1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters 3 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:15,720 Speaker 1: dot com. You're listening to daily devotions with Pastor John. 4 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:20,600 Speaker 1: I'm John Stangey, and today's devotion is inspired by John 5 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: Chapter fourteen, verse twenty seven, which says peace. I leave 6 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 1: with you my peace. I give to you, not as 7 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:33,559 Speaker 1: the world gives. Do I give to you. Let not 8 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 1: your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. God's 9 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: word is comforting and encouraging, and Jesus knew that his 10 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:49,160 Speaker 1: followers would need comfort and encouragement. He also was well 11 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:52,519 Speaker 1: aware of our heart's desire for peace, and in this 12 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 1: same conversation he promised us peace through him. This world 13 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:01,279 Speaker 1: tells us that we will have peace when we have 14 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: enough resources, but money and possessions are useful tools, not 15 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:10,960 Speaker 1: the source of lasting peace. They go away too quickly, 16 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 1: and they're not eternal in nature. This world also tells 17 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:19,040 Speaker 1: us that we will have peace when our circumstances become 18 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:23,959 Speaker 1: ideal and we're free from trouble or surprises. But that's 19 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:27,959 Speaker 1: not the case either, because in this world we regularly 20 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: have trouble and we cannot control many aspects of our circumstances, 21 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:38,760 Speaker 1: so Jesus offers us lasting peace. The piece he offers 22 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 1: is genuine, not fleeting. Some people find this piece, but 23 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: many others reject the notion of it being real because 24 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: they still believe in the world's false promises. The kind 25 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: of peace Jesus offers isn't based on resources or circumstances. 26 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 1: His peace is based on a relationship with Him. When 27 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 1: we come to faith in him, he assures us that 28 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:09,080 Speaker 1: though our circumstances may often look confusing or troubling in 29 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: this world, we do not need to be troubled or 30 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 1: afraid because He is with us. Let's pray. Lord, we 31 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 1: thank you for your word, and we thank you for 32 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 1: the privilege that it is to be able to look 33 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:27,919 Speaker 1: at this portion of scripture from the Gospel of John. 34 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 1: And Lord, as we see your words in this passage, 35 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 1: we're grateful for what you reveal to us. You tell 36 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: us that you grant us your peace, and that the 37 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: peace that you give to us isn't like the kind 38 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 1: of peace that this world tries to offer. This world 39 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 1: tries to offer us a sense of peace through the 40 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:50,639 Speaker 1: accumulation of wealth or resources. But we know that those 41 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 1: things go away so quickly, and this world tries to 42 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 1: offer us a sense of peace through our circumstances being 43 00:02:56,800 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 1: ideal or trouble free. But yet you told us we 44 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 1: could have your peace in the midst of this world, 45 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 1: knowing that there will be times when we will experience 46 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:11,239 Speaker 1: genuine trouble. So Lord, we're grateful that what you offer 47 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 1: us is greater than anything this world supplies. And we're 48 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 1: grateful that as we go through our lives on this earth, 49 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 1: we don't need to be afraid. We can trust in you. 50 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: You have our lives, and you have all circumstances under 51 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:28,800 Speaker 1: your control, and you only allow us to experience what 52 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 1: will be for our good and for your glory. So 53 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: in the midst of seasons of trouble, in the midst 54 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 1: of seasons of adversity, we pray that we would continue 55 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 1: to rely on the peace that you supply, and we're 56 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 1: grateful for the fact that you offer it to us 57 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: as we trust in you, and we commit this day 58 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 1: to your care, and thank you for all of these things. 59 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 1: In Jesus' name. Amen.