"Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means" ~ 2 Thessalonians 3:16aThis little "blue stone" verse is another of Paul's letter closings which we so easily overlook. But look again. Here is light for your faith. And light for mine [Eugenia Price, the author's]. "now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always and by all means." I read this at a most unpeaceful period of my life and not long ago. I had read it many times before during calm periods and saw nothing but a prayer for peace in it. When I needed peace, I saw more!
Surely the prayer for peace to the One who Himself is peace, is the main theme of this verse, but the last three words open the heart of it to me. "... by all means."
Perhaps we have a part here which we have overlooked. God and God alone can give us peace. "He is our peace." But are we refusing His gift of peace because He sees it is necessary to use a "means" which does not please us? Paul prays for peace for his spiritual children "by all means." Could he be telling them that they must be willing to grow through some hardship God permits to come, in order to make room for the peace He is sending? Could it be we are to make room for peace? He has "made peace by the blood of his cross." It is ours for the taking. But if a wrong attitude has crowded our hearts, where is the room for God's peace? He has made peace possible for us. We must make room for the peace which He chooses to send however He chooses to send it.
"Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means ... by all means."
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