February 17, 2026
The World Can’t Take It Away
John 14:27 – “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.”
The notification sounds at 2:00 AM—unusual activity detected on your bank account. Your stomach drops as you scramble for your phone, frantically checking balances, changing passwords, reviewing transactions. By morning, you’ve installed new security software, updated every credential, and added two-factor authentication to accounts you didn’t even remember having. We live in a world where everything valuable seems perpetually at risk—subject to hacking, theft, market crashes, or simple disappearance.
Yet on the night before His crucifixion, knowing His disciples would soon face the apparent loss of everything, Jesus offered them a different kind of gift. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” This wasn’t temporary comfort or conditional provision. It was a permanent possession lying beyond the reach of any thief.
Paul grasped this when he wrote to the Romans that nothing—not trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, or danger—could separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:35). The writer of Hebrews reminded believers facing persecution that they possessed “better and lasting possessions” that couldn’t be confiscated (Hebrews 10:34).
Consider what belongs in this category: salvation secured by Christ’s finished work; identity as God’s beloved child; access to the throne of grace; the indwelling Holy Spirit; divine wisdom imparted through Scripture; the eternal hope of resurrection. No economic downturn can diminish these assets. No hacker can breach their security. No authority can legally seize them. No circumstance can revoke them.
We spend enormous energy protecting what can be stolen while sometimes neglecting what cannot. The irony is that our most valuable possessions require no security systems, no insurance policies, no defensive strategies. They’re already eternally secure.
Today’s Prayer: Lord, help me recognize and cherish the un-stealable treasures You’ve given me and find my security there. Amen.
Reflection Question: Which of God’s un-stealable gifts have you been overlooking?