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We have all had a busy summer, and every now and then we really just need some peace to refocus on what we need to be getting done and to process it all. Where there is time for rest, there is peace.
2 Thessalonians 3:16 says, “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.”
So many times, we seek rest and peace, and often we look to the world for it. But in John 14:27 it says, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
God never intended for us to look to the world and the things and people in it for our peace. He wants us to seek that from Him and Him alone. Christ not only gave himself on the cross to give us peace with God, but Christ has also given us his Spirit to indwell our hearts, so that we can experience the peace of God.
We can seek others for prayer, advice and for guidance, and that is good. We can also comfort each other and do all we can to help one another feel better, but the peace and understanding that we need can only be filled by the Lord.
John 16:33 says, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
For all of us, it is hard to understand the trials we face on earth because at times there are too many. We can feel overwhelmed and not even understand why they happen.
God is always calling us to Him, and when we face trials, He wants us to come to Him first. He wants us to know that in Him we will find comfort and peace. In Him, we will be filled completely with His love. He is our comfort and refuge.
To experience peace through any trial is to keep our minds fixed on the Lord.
I used to worry more about things—from how conversations would go to what I was wearing and what people would think about me. It was in these thoughts and worries that I became more and more insecure in who I was. I was relying more on my own doing and not on what the Lord was doing. I was seeking acceptance from the world, forgetting that I was seen, known, and loved by the one who created me. Once I realized who I was in Christ, all the other stuff faded away.
Philippians 4:6-7 says, “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.”
Thank you, Lord, for helping me learn to seek you in all things and how to walk this world knowing that you are the one who brings peace and understanding.