Power of His Powerful Peace

Key Scripture: These things I have spoken to you that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you may have tribulation (pressure, oppression, stress, anguish, crushing, squashing, squeezing, distress) but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Power Point:

I have good news and I have bad news. In John chapters 14-16 it’s almost as though Jesus is rushing through every single detail He needs the disciples to remember. He’s telling them that He’s leaving them HIS peace. Now that’s a good thing! Remember in the storms when He had peace? And how about when the Pharisees came against them, He walked right into the crowd in peace. And what about the crucifixion? I’d say He had peace there too. WAIT just a “cotton-pickin’” minute!  Is that the kind of peace He thought we’d need? If you look at John 16:33 He says, you may have pressure, oppression, stress, anguish, crushing, squashing, squeezing and distress. Okay, does that describe your life? Check.

I guess that’s the bad news. But then again, the good news is that Jesus left us with the kind of peace that got Him through every one of the above situations. Wow.

I read somewhere that the word “tribulation” could best be described as the pressing, squeezing, crushing of a garbage truck.  Ouch.

Since I have always focused on the last part of this promise, where He tells us that He has overcome the world, I didn’t pay much attention to the first part. Then I discovered that even after Jesus came into my life I was still being pressed, squashed, crushed and generally miserable. Then I began to study the things that Jesus went through. It’s a good thing to remember that Jesus was not only a man but He was also the Son of God. He had the Power of God’s Peace to sustain Him and carry Him through every miserable squashing experience. The thing is Beloved, so do we! We have the same Spirit in us that comforted, encouraged, strengthened and brought peace to Him every single day of those three years He marched through life to His destiny. I guess the difference is that He understood that more than we do. It is a little mind-boggling to think that everything Jesus had, we have-that we have the ability to operate in greater works and greater peace than He did. That was His plan.

Perhaps in the middle of your crushing anxiety and pressure today you could give a thought to Gethsemane and what Jesus did there. That was His decision point wasn’t it? All of eternity rose and fell on the Peace that He received in that place that gave Him the strength to move forward.

I understand that all of eternity probably does not fall or rise on whether or not we absorb His Peace in our situation but then again, it just might-at least in our little corner of the world. We never know who’s watching us do we? We never know who needs someone to be living proof of God’ peace in action.

Did you know that “Gethsemane” means “olive press”? It’s the perfect picture for us of a pressing situation that can bring out the oil of Holy Spirit in our lives when we apply Peace.That's how we can be of good cheer.

Power Thought:

The oil of His presence always brings His peace, especially in the pressing times.