Experiencing God's Presence #243

Experiencing God's Presence #243

He himself is our peace.

Ephesians 2:14, NIV

Jesus doesn’t just give us shalom. He is our shalom. In other words, peace isn’t just a condition imparted to us. It’s a state of being that comes about through a relationship. When we are born into God’s Kingdom, we are in Christ—a Person of perfect wholeness and pure integrity. There’s no conflict within Him, no division, no incongruity. The more we become aware of our true position in Him and experience it, the more like Him we become. Unity with Jesus gives us peace.

That doesn’t mean we won’t experience conflict with the world, our circumstances, the enemy of our faith, or even our own flesh. We will. This verse in Ephesians is written in the context of people who have long been separated by culture and religious conviction but have been made one in Christ. It implies a history of conflict. But we can experience rest in the midst of whatever conflict we face, and we can have the wholeness and fulfillment of Christ in our relationship with Him regardless of what’s going on around us. Turmoil can’t touch our true state if His Presence is strong in us.

Whatever turbulence is shaking your life right now, it’s no match for the Presence. Whatever friction you feel with other people can be neutralized by His Spirit. Whatever personal battle you’re fighting within yourself, Your identity in Christ can resolve it. Don’t seek peace as a condition; seek Him, and let peace result. Take a deep breath, invite Him to fill you and show Himself strong within you, relinquish yourself to His good purposes for you, and relax. His closeness will create the conditions you seek, and the turbulence in your life will eventually have to submit to Him.

Jesus, You are my peace. You are my wholeness, my comfort, and my blessing. I can take a deep breath and fall into Your arms because I trust You to hold me well. And I trust You to bring peace and enforce it in my life.