Peace Be With You

DAILY VERSE

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.

Philippians 4:9

DEVOTION

You can never think about the goodness and greatness of God enough. When you choose to respond to life the way Jesus responded, you will find peace.

Guard your prayer life. Guard your thought life. Seek the Father and all that’s godly. His Word promises that when you fill your mind with what is good, “the God of peace will be with you.”

Peace in the Midst

DAILY VERSE

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
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John 14:27

DEVOTION

God’s peace is unlike anything we can put our fingers on when we’re relying on the world to solve our problems. It’s something only He can provide.

I’ve been through my fair share of turbulent times. Ships in the middle of the ocean can experience massive storms that can bring with them winds up to 100 miles per hour and generate waves up to 50 feet high. Yet, about 100 feet below the surface, you’d never know any of this was going on above. It’s calm.

This is a great illustration of the peace only God can provide. While you may be experiencing a turbulent storm of circumstances, God offers you peace in the midst of it all.

So, Do Not Fear!

DAILY VERSE

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

DEVOTION

Do you ever just get tired? Our circumstances, when shouldered daily, can strip us of every bit of our energy. Because we’re prone to rely on our own strength, we can get to a point where we feel we just have no more gas in our tank, and nothing left to give.

God doesn’t want us to rely on our own strength, He wants us to rely on His. He wants us to cast our burdens upon Him. He wants to lighten our load and give us rest. He wants us to have faith that He is fully in control of every situation.

No matter what you are facing today, Jesus is propping you up. He’s petitioning the Father for you in prayer. He’s right beside you catching every tear in His hands. So, do not fear!

Believe!

DAILY VERSE

“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

Mark 9:23

DEVOTION

Thousands of years ago life was much more primitive than it is today. As God seems a little far off for us today, the stories we read in the Bible allow us to experience His closeness to His people throughout the Old Testament. Still, even they doubted.

We have a record. A guide. A manual for life. We have God’s living Word to experience how He works, what His character is, and how much He loves us. We should believe that much more.

He’s the same today as He was yesterday. Most of us look up to pray as if God were far away, beyond the universe. God is right here! He draws near to the brokenhearted. He hurls our burdens, like mountains, into the sea! Believe!

Faith is the Opposite of Fear

DAILY VERSE

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Colossians 3:2

DEVOTION

Many people make the mistake of thinking the opposite of fear is hope. The opposite of fear is faith. When fear enters into our lives it challenges our faith.

Faith tells us that our God can conquer all things and that nothing is impossible for Him. Fear shreds that to pieces. It comes in and brings with it feelings of dread and hopelessness.

Next time you face something that challenges your faith, stop! Remember that God can toss your mountain of burdens into the sea. With Him, ALL things are possible, nothing is too big!

When Chaos Enters In

DAILY VERSE

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Romans 12:18

DEVOTION

None of us are perfect, though we follow the only One who is. Because we are fallible and prone to allow pride to get the upper hand, there will be times when peace is replaced by chaos.

What are we to do when chaos enters in? We need to quickly assess the issues.

If we didn’t cause the issue, we need to give some grace to the perpetrator. We need to at least attempt to focalize our concerns lovingly, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us. If the other person is blinded by pride that they cannot see they’ve caused an issue, forgive them despite themselves. Pray for the situation.

Because we are prone to sin, peace will not always prosper. We always need to bring the situation to God. He is always in control.

Don’t Become Distracted

DAILY VERSE

Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Matthew 6:25-26

DEVOTION

The Greek word for “anxious” in this passage means “distracted.”

We have free will. This is what brought about the original sin. God did not create us to be robots, He made us like Him. We have a spirit. But we also fail on a regular basis.

When those failures lead to circumstances, we have a choice; we can either allow anxiety to overtake us, or we can go directly to God for help. Our response here is crucial.

Don’t become distracted, keep your eyes on God.

Into the Sea!

DAILY VERSE

Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.

Matthew 21:21

DEVOTION

I’ve read this verse I don’t know how many times. Then yesterday it finally dawned on me; our burdens are the mountains!

As we face obstacles or difficult times, our worries can turn into mountains. Like David facing Goliath, they become immovable. But when we stop and realize that God is bigger than these things, He challenges us to have faith.

With God, our mountain of burdens can be tossed into the sea!

Push Out the Business

DAILY VERSE

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:7

DEVOTION

You have the ability to say, “I choose to trust God,” in any situation you face or thought you have. His Word promises that when you fill your mind with what is virtuous and praiseworthy, “the God of peace will be with you” (Phil. 4:9).

As the world crashes in on you today, choose to make time for God’s Word. Allow His Word to push out the negativity and business of the day. God’s peace will ascend upon you.

God is in Control

DAILY VERSE

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

1 Peter 2:9

DEVOTION

If you’re a Christian, God alone is in control. He’s your security. He’s never been powerless over His creation for one fraction of a second since the beginning of time.

Though we may not understand what He is doing in a given situation, He is still working toward a conclusion that is in line with His will and will produce the best outcome for your life.