Daily Dose #74 (Monday, June 15, 2020)
Here it is, Daily Dose Episode #74!!
Our Dose for today comes from John 14:27, which has Jesus saying this to His disciples – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
This past weekend saw some very volatile weather in our area – thankfully, though we did have some crazy storms, I have not heard of anyone in the church family who had any significant damage. We have much to be thankful for in that regard.
Life can often seem like the weekend – beautiful and sunny, warm and lovely, only to be followed by a sudden and drastic change in the weather leading to very serious storms, etc. In some ways, Covid-19 has felt like a storm that came out of nowhere, shattering our habits, routines, patterns, and life rhythms for many. Things have been turned upside down – what used to be normal is anything but normal (just visit a local restaurant for a dine-in meal!).
In these words from John 14, Jesus is speaking to His disciples towards the end of His life before He went to the cross. The disciples knew something was going to happen, because Jesus had told them in as many words – He said He was going to die on a cross! Do you think that they felt a little ripped off about the potential scenarios before them? They had enjoyed close to 3 years of fabulous ministry following in the footsteps of Jesus. Yes, it may not have always been easy, but it probably felt like life was beautiful and sunny, warm and lovely. Crowds following wherever they went; healings; dead people raised from the dead; Jesus putting the Jewish religious leaders in their place; etc. And now the time was coming closer when Jesus would be leaving them.
And this is where Jesus speaks these words – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Jesus came to give us peace, and not a peace that is from any other source – “my peace I give you.” The peace that Jesus was giving the disciples, and the peace that He gives us, are nothing at all like what the world gives to us. So Jesus told us straight out, in plain language, “do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
So as we continue to walk this Covid journey church family, as we look ahead to gathering this Sunday, we need to remember that Jesus has given us His peace – which transforms our very lives, our daily existence. We must remember that the peace that Jesus gives us in not at all like anything the world offers to us. So we don’t need to have troubled hearts – we don’t need to be afraid – for we have Jesus living within us, within our very being. And so with His empowering Spirit in our lives, we are given the grace and mercy to follow Him each and every day, including today. So receive His peace today – hear His words for you today yet one more time – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
God bless you.