Unwrap the Gift~

"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” (John 14:27).

Jorge and I have a will.  It’s simple, really.  Every single thing we have is to be split 50/50 between our kids, and we trust them and their spouses to move forward in a spirit of unity and fairness.  Jesus had a last will and testament as well.  His was verbal, and it’s the verse above.  He spoke it to disciples as He was preparing for death. 

He is not leaving them a house, jewelry, or money.  But He is leaving them, and by association us, the one thing that seems to evade so many people nowadays: PEACE.

We all want it, and some of us pop pills, smoke substances, eat food, guzzle alcohol, or spend money trying to get it. Yet, peace is nowhere near.   

What we learn from this verse, however, is that any road to peace that excludes Jesus is temporary and therefore frightening.  When the buzz wears off, the food is digested, or the novelty of the new toy fizzles away, we are often back at square one and back to having that horrible sinking feeling in our gut.  Jesus is speaking strongly here and reminding us that nothing and no one can compare to the eternal peace He gives, which is abiding, steadfast, and everlasting.

The day Jorge and I fly off to Jesus, my children will take the steps to execute our will.  Hopefully, that will be a long way away.  Jesus, on the other hand, already left us the gift of peace; it’s already ours and like all gifts, we have to unwrap it.  We unwrap it by doing what the verses from Tuesday’s DEVO encourage us to do. We must make requests of God, cast our cares on Him, trust in Him, lean on Him, come to Him, learn from Him, and see the Kingdom.

Every single time we do this, we are opening up ourselves to a life filled with true peace!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, As we pray now, we seek You so you can fill us with this beautiful, powerful, and necessary gift Jesus left for us.  We want our hearts and minds inundated with peace.  We will not look to cheap substitutes.  In Jesus’ name, Amen!