Peace always by all means

2 Thessalonians 3:16

Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

This sounds like such a stupendous idea, we can barely conceive of it! Could I have peace always? By all means? Yes, by all means you may have it! You may live in a constant state of peace, a manner of existence that is serene and unperturbed. But this is incredible! How could this ever be? How could I live without any interruptions to the peaceful state? It is only possible one way. And it is implicitly, if not explicitly, stated in this verse. He says here, “The Lord be with you all.” This means that the peace must come from the Lord’s presence. Our peace comes from the cognizance and realization that He is always with us.

Does not the Lord give this same message to many in Holy Scripture? We see Him tell Moses, “My presence shall go with you.” And then to Joshua, “I am with you whithersoever you go.” And to all the prophets, He assured them that they were not alone, but accompanied by His constant presence. And Jesus Himself, when speaking to His disciples, said, “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” This is the greatest promise of all! It brings peace. In fact, nothing else brings lasting peace, for it does not abide. But the Lord’s presence abides. Jesus said that the Comforter would dwell with us, and shall be in us. And moreover, He shall abide with us for ever. This is how we may have peace always by all means! It is possible, you see! But only when we are aware of His presence. Be reminded, dear one, that the Lord’s presence is with you, and you may live in a state of persisting peace.

“Father, we thank you for the peace that we may have in our Lord Jesus Christ. It is in Him and through Him that we have this peace. And it is only by His presence that we continue to have peace. Please, Lord, help us to live in this state moment by moment. We thank you for your ever-abiding presence. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”