BIBLE PASSAGE:
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:7)
MEDITATION:
Peace – An emotional state that many seek but have trouble finding.
Webster’s definition of peace:
‘freedom from disturbance; quiet and tranquility’.
Whenever we see someone at peace, we can see it in their countenance.
There’s just something pleasant about them that’s obvious to everyone.
However, the peace we receive from God goes much deeper than any
peace the world may offer us. A person without God’s peace can often
become unraveled whenever something traumatic or stressful enters
their lives. But those with the peace of God have an unusual ability to
cope with overwhelming situations. As the scriptures say, He gives us
a peace, ‘which surpasses all understanding’.
God’s peace ‘guards our hearts and minds’. That means that when we get
blindsided by something traumatic, we will be protected from devastating
thoughts and emotions that can overwhelm us. It also means our thinking
doesn’t get clouded and confused during the stresses of life.
All of us have faced some stressful situations in our lives. Some people can
become stressed when trying to manage a household. Others might become
overwhelmed by unreasonable deadlines at work. Still others can be thrust
into an emotional valley over a wayward child, or a sickness that they, or a
loved one is battling.
There are many more examples we could include, but it’s important for us
to realize that we have either experienced stressful situations already, or
we will encounter them at some point in our life.
With that truth in mind, we all need the peace that only God can provide.
We will still experience problems in our lives, but we will have an ability
to cope with them. It doesn’t mean that we enjoy them, but when they
come, they don’t destroy us mentally, physically, emotionally or spiritually.
An example of the unusual peace from God:
As a high school choral group prepared to sing the classic hymn
“It Is Well With My Soul” (written by Horatio G. Spafford), a teen
stepped forward to tell the song’s familiar history. Spafford wrote
the song while on a ship that was near the spot in the sea where
his four daughters had perished.
How could it be “well” for Spafford in his grief? Paul tells us that peace
can be found when we voice our heartfelt prayers to God.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every
situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.
(Philippians 4:6)
When we pray with trust, we unburden our hearts, we separate ourselves
from overwhelming anxieties, and we loosen the suffocating grip on our
grief.
ACTION:
Question to consider:
– Do I have a struggle finding peace in the midst of a storm?
If we answered, “Yes!”, then we need to heed the advice from Paul
and ‘connect’ with God. He is the One who can give us an unusual
peace, so we can confidently sing,
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea-billows roll
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Emotional pain and grief are real, but the promises of our Heavenly Father
are also real, and they can be trusted. As we grow closer in our relationship
with the Lord, the door to His peace opens wider. We never want to undergo
challenges which test the depth of our faith, but when we experience God’s
presence when we are hurting, we can ‘feel’ how our faith and trust in Him
carried us through our situation, and how our faith has grown stronger.
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, help me to know that even when I am
experiencing pain or grief, You are there with me. Help
me to have confidence that You will comfort and guide
me through any emotional valleys. Teach me to pray in
a manner that will allow me to receive peace, comfort
and guidance that only You can provide.”
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