John 14:27
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid."
When Jesus spoke these words to his disciples they were just about to enter an incredibly traumatic few days. They had spent the last couple of years with Jesus and now suddenly and violently it was going to come to an end. The disciples were well aware of the power and brutality of the Roman occupying forces, and on many occasions, they would have seen criminals hanging from crosses by the side of the road. But they clearly hadn’t worked out that Jesus, their master, their Lord, their friend was soon going to be hung from one of those crosses. As Jesus prepared them for the trauma to come, he gave them the incredible gift of peace. Peace was a gift from him personally and so it was something that the world could never take away.
As we pass through these days of sadness following the death of Queen Elizabeth, I believe the Lord offers us afresh his gift of peace. The Bible talks much about peace and so it is important to understand exactly what this peace is. Much of the time peace is merely seen as the opposite of war, conflict and struggle. But the Bible has a much deeper and fuller understanding of peace. The Hebrew word is shalom, and shalom is something which affects every part of life. It could well be translated as harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity and tranquility. As the apostle Paul came towards the end of his letter to the Romans he referred to God as being the God of peace, for as we get to know God better we find the blessing of his peaceful presence affecting every part of our lives.
Our society cries out for peace. There is conflict between the generations, ethnic groups and between rich and poor. There is brokenness in families, something of which the Queen had huge personal experience. And it is precisely amidst all this conflict that the risen Lord Jesus Christ comes to us and offers us his gift of peace. It’s a gift. He will never impose it upon us but if we are willing to receive it, even today, his gift of peace and shalom can be ours.
Prayer: God of peace we pray that you will be our peace today. Come to every aspect of our lives and grant us your gift of shalom. We pray for our nation at this time of profound change. May we all come to you with open hands and receive your precious gift of peace. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Released on 12 Sep 2022