Peace is a state of rest. You know that when you rest from something, you cease from labor. You're not trying to make something happen. You're resting in what has already happened. You're in a state of rest, in a state of having ceased from labor. Secondly, peace is security in the midst of turmoil.

But if peace is security, what creates that security? Now, I know you're going to say, "The Word of God," but why is the Word of God my security? Suppose I've just gotten born again and don't know anything about the Bible. What am I supposed to understand when you tell me the Word of God is my security in the midst of trouble? Why is the Word of God secure? "It works," you say. But I don't know it works. You do because you've had experience with it, but I haven't had any experience yet. There's something I have to know before I can have peace.

You see, if I'm a new believer, you can't just blurt out a bunch of "religious" answers and expect those answers to give me peace.

I'm going to look at all the trouble you're going through and ask you, "How did you get peace in the midst of that just by reading what God said?" Obviously something happened to you when you read the Word, but you can't just tell me to read the Word and expect me to automatically have peace and security. I've got bills that need to be paid.

"Oh," you say, "the Lord will work it out." But how do you expect me to have peace that the Lord will work it out when the landlord is coming to evict me from my house tomorrow? What's my security in this situation? Tell me why I ought to be secure in God's Word.

"Well," you say, "God says His Word will not return to Him void, but it will accomplish everything it was sent to accomplish." (Is. 55:11). How do I know that? "Have faith." But how do I know that having faith in the Word is really going to work for me? What's my guarantee?

By now I know you may be getting upset with me for asking all these questions and then objecting to your answers, but if you'll bear with me a minute, I'll explain. I'm trying to get you to see a very important point.

Let's use a simple example. If you told me that you were going to do something for me - for instance, that you were going to pay my rent - why should I have security that you're really going to do it? Can I depend on you to do what you promised just because you said it? If I didn't know you very well, I might hesitate to depend on your word.

Suppose you brought me a written contract, drawn up by a legal expert, properly signed and witnessed, then I would believe you. I can depend on what that contract says because the contract is suable. If you don't do what the contract says you will do, I can take you to court under the clauses of the contract and make you perform the promised work or pay damages to compensate me. The contract you signed is my security because it's a legal covenant.

That's what the Bible is. It's a covenant. In Genesis 15, God cut a covenant with Abraham. He walked in the blood between the two halves of the animals He told Abraham to cut up (Genesis 15:17), and He swore an oath, the book of Hebrews says He swore by Himself since there wasn't anyone greater to swear by. God made a promise in blood. He cut a covenant with Abraham and his seed. Now, who is Abraham's seed? I am and you are: "If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Gal. 3:29).

God's Word is a sworn covenant between Him and all of us who believe Jesus is the Christ. It's an oath and a promise sworn in two unchangeable things - the body and blood of Jesus Christ. God's Word is good because He is unchangeable and He can't lie. The question is not whether God will do what He said just because He said it. The question is, how can He not do it because of His sacrifice of Jesus and the fact that He said it in blood?

God cannot lie. Since God is holding up the universe by the power of His Word (Heb. 1:3), if He broke His Word, heaven and earth would pass away. The terms of a blood covenant state that if you don't keep your part of bargain, if you don't keep your word, you have to die. So if God didn't keep His Word, He'd have to die. And of course, since there is no death in God, He's not going to die. God can't lie, and therefore, if He said He would do something, He has to do it. If He spoke it, He will bring it to pass. And glory to God, that's my guarantee. That's my security. I am secure in the blood covenant of God Almighty, in which He swore that what He said He would do He will surely bring to pass.

That's how I can have faith: I have a covenant. That's how I can believe God's Word: I have a covenant, a covenant sworn in blood. And that's why I can have peace: I have a covenant of peace (Is. 54:10). I'm guaranteed security in the midst of turmoil, because God swore an oath in blood to give it to me.

Source: How To Trouble Your Trouble by Creflo A. Dollar, Jr.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers