“Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.”
2 Thessalonians 3:16

Peace has been defined as “a state of tranquility or quiet; freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions.” Through the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ upon the Cross, you and I are able to have peace with God: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul goes on to declare, “through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom. 5:1-2). We have peace with God and have access into His presence, all found in the redeeming work of grace at the Cross (Eph. 2:14-18)!

But the enemy of God is now our enemy, and he seeks to disrupt this peace we now enjoy. He is not able to disturb our standing before God; nothing can now separate us from the love of God found in His beloved Son (Rom. 8:31-39). However, the Adversary seeks to cause turmoil and trouble in our enjoyment of our position. One of the ways he accomplishes this is by causing us to lose sight of our relationship with God, casting doubt on the Word of God and His care for us, just as he did back in the Garden of Eden with our forefathers (Gen. 3:1-7).

When sin entered the world through Adam’s disobedience, three things came with it: guilt, shame, and fear (Gen. 3:10). The devil has used these three things as weapons against mankind. These three often manifest themselves in our lives, causing a great deal of difficulty in our spirit, soul, and body!

As followers of Jesus Christ, we must realize that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7). Satan is a thief and desires to “steal, kill, and destroy.” He wants to steal our joy, kill our peace, and destroy our effectiveness in bringing glory to the Lord Jesus. He begins to do this with worry, which can swell into anxiety, which can develop into fear, which can germinate into panic.

The Lord Jesus spoke of the dangers of worry (Mt. 6:25-34). As in the Garden of Eden, worry and all that follows often begin with independence from God. This is why the Lord Jesus reminds each of us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Mt. 6:33). To seek is to inquire, suggesting how important it is to be in prayer before the Lord, casting all our care upon Him!

Anchor For Today:
When you are tempted to worry or despair, turn your heart toward the Lord, cast every care upon Him, and rest in the peace that only He can give.