Experience God's Peace

 January 10 – Experience God’s peace

Scripture:

Philippians 4:4-9, “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

Isaiah 26:3-4, “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord is the Rock eternal”

Thought:

The Old Testament word for peace is the word, “shalom.” Its basic meaning is “wholeness” or “well-being.” It is a harmonious state of soul and mind, both externally and internally. Shalom is often used as a greeting and farewell to express a blessing.

However, the circumstances in our lives do not always feel peaceful as the storms of life surround us. At some point, all of us experience the storms of life. We are going into a storm, are currently in a storm, or coming out of a storm. Biblical peace is unrelated to circumstances; it is a goodness of life that is not touched by what happens on the outside.

A brief look at our passages tells us the way to experience peace, even in the storm. In the Isaiah passage, the word “steadfast” is also translated “stayed” or “fixed.” It is the condition of residence. When our mind is continually residing in a place of God’s presence, we may be in the midst of great trials and still have biblical peace. The condition is staying our minds, or resting our minds on God, keeping him first.

The Philippians passage suggests the same concerning our thought life. We are to fix our thoughts on God, His word, His works, and His love. It is then we can experience His peace, which surpasses our ability to understand how it all works.

In what ways have you experienced God’s peace?

What are the areas do you need to experience God’s peace?

Decision: 

Based on what you have read and what God is saying to you, what decision do you need to make?

Prayer: