Peace from the Lord

2nd Thessalonians 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.

Quickword: Peace from the Lord

In the 3rd Chapter of Thessalonians, we find Paul asking the Church at Thessalonica to pray for Him and others as they continue to spread the Good News of Christ Jesus. The most familiar verse in this chapter is verse 13 where Paul encourages the Church to not become weary in doing good. Yet for me today, words of encouragement are found in the benediction of this letter. Paul closes with a blessing; the blessings being that:

- The Lord of Peace give you peace always

- The Lord of Peace give you peace in every way

- The Lord of Peace be with you all.

My brothers and sisters, this is my prayer for you as well. I pray that the peace of God be with you always and in every way. I ask this prayer knowing that all of us face challenges of life that come from forces both intentional and unintentional to disturb our peace. I value peace; it is one of the greatest gifts from God. It's a blessing to have peace in the midst of the storms, it's a blessing to have peace during the illness, it a blessing to have peace when you know you are being unfairly attacked or mistreated, it's a blessing to have peace during the loss of a loved one. It's the peace for me, peace that comes from the Lord when I am weak, peace that comes from the Lord when I have enough resources and peace when I'm trying to make ends meet. So today, I simply echo the sentiments of the Apostle Paul that the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always and in every way. I pray that the Lord of peace be with you even now wherever you are and through whatever you are going through. May the peace of God be upon you that it surpasses all understanding.