“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
Unless the heart is kept quiet and peaceable—the life will not be happy. If calm does not reign over that inner lake within the soul which feeds the rivers of our life—the rivers themselves will always be in storm. Our outward acts will always manifest that they were born in tempests—by being tempestuous themselves.
We all desire to lead a peaceful and joyous life; to carry about a contented mind is that to which most people are continually aspiring. Remember that the only way to keep our life peaceful and happy—is to keep the heart at rest. For come poverty, come wealth, come honor, come shame, come plenty, or come scarcity—if the heart is quiet, there will be peace and happiness manifested in the life!
But no matter how bright the sun shines outside—if the heart is troubled—the whole life must be troubled too!
“You will keep in perfect peace—all whose thoughts are fixed on You—because he trusts in You!” Isaiah 26:3
(J.R. Miller, “Evening Thoughts” 1907)
“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms!” Deuteronomy 33:27
Of course God has no arms; but He reveals Himself to us in human language — the only language we could understand…
But the arms of God are “everlasting.” God holds His redeemed children in the strong embrace of His love! No matter what may come to us of danger, of calamity, of terror — they will still and ever enfold us.
These arms of God are ever and always “underneath” us. However low we may sink away in pain, in weakness, in sorrow — we shall never sink out of the divine arms! Jesus said no one can snatch His loved ones out of His hands.
In death, when we shall sink out of every human embrace — we shall still be in the clasp of God’s love and His everlasting arms will be underneath us. Such a word as this assures us of eternal security in God’s love!