Friday, 21 May 2021
Peace I Give to You
By: Chow Ee-Tan

“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,” – John 14:27 (ESV)

This verse always reminds me of a song by The Maranatha Singers, with simple and yet reassuring lyrics.

“My peace I give unto you,
It’s a peace that the world cannot give,
It’s a peace that the world cannot understand,
Peace to know, peace to live
My peace I give unto you.”

So what is this reassuring peace that Jesus gives?

Peace, as we know it today, can mean so many things in various contexts. Peace can mean an absence of wars or conflicts; it can also mean a state of harmony and cordiality between certain parties; or it can simply be a state of tranquility and serenity.

How is Christ’s peace different from these? Jesus says that the peace that He gives is not the same as the peace that the world gives. So the world’s understanding of peace, and the peace it offers us, cannot match up to what Jesus gives us. This is because the peace that Jesus gives can only be found by believing in Him as our Lord and Saviour.

It’s through Christ’s finished work of redemption, where He became the propitiation for our sins that we can make peace with God. As God’s children, we have peace that does not depend on circumstances, but is rooted in our relationships with God. The peace that we now have is part of Christ’s own perfect peace, for we are now in union with Him and we can also enjoy precious communion with God our Father.

Good news is, just as the gift of the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ gift of His peace to His disciples more than 2,000 years ago still applies to His followers today. Each of us, who have been saved through faith in our Lord Jesus, have this wonderful peace that takes up permanent dwelling in our inner beings.

But Jesus did not promise that our lives will be all well even with God’s peace in us. In fact, H e warns that we will face distress and troubles in this turbulent world, as He told His disciples on the night before His crucifixion: “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.”- John 16:33.Yes, we can take heart because/ Jesus’ resurrection had conquered sin and death.

When Jesus gave His peace to His disciples, He told them not to be troubled nor be afraid. It is an indirect reminder for all to trust God completely because He is in control of all situations. Being His children, we can cast all our worries and troubles to our all-knowing, all powerful and sovereign God. When the Spirit in us realizes this truth, our hearts’ trouble and fear will ,be lifted away, and we can experience the true peace of God that transcends all understanding.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:6-7)

Every time the troubles of this world overwhelm me, I would turn to God and claim this precious gift of peace that Jesus has promised. While I’m thankful that I have this peace in me, I know I can’t take it for granted for I did not earn it. It is a gift from our loving God.

I believe that having the legacy of His peace should move us to share the Gospel to a world in darkness and clamour. As God’s children who have His peace, let us reach out to others so that more can come to know Jesus and experience the true peace that He alone can give.

Prayer: Father God, thank You I am saved by my faith in Jesus and now have Your peace residing in my heart. Thank You for this wonderful peace that transcends all understanding, a true inner peace that a broken and fallen world cannot give. I pray that You would use me to reach out to others who do not know Jesus yet, so that they can be reconciled to You once again and experience Your wonderful peace. May Your Holy Spirit continue to dwell in me for the rest of my life as I walk closely with You. I thank You and pray in Jesus’ most wonderful name, Amen.

每日灵粮
星期五，2021年5月21日
标题：我留下平安给你们
作者：赵一丹
翻译：巫惠如

约翰福音 14：27 我留下平安给你们，我将我的平安赐给你们。我所赐的不像世人所赐的，你们心里不要忧愁，也不要胆怯。

这节经文总是让我想起The Maranatha! Singers 的一首歌，歌词简单又令人安心。

“我给你平安，
这是世界无法给的平安，
这是世界无法理解的平安，
使人明白的平安，使人活下去的平安，
我给你平安。”

那么，耶稣所赐那使人宽慰的平安到底是什么？

就像我们如今的认知，平安可以在不同的环境中有着许多不同的意义。平安可能意味着没有战争或冲突，也意味着人与人之间的和睦相处，又或者它存粹是一种宁静的状态。

基督所赐的平安和这些有什么不同？耶稣说他所赐的平安与世界所给予的不同。所以世界对平安的理解，以及它所带给我们的，与耶稣所赐的并不相配。这是因为耶稣所赐的平安只有通过相信他是我们的主和救主才能得着。

这是通过耶稣的救赎完成的。为我们的罪，他成了救赎者，使我们可以与上帝和好。作为上帝的子女，我们拥有的平安并不取决于环境，而是植根于我们与上帝的关系。我们现在拥有的平安是基督完美平安的一部分，因为我们现在与主连结，也可以享受与父上帝的宝贵团契。

好消息是，正如圣灵是属灵的礼物一样，耶稣在2000多年前给门徒平安为礼物，如今他的信徒也能得着。我们每个透过相信耶稣而得救的人，都拥有这种美妙的平安，这种平安永居我们内心。

即使上帝的平安在我们里面，但耶稣却没有保证我们的生活将因此一帆风顺。事实上，他警告说，在这个动荡的世界里，我们将面临痛苦和麻烦，正如他被钉死在十字架的前一晚对门徒说：“我将这些事告诉你们，是要叫你们在我里面有平安。在世上你们有苦难，但你们可以放心，我已经胜了世界”(约翰16:33)。是的，我们可以放心，因为耶稣的复活已经战胜了罪恶和死亡。

当耶稣赐给他的门徒平安时，他告诉他们不要烦恼，不要害怕。这间接地提醒了每个人都要完全信靠上帝，因为上帝掌管一切。作为他的孩子，我们可以把所有的烦恼和忧虑都抛给我们无所不知、无所不能和至高无上的上帝。当我们的灵意识到这个真相，我们心里的重担和恐惧就会消失，我们也可以体验超越人所能理解的真正平安。

“应当一无挂虑，只要凡事借着祷告、祈求和感谢，将你们所要的告诉神。 神所赐出人意外的平安，必在基督耶稣里保守你们的心怀意念。” （腓4:6-7）

每当这个世界的苦难压垮我，我会转向上帝，并求主赐下耶稣所承诺的这份珍贵平安。虽然我很感激自己有这份平安，但我知道，我不能把它当成理所当然，因为不是我赢得的，是慈爱的上帝赐予的。

我认为，拥有他的平安应该能将我们带向黑暗和喧嚣的世界。作为上帝的孩子们，让拥有平安的我们与他人接触，这样更多的人就能了解耶稣，体验唯独他所能给予的真正平安。

祈祷：父上帝，感谢你，我因相信耶稣而被救赎，也因此能得着你的平安。感谢你这份超越一切理解的奇妙平安，是一个破碎而堕落的世界无法给予的真正平安。我祈求你能使用我，去接触那些还不认识耶稣的人，这样他们就能再次与你和好，体验你美妙的平安。愿你的圣灵在我与主同行的日子里常在我里面。我感谢你，奉耶稣最美好的名祈祷，阿门。