The Thessalonians, as they listened to Paul's first prayer, might think
to themselves, 'Always, by all means.' That is a large petition! Can it
be fufilled? And so the Apostle adds, 'The Lord be with you all.' You
cannot separate Christ's gifts from Christ. The only way to get anything
that He gives is to get Him. It is His presence that does everything. If
He is with me, the world's annoyances will seem very small. If I hold
His hand I shall not be much troubled. If I can only nestle close to His
side, and come under His cloak, He will shield me from the cold blast,
from whatever side it blows. If my heart is twined around Him it will
partake of the stability and calm of the great heart on which it rests.
The secret of tranquillity is the presence of Christ. When He is in the
vessel the waves calm themselves. So, Christian men and women, if you
and I are conscious of breaches of our restfulness, interruptions of
our tranquillity by reason of surging, impatient passions, and hot
desires within ourselves, or by reason of the pressure of outward
circumstances, or by reason of our having fallen beneath our
consciences, and done wrong things, let us understand that the breaches
of our peace are not owing to Him, but only to our having let go His
hand. It is our own faults if we are ever troubled; if we kept close to
Him we should not be. It is our own faults if the world ever agitates us
beyond the measure that is compatible with central calm. Sorrow should
not have the power to touch the citadel of our lives. Effort should not
have the power to withdraw us from our trustful repose in Him. And
nothing here would have the power, if we did not let our hand slip out
of His, and break our communion with Him.
So, dear brethren, 'in the world ye shall have tribulation, in Me ye
shall have peace.' Keep inside the fortress and nothing will disturb.
'He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under
the shadow of the Almighty.' The only place where that hungry,
passion-ridden heart of yours, conscious of alienation from God, can
find rest, is close by Jesus Christ. 'The Lord be with us all,' and then
the peace of that Lord shall clothe and fill our hearts in Christ
Jesus.