When you let your heart be troubled, you disallow the peace of God to rule in it.
- (John 14:27) Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
- (Colossians 3:15) And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
Hello, Friends. These are troubling times (no pun) but they are, realistically. And, how we handle ourselves while under the pressures of life can/will determine how things will turn out, overall. We find ourselves in a daily struggle to maintain the proper attitude and moral standards both privately and publicly.
Our day may start off joyous and full of fresh vigor, then as soon as we get on the road to go wherever it might be, something happens to take away the peace we had earlier. Has this ever happened to you? And then again, have you found it a struggle to get back to where you started … you know, that fresh vigor state—but it was hard to reach (so to speak)?
Nevertheless, as soon as the Lord touched your heart to remind you that He is still present and ready to help restore His peace you had earlier, you begin to rejoice in Him for His goodness and ever present help in time of need. Isn’t God awesome?!
In our exhortation today, we will look briefly into the words “troubled” and “rule” from the scriptures above; we will see (from God’s perspective) how to respond so that He may be glorified …and… we may be edified and comforted in Him.
Let’s begin….
The basic definition of the word “troubled” in John 14:27 is, to agitate, trouble (a thing, by the movement of its parts to and fro). It’s the indecisiveness of which direction to go, or who to believe and trust.
Sometimes we need to stop for a moment to get a grip on who (or what) we truly believe and trust in … is it the Lord? Or, is it some other source?
Jesus said, “let not YOUR heart be troubled…” even as the Psalmist wrote, the Lord shall “never suffer the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22) — the word “moved” means, to waver, slip, or fall.
The Lord will never allow the righteous (who walk obediently) to suffer these things. He does not cause the righteous to waver, slip, or fall; we will suffer these things through disobedience. Remember that.
These precepts aligned suggests that it is possible:
- to waver to and fro (Ephesians 4:14; James 1:6);
- to let our footsteps slip (Psalm 17:5);
- to fall away in time of temptation (Luke 8:13).
However, if we follow Jesus’ lead, none of these things will overtake us, though they will occur.
So, by giving us the exhortation and command not to let our hearts be troubled, Jesus lets us know that He is fully aware of the troubles we face, and that He has made it possible for us to overcome and outlast all the agitations (or anxieties) of this life.
Remember, He said through Paul, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 4:6-7
When we put these precepts together, the statement emerges again, “when you let your heart be troubled, you disallow the peace of God to rule in it.”
What does it mean to let the peace of God rule in our heart? Good question. The word “rule” in Colossians 3:15 means, to arbitrate, that is, to referee or umpire. It also means, to direct, control, and rule. When we let the peace of God rule in our hearts, we actually submit to Him to umpire (as in the sports arena), which comes from the concept to direct our paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
If we truly trust in the Lord with all of our hearts, it will be seen by how well we handle ourselves while under the stressful things which naturally causes the heart to be agitated. How well do you handle yourself under such heaviness? This is not a rebuke but a question to be made aware of, so that we all can be enabled to fight the good fight of faith and overcome (only if … this is a problem area for any of us).
For some, we have mastered the concept of submission to the peace of God but do realize that there are certain times when the heart will be disturbed for what we call “trip moments” — then soon afterwards, we’d know to take action as soon as possible to prevent our troubled heart from causing us to blow off the handle, and the action is to remember what Jesus said … cast our cares and burden upon Him; He both careth for, and will sustain, us (1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 55:22).
Jesus’ soul was exceeding sorrowful (intensely sad) in the garden of Gethsemane on His last night on earth …and… He was not about to trip out on anyone. But, He prayed to the Father; an angel was sent to minister and strengthen Him; He was enabled to endure all upcoming sufferings from that night which led to all the trials, the praetorium, and the cross (Matthew 26:38; Mark 14:34). Selah.
We thank God our Savior for His sacrifice on Calvary, which led to the salvation of our souls. We also thank Him for helping us overcome being troubled in our heart, and teaching us how to submit to His peace (through obedience), which passeth all understanding …and… is the best ruler (or umpire) to direct and guide us toward the goal (or mark for the prize) of being with Him in His kingdom forever without any trace of being troubled, fearful, anxious, or any suchlike.
Let us take full advantage to receive and live in the peace Jesus gives …. You’ll be glad you did!
In Christ We Do Remain
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