Maneuvers - No. 11
A Greater
Peace
Sorrow and joy. Realism and hope. Pain and consolation.
Is it possible to feel all these things at the same time? Our answer: Yes, with Jesus.
We may not always understand the paradox. We may have many questions for the Lord about our circumstances, about the pain we feel, about how to move forward.
And it’s okay to have questions. We can bring them to our heavenly Father and know that he loves to answer them… in his timing and in his way.
Just know, friend, that if you’re facing deep hurt right now, a pain that cuts deep, you can still enjoy the peace and joy that are yours in Christ.
We’re not talking about ignoring your hurt and pretending you don’t feel it. You don’t have to choose between pain and peace. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. It can be both.
This week, we’re listening to Jesus’ words, his wisdom that brings peace in the sorrow, comfort in the pain. He knows that paradox well. He experienced it during his life on earth, and so did those who followed him, who loved him.
As he gently leads us into his peace, let’s listen to his words with soft and open hearts. Let’s let the barriers down, the distrust and the confusion, and let’s lean in.
He loves to speak to you.
01.
The Message
“I hear all your questions: How do you reconcile sorrow with joy? How do you stay present in your circumstances, while at the same time having hope for the future and peace for your past? How do you hold onto and feel your emotions while surrendering them too so you don’t become overwhelmed by them? How do you let yourself feel and not ignore what is painful? How do you find consolation in desolation? How do you live in peace and hope and joy all at once when nothing is perfect and few things feel like they can be fixed?
“Stay with me here. Don’t become overwhelmed now by even these questions, by all that you don’t know or understand.
“Take a deep breath now. Close your eyes. Take another deep breath. Focus on me. Notice my nearness. Take another deep breath. I love you. Feel my love for you. Take another deep breath. Relax. Listen. Hear your breath. Feel the rise and fall of your lungs. Pull inward for a few moments. Be still. Keep your eyes closed.
“My love for you is immediate and constant. While your lungs expand and contract with air, notice the movement of your chest. There is change, there is movement, while you are still. You can never be perfectly still; the world is never still. Challenges and problems will continue to exist, fluctuating and building. But you can have peace. For I am with you. Despite all that you cannot control, I am with you. Despite frustration with the past and concern for the future, I am with you.
“When I came to my mother Mary after my death on the cross, she was overwhelmed with so many different emotions. Amazement and joy. Relief and praise. But she was also sad; she felt sorrow for the loss of what she knew—of what was familiar, the rhythm of seeing me and hearing my voice and being with me like I had been while I was her son on earth. She was stricken with pain by what she had seen done to me—what I had allowed to happen—and knew, to continue on, she would have to surrender all that she did not know and understand.
“And when I saw her, after having risen, and she felt my joy and love and delight in all the good—the new life—that was now for her, and the world, she was able to hold her conflicting emotions. My presence quieted her. My love filled her. And she trusted that when I went to the Father, I would never leave her. My Spirit would be her friend, her Father, her Guide, her Brother, her Lord, her place of calm in any storm.
“My friend, the Lord is with you. I am with you. I am never leaving you. I am always near. Let your breath be the reminder of my constancy, despite change, despite disruption, despite turbulence in your mind and circumstances and heart. I am with you. My presence brings peace. Peace is in you. Receive it. Receive me. You have everything you need—for joy, for hope—right now.”
02.
Listen
What do you think about this week’s message from Jesus? How did his words apply to your life and impact you? Let’s write down a prayer in response to him.
03.
Think
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27, NIV).
1. Describe a moment—whether recently or in the distant past—when you felt no peace. What was that moment like? What made peace feel so elusive in that situation?
2. Now, describe a time when you felt like Mary in this week’s message—excited for what’s to come but sad to say goodbye to the familiar. What did God teach you through that moment?
3. What makes it hard to believe that Jesus is always with you and will never leave you? What makes it hard for you to acknowledge his presence with you right now? Let’s write these down.
04.
Trust
In the confusion, the chaos, the disappointment, it can be difficult to feel God’s presence, can’t it? We (Jennifer and Justin) have been there, too.
It’s one thing to know Jesus is with you at all times. But it’s another thing to believe it and embrace it, moment by moment, hour by hour.
So today, we encourage you to try something a little different. Let’s go on a walk outside, perhaps around the neighborhood or the community park. As we walk, let’s imagine Jesus walking right next to us, holding our hand, finding animal shapes in the clouds, pointing out the funny pigeon or squirrel on the sidewalk, admiring the flowered bushes he made.
If you can’t actually go outside, that’s okay. Imagine you’re there, walking with Jesus, like you would with your best friend.
What is Jesus saying? What are you two laughing about as you walk together? What inside jokes and special memories are you creating together?
Did you finish your walk yet? Did you enjoy it? We hope so.
We encouraged you to go on this walk with Jesus because so often we think God’s presence is something for the special “sacred” spaces, like our devotion time or a church service or a deep reflection while journaling.
And while he is there in all those times (and those deep moments can bring beautiful things out of our lives), those aren’t the only times he’s with us. Those aren’t the only memories he wants to make with us.
Jesus is with each of us in every moment. In the mundane moments when you’re cleaning the dishes or washing the dog or sitting stuck in traffic. He’s with you when you’re hanging out with your friends around the dinner table and when you’re fighting with one of your parents. He’s right there.
So today, let’s find our peace, not in what’s happening in our lives, but in the constant, unmoving, unshakable presence of Jesus.
Can you feel him right now, calming you and loving you?
05.
Pray
Jesus, I love you so much, and I love being with you. Thank you for walking with me today. It was amazing just to be with you, share my heart and life with you, and enjoy my surroundings with you.
Help me recognize your presence moment by moment and find peace in your nearness. When you’re near me—and I realize it—I can feel joy in the sorrow and peace in my pain. Because you’re with me.
Open my eyes to see you all around me, even in the mundane or frustrating parts of my day. Help me trust you with the questions that are burning in my heart, the secret fears I haven’t shared with anyone else yet. I want to share them with you.
Keep shaping my heart to look more like yours. I want to step into all that you have for me, the deep love you long to share with me. I just want to give you all the glory I can.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Waving the banner with you,
