August 28

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you.” John 14:27

God preserves in himself a quite undisturbed peace. It is that peace of God which, Paul tells us, is to garrison our hearts and thoughts. The word “garrison” means that my foe has to fight through the armed guard at the gates before he can reach me. Before I can be touched, the garrison itself has first to be overcome. So I dare to be as peaceful as God, for the peace that is keeping God is keeping me.

Recall that night before Christ’s passion. Everything seemed to be going wrong—a friend going out into the night to betray him, another drawing a sword in anger, people going into hiding in their eagerness to avoid involvement with him. In the midst of it all Jesus said to those who had come to take him, "I am he," and he said it so peacefully that instead of him being nervous, it was they who trembled and fell backward. It is no surprise to us, therefore, that Paul describes this peace as beyond understanding.