A TROUBLED HEART

Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27). But the fact is, many Christians do have troubled hearts and they live in fear. Jesus also said in the same verse, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you." Yet few believers can honestly say they enjoy constant peace of mind. For many, peace comes and goes, leaving them worried, restless and battered by stress.

Here is what Zacharias prophesied of the coming Messiah: "That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life" (Luke 1:74-75).

Beloved, Jesus came to this earth and died for sinful man so that we could walk with God without fear, enjoying His peace all the days of our lives.

No fear, just peace of mind and heart for all of our days! This includes good and bad days, days of suffering, turmoil, testing and uncertainty. No matter what comes our way, we are to enjoy peace at all times.

Zacharias added these words about Jesus: "To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace" (verse 79). He was saying that Jesus would guide all His children into the path of peace, not into restlessness, emptiness or fear.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. At His birth the angels sang, “Peace on earth!” His gospel is called the gospel of peace and He promised of Himself, "In Me ye [shall] have peace" (John 16:33). Peace is what the gospel is all about. "The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ" (Acts 10:36).

In this world we will face tribulation, persecution and fiery trials—"without were fightings, within were fears," according to Paul (2 Corinthians 7:5). We will be tempted, we will suffer for the sake of Christ, and the winds of adversity will try to topple the house of faith we build on the Rock of our salvation—Jesus—but we will walk in peace because of Him.