The Peace We Can’t Understand
Have you ever experienced God’s unexplainable peace?
Verse of the Day
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:7 CSB
Today’s Devotional
The “And” in this sentence implies that something was said before. So how do we get this peace of God that will guard our hearts and minds? According to the prior verses, we should be: rejoicing in God, behaving with gentleness, acknowledging the nearness of God, not worrying, praying with thanksgiving about everything.
Rejoicing in God: If I want God’s unexplainable peace in my life, I need to spend some time rejoicing that God is who he says He is. That He is in control and I am not. That He is good and kind.
Behaving with gentleness: If I want God’s peace, I need to behave in a gentle way with other humans. (I wish you could see me cringing right now. This is hard for me to do sometimes.) Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.” Gentleness comes easier for some than others. For all of us, choosing to be gentle is an avenue to the peace we all crave.
Acknowledging the nearness of God: So many times in the Bible God tells us that He is here, in this moment, with each one of us. Acknowledging that nearness is a choice. Think about this: How often do you think about your breathing? You are always breathing, whether you realize it or not. But when you focus on your breathing, it slows and becomes deeper and more beneficial. If we want God’s peace, we need to practice that same concept with the nearness of God. Focus on His nearness. Breathe Him in. Know that He is with you in this very moment. And all the other moments.
Not worrying: Choosing not to allow ourselves to worry is a matter of trust. I refer you back to the conversation Peter Enns had with Jesus that I shared on August 29th. (https://hungerthirst.net/a-conversation-with-jesus/) If I want God’s peace, I must redirect my brain every time it goes to worry.
Praying with thanksgiving about everything: If I want God’s peace, I need to pray about everything and find gratitude in every situation. Not just the big stuff. This takes a shift in our mental perspective of prayer. It requires a more constant mental dialogue with God in our minds, directing our thoughts into prayers while also choosing to find things in each situation for which we are grateful.
If we do these things continually, God will guide us toward His peace and guard our hearts and minds. It’s interesting the way the peace is described. It surpasses all understanding. It doesn’t make sense to our human brains.
I spoke to a friend on the phone today who said, “I don’t know how I’m calm in the middle of everything that’s going on, but I am so grateful to God that I am.” That’s the peace that doesn’t make sense. Peace doesn’t mean that everything is right in my world, it means that in the middle of the storm, I recognize that God is holding me and everything will be ok.
This peace that doesn’t make sense will then guard my heart and mind. How? By reminding me of how God has helped me in the past. By helping me trust when it’s scary. By knowing that everything will be ok even when I have no idea how that will be accomplished. The peace of God is a treasured possession. Please, God, grant me your peace.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
How can you rejoice in God, behave with gentleness, acknowledge the nearness of God, not worry and pray with thanksgiving about everything today? Write about each one. Be specific and then pray for God’s strength to do those things. Ask God for a measure of his peace today in a specific area of your life.