12 Gifts From God Gift Number 7

GIFT NUMBER 7: PEACE

Gift number 7 from God I want to look at is Peace. Peace to me is a calm assurance. When I was a kid I went sleigh riding down a hill that had just a very small path down the middle of nothing but trees. Well I started down, hit a rut, and went headlong into one of the trees. I was hurt and scared and they took me to the hospital but I didn’t calm down and feel better till my Dad got there and once he got there I knew he would make everything alright and I calmed down and was at peace because he was there. The Peace that God gives is a calm assurance that he loves us and has everything in control. This peace is brought to us by his Son Jesus who gave his life for us so that we can have the assurance of God’s love and our home in heaven. In Romans 5:1 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” this is the promise and gift from God that because we believe and accept Jesus as our Lord then we are guaranteed peace from God for our lives.

When in 2000 I finally was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis I didn’t fall apart or get angry or upset. I prayed about it and then I had the peace from God that I was where he wanted me to be for now. I felt thankful because he trusted me to use me in this way. Myasthenia Gravis is a neuromuscular disease where your body sees the receptors, that is how the nerves talk to the muscles, and blocks or destroys them because they are seen as being a foreign body and they need to be destroyed. It causes muscle weakness in the voluntary muscles like eyes, eyelids, face, swallowing, talking, chewing, breathing, limbs, neck and back muscles. You can get into a crisis and choke or not be able to breath so it can be very dangerous and life threatening in a crisis otherwise for me I have some trouble with breathing and swallowing at times and it just limits what I can do and I went from being very active to not being able to do a lot and being in a wheel chair when out. I tell you this because I want you to understand I wasn’t afraid even though this is a serious disease and just one of many I have but because of my faith in God and having Jesus as my Saviour that I have the gift of peace even in my time of trouble. John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” This verse tells us that peace is given to us and we don’t have to be afraid. That is why I can have peace even in sickness and not be afraid of what could happen.

Peace or calm assurance that we are loved by God and are in God’s master plan even as it says in John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” though we have troubles and tribulation in the world we can be calm and at peace because Jesus has overcome the world and as a believer in him we can over come too therefore we have the gift of Peace. It is also a peace because we know our final outcome will be in heaven with God for ever more. So remember that even in this world when things are up or down we have the gift of peace from God to hold on too. Phil 4:7 “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Pass this gift of peace on to others by sharing your faith and telling them how to receive the gift of peace from God. Thank you Lord for your peace and calm assurance that you have given to each of your children.

Written by
Deb Forbes
Dec 2008