After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to his disciples and greeted them this way: “Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” (John 20:19) When we trust Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are granted the gift of the Holy Spirit, living inside our hearts, connecting us to God, and supplying us with access to unlimited peace. Knowing Jesus means we are able to know true peace. No matter what invades our lives, we can rest assured we are safe in the everlasting arms of Jesus.
Believers have been set apart for God. We are no longer citizens of this world but we have become citizens of the kingdom of God. Nothing in this world has any power over our eternal future – God holds our future safely in His capable hands. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1) Our identity is in Christ. We are not measured by our profession, our wealth, the way we look, or where we live. We are now children of God and partakers of a heavenly calling.
Knowing Jesus is the key to separation from all the troubles of this world and access to all the power of God. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27) Sometimes, our first instinct in times of trouble is to run in the opposite direction, but a much better approach is to run towards Jesus. When we meditate on the teachings of Jesus, we will discover the peace that He provides and uncover the best path forward. We can travel through all the difficulties of this world with confidence when we know Jesus.
There is nothing more satisfying than building our relationship with Jesus. This world often pushes us toward an artificial peace found in drugs, alcohol, food, or other dead-end attempts to outrun our pain. The truth is nothing compares to the peace found in knowing Jesus. No one knows you better than Jesus. Jesus loves you unconditionally. Jesus has promised you an eternal existence in His loving arms. Jesus is the holder of comfort and security for all believers.
We move closer to Jesus when we honestly confess our worldly misdirection and sincerely seek to demonstrate our love for God by sharing that love with those around us. We move closer to Jesus when we fully understand our complete reliance upon Him for everything in life. We move closer to Jesus when we passionately fill our hearts and minds with His teaching. We move closer to Jesus when we focus our lives on walking directly in His footsteps. Our lives take on a whole new meaning when we move closer to Jesus and exalt Him as our Lord and Savior. Knowing Jesus means knowing peace.
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