"Let the peace of God rule in your hearts"


BIBLE READING: Colossians 3

The peace of God is the peace of the divine nature, the very tranquility that prevails in the heart of God.  Jesus spoke of this when He said, "My peace I give unto you."  His own being was filled and blessed with peace during His earthly career.  In each of us may be a sea of glass, reflecting on its transparent tranquility the untroubled calm and rest, unspeakable because they are eternal and divine.  "The Lord of peace Himself give you peace always;" (2 Thessalonians 3:16). 
There are three things against which we must ever be on guard lest they rob us of our peace; unconfessed sin, worry, and the permission of an unrebuked selfish principle.  On the Sabbath Nehemiah carefully excluded the men of Tyre from selling fish in Jerusalem (Nehemiah 13:16) so they would not mar the spirit of rest on the Sabbath by their cries and traffic.
The apostle says, “Let the peace of God rule.”  The Greek word means arbitrate.  Preside in your hearts, sit as umpire there, govern and control you.  Whenever there is a doubtful issue to be decided, and by one course your peace may be disturbed while by another it may be maintained, choose those things that make for peace, whether for yourselves or others.  Let God's peace act as umpire.
This does not mean peace at any price.  When the cause of truth is attacked or the rights of others invaded, we must stand up boldly and strongly for righteousness making peace the effect of righteousness.

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