Our Daily Bread Designs Forum Bible Verse Thursday Challenge #80 - Peace

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you"  ~John 14:27

 

Peace.  We all want it, we all seek it.   Sometimes I think I'll probably only find peace when I'm 6 feet under in the grave.  We are all caught up in the 24/7 rat race of this world.  A world that offers us peace, but doesn't ever seem to deliver. 

In this past Sunday's gospel reading Jesus said to his apostles "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you."  So what does that mean?

The definition of peace is quietness or rest.  The word peace is used over 100 times in the New Testament and practically every time it's used it is speaking of quietness or repose of the soul.  That's exactly what Jesus was talking about in this passage.

If we look at the next part of this scripture, Jesus continues with "not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful."  As I said earlier, this world doesn't deliver.  All we have to do is turn on the news to see the unrest in the world.  Look at what we do in the world to seek peace:

• We seek peace in food and we get obesity and poor health which causes us to be stressed out.

• We seek peace in material things and money which causes us to constantly worry about keeping our wealth and what could happen if we lose it.

• We seek peace in our appearance which is stressful because you can't stop the aging process no matter how hard you try.
  

Jesus did not agree with the world's method of obtaining peace.  He even says that the world cannot provide real peace.  We think peace can be found if we end war, poverty and suffering but I'm here to tell you we won't find peace through the absence of anything!  National summits, international peace treaties and agreements between nations cannot bring true peace.  The only place to find peace is in the presence of the Prince of Peace - Jesus Christ!

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Your challenge this week is to create a project using this scripture or another verse that reminds us to seek peace through Jesus - the Prince of Peace.  When uploading your project, please use keyword ODBDBVT80 and then hop over to the Our Daily Bread Designs Forum and share it with us!