Peace of God

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:7

The man who knows it all has nothing to learn. The man who is learning is constantly confronted with ideas which he does not understand. Learning is the process by which understanding comes.

Every discipline on this earth demands that understanding finally come to those who expose themselves to its truth. It is essential that understanding arrive before a man can be called competent in his chosen field. Imagine a medical doctor who does not understand what he is doing. That is the man who earns the title of “Quack.”

There is much that I can and must understand about my walk with Jesus. I must understand that He died for me and that my sin is taken away because of His sacrifice. I must understand that I walk by faith and not by sight. I can and must understand the battle that I am in with my own lusts and with Satan Himself as I live on planet earth.

But there is one thing that I receive from God that I cannot understand. God’s peace transcends my understanding. I can understand human peace. There is always a reason behind my peacefulness if it comes from the world around me. I can be at peace because my job is secure, the stock market is rising, my health is good, or my children and grandchildren are all doing well. That peace is not the peace of God. God’s peace is there in spite of the world around me. I can have the peace of God when times are good or bad.

So the world around me looks at my situation and cannot understand why I would be at peace. And frankly, I don’t understand it either. But this I know. The peace of God guards my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. When my heart is tempted to fear and my mind is tempted to worry it is the peace of God that keeps me solidly trusting in Him.

Perhaps when we stand in the presence of Almighty God we will understand His peace, but now we can enjoy the peace of God even though we cannot understand it!