Tag: surpasses

33.b. “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you”

 

Job 34:29  When he is quiet, who can condemn? When he hides his face, who can behold him, whether it be a nation or a man?

 2 Samuel 7:1   Now when the king lived in his house and the LORD had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies,

 Isaiah 26:3  You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

 Isaiah 32:17   And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.

 John 14:27     Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

 Romans 8:31    What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

 Philippians 4:7   And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 2 Kings 18:12    because they did not obey the voice of the LORD their God but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded. They neither listened nor obeyed.

 Psalms 13:1    How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?

 Psalms 27:9   Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!

 Psalms 30:7    By your favor, O LORD, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed.

 Psalms 143:7   Answer me quickly, O LORD! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit.

When God purposes to give rest, comfort, ease, or prosperity in any way to man, it is that soul that finds a quietness within their soul and there is nothing or no one that can take it away, though other men or Satan himself hard as they may try. God is in control of all things and He can bring peace or adversity upon a person or nation at His own pleasure. 

We may chase after worldly and fleshly things that we think will give us peace and quietness to our soul but in the end, they leave us unsatisfied and wanting. People write about how they have found peace and prosperity in a host of diverse ways and people who are searching for this peace and prosperity flock to them like bees to honey. They are ever searching and never finding that which only God can give and that which can only be found in humble service to Him. Oh, people may have temporary peace and prosperity in their life, but lasting contentment it is not.  

A believer should continually give thought to blessings from God and should know when it is that God has turned His face from them. The problem is that too many give no thought to either. They plod along in life as if there is no God and things happen by chance or fate. When a person does not acknowledge God or His control over all creation, how are they to find peace and quietness for their soul? 

God has all things under his control, and he can bring prosperity or adversity upon an individual or a nation at his own pleasure. Who then can make trouble? – literally, “Who can condemn, or hold guilty”. The sense is, that no one can overwhelm him with the consciousness of guilt, to whom God intends to give the peace resulting from his favor and friendship. Or, no one can bring calamities upon a man “as if” he were guilty, or so as to “show” that he is guilty, when God intends to treat him as if he were not. This is as true and sure as the sun rising and setting. When God designs to give peace to a man’s soul, and to impart to him the evidence that his sins are forgiven, there is no one who can excite in his mind the conviction of guilt, or take away the comfort that God gives. When he designs to “treat” a man as if he were his friend, and to impart to him such evidences of his favor as shall convince the world that he is his friend, there is no one who can prevent it. (Barnes)

If we are to find this peace and quietness of our souls, it is only in and through God. When a soul purposefully surrenders to humbly serving, following, trusting, obeying, and relying on Jesus Christ the peace of God that passes all understanding is theirs.

18.v. “For he will speak peace to his people”

John 16:31   Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

 Psalms 85:8-11    Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly.

 Micah 5:5   And he shall be their peace.

 Ephesians 2:14-17    For he himself is our peace

 Philippians 4:7    And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 2 Thessalonians 3:16     Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

Jesus relied upon His close relationship with God all the way to the cross, and even upon it. In the loneliest moments imaginable, He understood that the Father was with Him. (Guzik)

 “I remember that passage about Abraham going with Isaac to mount Moriah, where Isaac was to be offered up. It is written, ‘So they went both of them together.’ So did the Eternal Father and his Well- beloved Son when God was about to give up his own Son to death. There was no divided purpose; they went both of them together.” (Spurgeon)

Jesus offered His disciples peace. He made the offer in the most unlikely circumstances. At that very minute, Judas met with Jesus’ enemies to plot His arrest. Jesus knew that He would be arrested, forsaken, rejected, mocked, humiliated, tortured and executed before the next day was over. We think that the disciples should have comforted Him – yet Jesus had peace, and enough to give to others.  Jesus did not promise peace; He offered it. He said, “you may have peace.” People may follow Jesus yet deny themselves this peace. We gain the peace Jesus offered by finding it in Him. Jesus said, “that in Me you may have peace.” We won’t find real peace anywhere else other than in Jesus. This word of peace is especially meaningful set in the context of conflict – tribulation and overcome both speak of battles to fight. “He promises a peace which co-exists with tribulation and disturbances, a peace which is realized in and through conflict and struggle.” (Maclaren) 

Jesus also made the promise of tribulation. Peace is offered to us, but tribulation is promised.  Understanding this removes a false hope. Struggling Christians often hope for the day when they will laugh at temptation and there will be one effortless victory after another. We are promised struggle as long as we are in this world; yet there is peace in Jesus.