His Peace is Real

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV).

There is a peace that is greater than anything my mind can fathom. It shields me from pain that the storms of life impart, and carries me through each battle that rages. There is a constant and abiding peace that is found only in Him. When my life is a roller coaster ride, swinging from one crisis to the next, His peace is my promise that, no matter what I think or see or feel or hear, it is entirely possible to have His quiet rest within me.

Philippians 4:6-7 are two are my favorites verses. This is because they have brought me peace in the midst of life's heartaches and struggles. The only reason they bring peace is that I believe what they say, and I act upon it. The instruction in verse 6 is clear. When it says that I am not to be anxious about anything, at first it's difficult, because fear always tries to rise up. But if I do what I am instructed to do in the next few phrases, my anxiety level drops. In every situation that I face, I am instructed in prayer to give God all my worries, fears, and every circumstance. When I realize that I can't carry life's burdens alone–when I realize that I'm unable to take care of them–when I finally trust God to handle them, He lifts the load and carries it for me.

Suddenly I can breathe! I don't have to have an answer. I don't have to protect anyone. I don't have to meet that need. I don't have to take care of a problem that is more than I can handle. His peace that verse 7 promises descends into my heart. With His peace comes His strength and direction to handle what I can't handle. There are things I must do because I can't retreat from life's problems, but if I follow His direction through each struggle, I will hold on to His peace. When I don't have an answer, He imparts His. When I can't protect someone, He offers something that will. When I don't have the means to take care of a problem, He reveals the way for it to be done. When I let go and allow Him to be Lord of my problems, they are no longer mine. They are His to handle and solve.

I can have His peace through the raging times of life–not just exist but live in His fullness of life, and not the emptiness of my own. I can't hide or run from problems and struggles of this life. But His peace, which always comes when I allow Him to have control, is beyond anything I can understand. It gives me what I need to take care of what I am unable to take care of without Him. His peace is real, and it is His promise.