh all things after the counsel of His own will” (Ephesians 1:1111In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: (Ephesians 1:11)).
There is also what the Lord referred to as “My peace” (John 14:2727Peace 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)). This is the peace of Christ. It is the same peace with which the Lord walked through this troubled world as the “Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:33He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isaiah 53:3)). It is an inward peace that comes from communion with God the Father, in spite of outward circumstances, and I must confess that it has taken a season of affliction to give me an enlarged appreciation of this peace.
Here is how the writer, Hamilton Smith expresses it concerning the life of the Lord Jesus:
“Walking in communion with the Father, and in subjection to the Father's will, He ever enjoyed peace of heart. This same peace would be the portion of the believer, if enjoying this communion with Divine Persons, and so under the control of the Spirit that the believer's will is refused. Surrounded by a world of unrest the believer's heart would be garrisoned by the peace of Christ. It would be a peace shared with Christ, for in giving His disciples peace, He gives not as the world which parts with what it gives.”
In our previous meditation we quoted from the book of Job. Now let’s quote the whole verse: “Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee” (Job 22:2121Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. (Job 22:21)). In other words, true, fixed peace of mind and rest of soul comes from the measure in which we have developed a personal relationship with the Lord. To learn this in a practical way the Lord often has to pass us through trials and afflictions. But when we have learned by experience what this peace really is, then we have once again been enlarged for His glory and our blessing, and can sincerely echo the words of Scripture, “Perfect peace, and at such a time” (Ezra 7:1212Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time. (Ezra 7:12)). And also, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee” (Isaiah 26:33Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)).
There is a peace, sweet peace with God,
Found only in the Lord;
It comes from trusting in His work,
And resting on His Word.
We stand in blessed confidence,
For Jesus, peace has made;
His blood was shed at Calvary,
Our judgment has been stayed.
Peace keeps our hearts and minds through Christ,
Our Savior, Friend, and Guide;
When sorrows come, and troubles mount,
We can in Him confide.
His peace shall be our portion ‘til,
We safely reach that shore,
Where with our Lord, the storms of life,
Shall us affect no more.